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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 04:32 pm |
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1st Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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As I can tell that there are many long-time battlefield trampers in the group, I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your memories of your first-ever battlefield visit???
Mine was a hot summer day in 1960 just after my 9th birthday. I and my family were visiting my grandparents in Washington DC. To entertain myself on the long drive there from Connecticut, I read my Landmark Book series copy of "Gettysburg". During the visit, my grandfather noticed the book and asked if I found it interesting. After replying in the positive, he then asked if I would like to go there.
I leapt at the opportunity!!! I will never forget my first views from Little Roundtop, climbing the boulders of Devils Den, seeing the cannon ball hole in Trostle's barn, and so much more. But the biggest thrill of the day for me was my grandfather and I walking the ground of Pickett's Charge (or Longstreet's Assault, if you prefer). As we approached The Angle I was overcome with awe and admiration for the brave men of both sides as I envisioned the carnage that took place there. Thus began my interest in learning about the war and the men who fought it. Thanks, grandpa!!!
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 05:22 pm |
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2nd Post |
Bama46
Guest
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Rebel,
Your day in Gettysburg will stay with you forever. Mine is of Shiloh. I was born and raised in Florence, Alabama, about 50 -60 miles from Shiloh. My family has some land and a fishing camp on Pickwick Lake about 10 miles upriver from Pittsburg landing, so I pretty much grew up familiar with the terrain.
First visit was 1955 and I will never forget being in the Hornet's nest or the discovery of just what a "sunken road is" or the sight of Bloody Pond, but the biggest thrill was to see a canteen with a bullet hole in it and a cannonball lodged in a tree trunk. These items were at the visitors center...they still have both, but are not on display, last time I was there. I have been back inumerable times since but always remember that time as a boy....and yes I sat on the muzzle of a canon..
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 05:33 pm |
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3rd Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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Hi, Bama...I was travelling from California to Maryland quite a few years back and my route took me very close to Shiloh. I was sorely tempted to stop my trip and visit the field, but time was short and I did not go. I have regretted that decision since.  However, I did not make that mistake again when I was travelling cross-country and was near Little Bighorn Battlefield. Again, being a Landmark book reader as a boy, I had read about Custer and the "last stand", so I took an extra day and went there. One of the best decisions of my life.
Thanks for responding and sharing!!!
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 05:42 pm |
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4th Post |
ashbel
Member
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Mine was Gettysburg - 1971. Spent the weekend there with my wife. It was a great experience for me and reinforced my Civil War passion. Since then I have visited just about every NMP and many of the other sites as well.
There is no substitute for walking a battlefield to understand what happened.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 06:05 pm |
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5th Post |
Bama46
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"There is no substitute for walking a battlefield to understand what happened."
I completely agree. Now that my family is raised and gone from home, several college buddies and I take a WBTS trip each spring/ summer. We have been to most of the more "famous" of the sites, and will return to Gettysburg/Antietam this spring for a repeat follow up of thing swe didn't see the first time around. I also want to follow Jackson's Valley Campaign route the next time i am in Virginia, and I really need to get to Wilson's creek.and ..... I really need to retire so I can really go wanderin!!!! but that will happen when I am 100...
Ed
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 06:13 pm |
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6th Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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Bama, if you get to Antietam, make sure you allow some time to visit South Mountain (if you haven't already). And the Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick is worth a stop.
Have you done Harpers Ferry yet???
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 06:13 pm |
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7th Post |
susansweet
Member
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My first visit was to Bull Run in 1977 when I was visiting a friend in Fairfax. It was July , hot and humid. We wandered around the area near the stone bridge. Now here's the funny part , a couple of days later we went to the Visitors center near the Statue of Stonewall. I actually at the time thought I was visiting two different battlefields. This time I was at Manassas!!!! I wasn't so up on Civil War at the time . I was into Medieval English History and American Western History.
