I'm totally exhausted right now, so this won't do the day justice. We got to Gettysburg around 9 am and left at 6 pm without taking a break from the site-seeing. It was hot and sunny, and we were outside for much of the 9 hours. By the end of it we were totally out of energy, but it was well worth the exhaustion. Gettysburg is a wonderful battlefield that exceeded my expectations for the day.
The movie is very good (thanks to Morgan Freeman, I now know that Heth is pronounced Heath), but the Cyclorama is wonderful. It is a massive painting that tells the story of the battle (a bit inaccurately, but nothing egregious). The day was off to a great start and we weren't an hour into it.
Ryan and I debated paying $55 for a guide in our car, but decided to do the park at our own pace. In retrospect, it would have been weird to spend roughly 7-8 hours with a guide. There is so much at Gettysburg that it is a fine investment to make, but I'm glad we saved our money.
After checking out Heth's advance on Buford, we worked our way toward the middle of the battlefield where Pickett's Charge took place. Naturally, I charged the Copse of Trees. It took the Rebels 26 minutes; it took me 17. And I filmed it on my iPhone. So if Robert E. Lee had 13,000 of me, the battle might have gone differently. Just sayin'.
The museum at Gettysburg is terrific as it not only covers the battle, but also other battles, the build-up to the war, soldier life, etc. I picked up 10-15 details to add to my lectures beyond the Gettysburg stuff. I also picked up some bullets and little replicas of Civil War weapons which will hopefully help my lousy Civil War weapons class. If not, it might help classroom discipline to have bullets in my possession.
The highlight of the battlefield for me was Little Round Top and then Devil's Den. They are both work seeing just for the topography. The boulders are huge and beautiful. It is kind of like Stonehenge if Stonehenge was in the middle of the Battle of Hastings. There were some miserable kids around the park being dragged along by parents to see some history, but the kids definitely perked up at Devil's Den when they got to climb the rocks and freak out their terrified parents.
We finished the day with samplings from a Gettysburg brewery and a soak in the Holiday Inn hot tub. It was kind of like a wild, hot tub party except there were no girls and two tired guys who'd just spent the entire day at a Civil War battlefield.
I don't know how I'm still awake. Tomorrow we have a super-easy day of Antietam, Harper's Ferry and the Braves/Nationals game.
To bed,
CC
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday - Gettysburg (Photos and Hilarious Captions)
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| The day begins... |
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| Cyclorama!!! The painting is about the size of a football field from one back of the endzone to another. Very cool. |
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| This dude was a 70-years old, War of 1812 vet who demanded to fight at Gettysburg. Gotta love the patriotism and question the sanity. |
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| Reynolds was one of the Union's best generals, but was killed at the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg. I knew I wanted to see where he was shot, so I asked a guy where it was. "In the head." Har-har-har. |
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| Hell, yeah. |
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| Home sweet home to me. |
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| The Man. |
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| The Copse of Trees Lee told the Rebels to get to on Pickett's (and Trimble and Pettigrew's) fatal charge. It is also the only time in human history anyone has used the word "copse." |
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| Armistead was shot here (though he probably actually got further). |
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| High Water Mark of the Confederacy - close, but no cigar at Gettysburg. |
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| The Rebels got here, but couldn't hold it against the Union's interior lines. |
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| Meade - congrats on winning the biggest battle of the war and nobody knows anything about you. That is what happens when you let a defeated army retreat across a river and allow the war to continue for two more years. Should've been Reynolds, not you. |
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| Gettysburg Address - though they've decided Lincoln actually gave it a few yards away from the monument. |
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| This dude was grossing people out talking about amputating limbs. Said they would poor freezing chloroform below the belt on patients who didn't wake up after surgery. Pervert. |
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| George Greene - the Joshua Chamberlain of Culp's Hill who didn't get any love in The Killer Angels. |
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| Thanks for freeing the slaves, man. And I'd like a pony and a new bike. |
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| Makes about as much sense as some of the other stuff people say is ordained by God. |
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| Cool collage of dead Confederates from Gettysburg. I had a baseball card poster like this that was much less depressing. |
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| Union collage. |
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| Criticism of the Gettysburg Address. The word "silly" doesn't come to mind. The hat? A little silly. "Of the people, by the people, for the people"? - Not that silly. |
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| Longstreet - contemplating ways to screw up Lee's plans at Gettysburg. |
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| Little Round Top on the Left; Round Top on the right. |
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| Chamberlain's 20th Maine - the heroes of Little Round Top. "Fix bayonets!!!" |
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| Seems like a bit of cheap shot at the end, doesn't it? |
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| Me & Gouverneur Warren trying to figure out what the hell Sickles is doing moving his troops forward into the Devil's Den. |
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| Ta-Ta |
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| Random guy photographed so you can see how big the boulders are at Devil's Den. It is like Rock City in the middle of a battlefield. |
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| Slaughter Pen |
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| Devil's Den |
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| View of Little Round Top from Devil's Den |
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| Me & Devil's Den. |
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday - Appomattox & Lexington
Good first day of Civil War sightseeing. We got off to a rough start by visiting the Appomattox Visitors Center which makes you really, really not want to visit Appomattox.
