Civil War Battlefield Tour
June 28 - July 7, 2004
This site is a pictorial trip to several Civil War Battlefields I visited as I made may way to and from the American Civil War Gamers Club (ACWGC) meeting at Antietam on July 3rd, 2004.
1. I started off in search of the grave site of my highest ranking relative that I know of in the Civil War:
Brigadier General St John Francis Liddell
2. Second stop, early the next morning, was at the Vicksburg National Park.
3. I headed East on Interstate 59 and realized I would be passing near Chickamauga. I had not realized I would be near so I was very excited to be able to make this park because of Liddell's presence there.
4. Shenandoah Valley Part 1. This was day one in the Valley. I started from the south end and worked my way towards McDowell.
5. Shenandoah Valley Part 2. Includes small sites along road as well as New Market and Harpers Ferry.
6. Gettysburg - The dream comes true. I finally made it to Gettysburg and walked Pickett's Charge. Talk about a blast! Lots of thoughts cross your mind about your own mortality as you walk that hallowed ground. How many men were laying along here? You think about the men and their families as they covered this same ground and of the men waiting at the top of the hill and their concerns as they see the Rebels coming at them. I spent the night in Chambersburg and then followed the Chambersburg Pike just as much of Lee's Army did back then. Arriving on Herr Ridge at 9:00 am and then moving on to McPherson Ridge and Oak Ridge took most of the morning. Then I followed along Seminary Ridge until I reached the Virginia Monument. there, I started my walk across the way to the Angle. After a brief rest I retraced my steps following a slightly different path back. then I continued on around to the Wheatfield, Little Round Top, and across Cemetery Hill to Culp's Hill. There are some truly outstanding monuments here. I left with a much deeper appreciation of the battle and look forward to returning again some day.
7. Monocacy Antietam and South Mountain - Leaving Gettysburg and heading towards Maryland and Sharpsburg I came up on the Monocacy Battlefield. It is certainly not a large battlefield and is under development but still a very interesting site to see. Here I met in person two members of the ACWGC. We continued on to Antietam and the gathering on July 3rd.
8. Fredericksburg - On July 4th I continued on to Fredericksburg and the surrounding area.