My first REAL visit to a battlefield that started my journey that I am on now all started when I saw a sign while I was traveling cross country after I retired from teaching. I planned a trip from California to Boston for a month of sight seeing and visiting friends. I had spent time in Oklahoma searching for family graves and seeing the town I use to visit when I was a child. I was cutting across the corner of Arkansas to get to Springfiled Mo. to visit a friend. There it was the little sign that said Pea Ridge.
I said to myself, that is a Civil War battlefield I should visit it . I made a left turn and headed to Pea Ridge. I bought a cd of the tour route and drove around the site. I took tons of pictures read all the markers. I was hooked. I then drove on and stopped off in Springfield for my visit but on the way saw that Wilson Creek was right there and visited that site. In talking to the ranger I ended up buying two books.Belle Wiley's Johnny Reb and Billy Yank. They were the first two books in my now Civil War library.
Since then I have visited many sites and laugh at my mistake at Manassas/Bull Run.
Susan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 06:33 pm |
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8th Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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Hi Susan, yeah, I did the same thing when I started out. Bull Run/Manassas, Antietam/Sharpsburg, Pea Ridge/Elkhorn Tavern, etc. Also I did wonder why so many battles took place in national parks???
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 07:02 pm |
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9th Post |
Bama46
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Reb,
I have been to Harper's Ferry and Frederick, but for some reason not to South Mountain. We plan to rectify that this year.. We will go to the museum in Frederick this year. We also plan to follow Lee's route of march from Frederick to Sharpsburg this time.
At Gettysburg, we want to visit the East Calvary Field, where Custer tangled with Stewart. There seems to be a body of evidence that Stuart was prevented from attacking Hancock's rear, thus causing Pickett's charge to fail..
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 07:40 pm |
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10th Post |
ole
Member
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First vist ever was Sharpsburg. I don't remember why -- it just seemed like a good idea at the time. My bride got into the camping thing so we went east -- I think '87. Antietam, Harpers Ferry and Manassas. Had I been more up on what had happened I'd have wanted to look at the gaps in South Mountain and on to Leesburg and Ball's Bluff. But I wasn't and we didn't. (She liked the shopping in Harpers Ferry.)
Tent-camping a bit north of the Manassas Battlefield scared the bejeesus out of both of us. Creatures screaming in the night. (The host explained the next morning that the sounds were likely vixens summoning their kits, but that didn't settle the heebie-jeebies all that much.) Best part of that stop was a sailor on leave heading for Arizona on a motorcycle. Helped him set up his loaned tent, shared a beer or three, and fed him breakfast. Nice boy!
Next trip was, I think, about '03. Perryville. Same story, second verse. Wasn't prepared with knowledge of the battle before walking the ground. (It's quite impossible for me to read two books in an afternoon.) But it was a barbed hook. Now I plan to visit at least one annually. And I've learned to read up on each at least a little before the visit.
Nice thread!
ole
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 08:06 pm |
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11th Post |
connyankee
Member
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I went to Manassas sometime in the '80s. Wanted to see what the ruckus was about (proposed shopping mall). Got interested in preservation and joined APCWS (now CWPT). I knew I was ignorant so I started reading and hoofing it through battlefields. I keep waiting for the balloon to burst but so far it hasn't. Probably never will.
connyankee
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 08:10 pm |
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12th Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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Hi, Bama. The east cavalry field is an often overlooked part of the battlefield which means that you will probably have it all to yourselves when you go there. Points of particular interest to me are the Rummel Farm (last time I went there was a small admission charge to actually go on the farm, but worth it), the area where Custer began his charge ordering "C'mon, you Wolverines" and Cress Ridge (site of Stuart's horse artillery) and a good view of the field. Blue & Gray magazine had an issue a while back with some excellent maps depicting the action, so if you have or can find it, I highly suggest taking it with you.
You might also want to go over the "south" cavalry field as well and follow Kilkpatrick's route leading up to the area of Farnsworth's Charge. Again Blue & Gray had an issue containg info on the sites and personnel involved.