We drove towards the Courthouse, but first stopped off to see Grant's headquarters which is nothing but a hill. 0 for 2.
We stopped at a graveyard next where 18 Confederates and one Union soldier were buried. Imagine being at the end of the war involved in a meaningless battle and being mortally wounded. There is a cool exhibit in the Appomattox museum about a guy writing about how he is going to die. So close to the finish line...
Finally we got to Appomattox Court House. The movie is a bit over-the-top in terms of how much the two sides loved and respected each other at the end of the war (though the war wasn't actually over). Apparently one guy saluted the American flag and said, "That is my flag now." Yeah right.
I really enjoyed the light bulb recreation of the final days from Petersburg to Appomattox. I love the Point Park light bulb show about how Chattanooga went down. It is like Lite Brite meets the Civil War. Win/win.
I learned a few tidbits to add to my lectures next year. I love the story of Ely Parker who was a Native American working for Grant at Lee's surrender. There was also some cool info about the paroles given to Confederates so they weren't shot or captured by Sherman's army in N.C. I even got my own parole card. Awesome.
I read that Appomattox has a bit of Colonial Williamsburg to it. It does. And it is cheesy. How does a grown man respond to a grown woman who asks if I have kin in these parts? Ryan and I dodged them the best we could.
The McLean House, where the formal surrender took place, was neat. The McLeans had nowhere to go while the two armies hung out in their front yard, so they just went upstairs. The house itself was taken apart to put on display in D.C. and then just left to looters or to rot. Weird.
We drove a miserably windy road from Appomattox to Lexington, VA. Ryan found a great bistro for lunch in a charming downtown. The crab cake sandwich I had was delicious. We then walked to the Stonewall House which wasn't worth the walk ($8 for a tour? Really?) We talked to the bookstore worker and moved over to VMI to see the Stonewall Jackson stuff.
I cannot imagine sending my kid to a military school like VMI. It looks like a prison and couldn't be less inviting. I'm sure it turns out good people (I know one VMI guy and he's solid), but I think I'd be terrified dropping my kid off there for college there. I've never really gotten over The Lords of Discipline from junior year summer reading either.
The Stonewall stuff at VMI was really cool. He was a professor there (not really loved from my understanding) before fighting for the Rebels. The VMI museum features his raincoat he was wearing at Chancellorsville when he was shot. The bullet hole in his left arm (amputated successfully before pneumonia got him) is clearly visible. Outside the museum are three cool statues - one of Jackson, one of VMI graduate George Marshall and one of "Virginia Mourning Her Dead" which recognizes VMI students who died serving the CSA (which apparently didn't want kids that young fighting and dying in the war). VMI was later burned by the Union army for no good reason. Damn Yankees.
We jogged over to Washington & Lee (and its weird swastika-looking symbol) to see Lee's Chapel. The chapel itself is underwhelming until you get back to sarcophagus of Robert E. Lee (who served as president after the end of the CSA). No photos allowed which is unfortunate. The museum downstairs is the home of Lee's grave as well as a good bookstore where I picked up a much-needed stuffed Robert E. Lee doll. Finally, we ventured outside to see Traveller's grave. I meant to bring an apple or carrot, but we ended up there before we went to a market. Oh well. Ryan offered some change to the grave.
From Lexington we drove to Frederick, MD. I entered West Virginia for the first time in my life which turned out to be much prettier than I imagined. We crossed the Potomac into Maryland before getting to Frederick. After a delicious pizza from Brewer's Alley, we are back at the hotel (which has a miniature golf course in the lobby?) getting ready for Gettysburg tomorrow.
Today was a nice warm-up, but the next two days at Gettysburg and Antietam are the main events. As Bart Scott would say, "Can't wait."
CC
We drove towards the Courthouse, but first stopped off to see Grant's headquarters which is nothing but a hill. 0 for 2.
We stopped at a graveyard next where 18 Confederates and one Union soldier were buried. Imagine being at the end of the war involved in a meaningless battle and being mortally wounded. There is a cool exhibit in the Appomattox museum about a guy writing about how he is going to die. So close to the finish line...
Finally we got to Appomattox Court House. The movie is a bit over-the-top in terms of how much the two sides loved and respected each other at the end of the war (though the war wasn't actually over). Apparently one guy saluted the American flag and said, "That is my flag now." Yeah right.
I really enjoyed the light bulb recreation of the final days from Petersburg to Appomattox. I love the Point Park light bulb show about how Chattanooga went down. It is like Lite Brite meets the Civil War. Win/win.
I learned a few tidbits to add to my lectures next year. I love the story of Ely Parker who was a Native American working for Grant at Lee's surrender. There was also some cool info about the paroles given to Confederates so they weren't shot or captured by Sherman's army in N.C. I even got my own parole card. Awesome.
I read that Appomattox has a bit of Colonial Williamsburg to it. It does. And it is cheesy. How does a grown man respond to a grown woman who asks if I have kin in these parts? Ryan and I dodged them the best we could.
The McLean House, where the formal surrender took place, was neat. The McLeans had nowhere to go while the two armies hung out in their front yard, so they just went upstairs. The house itself was taken apart to put on display in D.C. and then just left to looters or to rot. Weird.
We drove a miserably windy road from Appomattox to Lexington, VA. Ryan found a great bistro for lunch in a charming downtown. The crab cake sandwich I had was delicious. We then walked to the Stonewall House which wasn't worth the walk ($8 for a tour? Really?) We talked to the bookstore worker and moved over to VMI to see the Stonewall Jackson stuff.
I cannot imagine sending my kid to a military school like VMI. It looks like a prison and couldn't be less inviting. I'm sure it turns out good people (I know one VMI guy and he's solid), but I think I'd be terrified dropping my kid off there for college there. I've never really gotten over The Lords of Discipline from junior year summer reading either.
The Stonewall stuff at VMI was really cool. He was a professor there (not really loved from my understanding) before fighting for the Rebels. The VMI museum features his raincoat he was wearing at Chancellorsville when he was shot. The bullet hole in his left arm (amputated successfully before pneumonia got him) is clearly visible. Outside the museum are three cool statues - one of Jackson, one of VMI graduate George Marshall and one of "Virginia Mourning Her Dead" which recognizes VMI students who died serving the CSA (which apparently didn't want kids that young fighting and dying in the war). VMI was later burned by the Union army for no good reason. Damn Yankees.
We jogged over to Washington & Lee (and its weird swastika-looking symbol) to see Lee's Chapel. The chapel itself is underwhelming until you get back to sarcophagus of Robert E. Lee (who served as president after the end of the CSA). No photos allowed which is unfortunate. The museum downstairs is the home of Lee's grave as well as a good bookstore where I picked up a much-needed stuffed Robert E. Lee doll. Finally, we ventured outside to see Traveller's grave. I meant to bring an apple or carrot, but we ended up there before we went to a market. Oh well. Ryan offered some change to the grave.