I personally don't think that Stuart's failure to gain the union rear was a factor in the repulse of Pickett's Charge. Even if Stuart had broken through, there was more than sufficient union infantry strength in his path to contain him. And, to be honest, I feel that Pickett's Charge would not have succeeded with or without Stuart.
Just one more thought. If you have not yet had a meal at the Cashtown Inn, by all means go. It's a little pricey, but the ambiance and its historical significance are worth it.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 08:13 pm |
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13th Post |
Rebel Yell
Belle,Bourbon,Battlefields
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Hi Ole, and thanks. I am enjoying sharing my experiences and you all sharing yours with me. Appreciate the positive feedback.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 08:59 pm |
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14th Post |
Bama46
Guest
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Reb,
Will be interesting to see...thanks for the info.. and Ole, you are right, ya gotta do yer readin in the off season so you can go wandering the battlefields and argue with whoever you are with about "who did what and with which, and to whom" that is truly the best part of the trip..side bets about arcane points of the battle, settled usually by NPS personnel who look at us like we are a little "teched in the head"... loser has to buy a bottle of Woodford Reserve... no one wants to be a loser, so we do our homework.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 09:27 pm |
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15th Post |
ashbel
Member
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I agree with Reb on the statement that Pickett's Charge would not have succeeded anyway. My opinion is based on the terrain and supports the value of visiting battlefields. The perfect defensive position for the armaments of the day was being at the military crest of a gently rising plain. Gettysburg was not the only place where this was proven true. Look at Fredericksburg and Malvern Hill and others. Such a position proved to be almost impregnable.
If you read the accounts of the battle your impression is that in Gettysburg the Union held the "high ground." In my mind that means that the Union positions were at least several hundred feet above the surrounding land. But when you go there you realize that it wasn't the case. The same with Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg. The Heights were just the top of a gently rising plain. I remember visiting there and thinking "Is that all there is?" And Malvern Hill is not much of a hill either.
And I agree with the statement that you have to study before you go to a battlefield. Otherwise you just don't know the significance of what you are seeing.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:09 am |
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16th Post |
ole
Member
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I agree with Reb on the statement that Pickett's Charge would not have succeeded anyway.
When lots and lots of guns with crossfire and enfilade opportunity have a mile of open country in which to murdelate an advancing infantry, there's really not much chance for what's left of that advancing infantry to deliver a KO punch. The more of them there are, the more of them there are to fall on the field.
ole
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:27 am |
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17th Post |
Bama46
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NOt arguing with anyone about the folly of PC, however this is apparently a new theory and so I am gonna check it out for myself when I get to Gettysburg. The best thing I can think of for the new theory is that it would provide at least a tactical reason for Lee insisting on the charge towards the center. I have never bought the argunment that if they have been attacked on each flank unsuccessfully, then they will be weak in the center. That is hogwash or worse. Lee was no dummy and he wasn't just having a bad day. After the business with the orders and cigars, he never committed orders to writing again and to the best of my knowledge operated on a need to know basis. Thus, he may not have felt Longsteet needed to know about what Stuart was up to... better theory than a bad hair day! We need to also remember we have the benefit of 145 or so years of hindsight which is ALWAYS 20/20
EdLast edited on Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:29 am by
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:47 am |
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18th Post |
Parault
Member
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1974 Vicksburg NHP. I was very young but I was all eyes. Even at that age I had started down the path of military history.
P.L. Parault
Last edited on Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:48 am by Parault
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12th, 2008 01:49 am |
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19th Post |
Dixie Girl
Southern Belle
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Havent been to any battlefields yet but i have been to Fort Macon and Fort Fisher on the N.C. Coast.
____________________
War Means Fighting And Fighting Means Killing - N. B. Forrest
When war does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." Stonewall Jackson
Sic Semper Tyrannis - John Wilkes Booth
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12th, 2008 02:09 am |
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20th Post |
Doc C
Member
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Vicksburg in the early 60's. Wondered at the time where the confederate statues were.
Doc C
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