From Lexington we drove to Frederick, MD. I entered West Virginia for the first time in my life which turned out to be much prettier than I imagined. We crossed the Potomac into Maryland before getting to Frederick. After a delicious pizza from Brewer's Alley, we are back at the hotel (which has a miniature golf course in the lobby?) getting ready for Gettysburg tomorrow.
Today was a nice warm-up, but the next two days at Gettysburg and Antietam are the main events. As Bart Scott would say, "Can't wait."
CC
Photos from Appomattox & Lexington
Appomattox & Lexington
Lesson #1 of the trip: if you are staying in five different hotels in a week, don't pack necessary items in five separate bags. My packing will probably keep my clothes from getting wrinkled, but it makes for quite the lug to get to the room.
I'm going to have to get into picture/video mode today and for the rest of the trip. That isn't my strong suit. I tend to think about good pictures way after I've seen them. For example, at the golf course yesterday there were two water fountains with a sign over them that said "Water Fountains." In case you weren't sure. I wish I had a picture of that.
Down to breakfast and on to Appomattox.
CC
I'm going to have to get into picture/video mode today and for the rest of the trip. That isn't my strong suit. I tend to think about good pictures way after I've seen them. For example, at the golf course yesterday there were two water fountains with a sign over them that said "Water Fountains." In case you weren't sure. I wish I had a picture of that.
Down to breakfast and on to Appomattox.
CC
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday - Driving Day
After a morning of last minute errands like allergy shots and getting to the bank, Ryan and I rolled off McCallie's campus around 10:00 heading north. Since we couldn't get anywhere today with enough time to see it, the goal was just to get to Lynchburg so we can visit Appomattox and hopefully Lexington, VA tomorrow.
We stopped in Knoxville for lunch and splurged for Calhoun's on the river. Not a bad start to things. Then we got to Kingsport and played golf at the Bear Trace course there (Warrior's Path - not nearly as nice as Harrison Bay, but okay. Lots of hills. Lots...). A quick stop at Subway in Wytheville, VA and then the Holiday Inn in lovely Lynchburg.
Ribs and golf - not a bad driving day.
We'll get up and out to Appomattox in the morning and then see about Lexington based on time. We both want to see VMI and Washington & Lee, but I've had several people tell me to take my time around Appomattox. Hopefully we'll get it all in before driving up to Frederick, MD for a couple of nights.
CC
We stopped in Knoxville for lunch and splurged for Calhoun's on the river. Not a bad start to things. Then we got to Kingsport and played golf at the Bear Trace course there (Warrior's Path - not nearly as nice as Harrison Bay, but okay. Lots of hills. Lots...). A quick stop at Subway in Wytheville, VA and then the Holiday Inn in lovely Lynchburg.
Ribs and golf - not a bad driving day.
We'll get up and out to Appomattox in the morning and then see about Lexington based on time. We both want to see VMI and Washington & Lee, but I've had several people tell me to take my time around Appomattox. Hopefully we'll get it all in before driving up to Frederick, MD for a couple of nights.
CC
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Ready for the Road (Again)
After driving home from a wonderful Florida vacation with the family, it will be back in the car tomorrow as we start our trip to see the Civil War. I spent a decent chunk of the drive reading Jeff Shaara's most helpful book and making a "to do" list for packing and prep. I'm already thinking of some nice sidetracks for us to see (VMI?) that might have to wait for another trip. We'll see.
Time to pack and hit the sack.
CC
Time to pack and hit the sack.
CC
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Trip Preparation
It is Wednesday, July 27th - two days before my road trip through the Eastern Theatre of the Civil War. I'm in Jacksonville, FL right now on a family vacation. With Martha and the kids at the beach (I played golf this morning instead), I have a little time to devote to the upcoming adventure.
At this point, I am about 80% ready for the trip. After securing a grant, I was able to convince Ryan Wadley to join me on the trip. I helped Ryan on a grad school Civil War project last year, so I knew he was interested in the history I am going to be seeing and figured I could twist his arm to split the driving with me since the grant covers our lodging and gas (special thanks to Savannah and Harper for their permission).
I locked in hotel rooms a few months ago in order to a) finalize the trip dates and b) get the lower rates. I had thoughts of just snagging hotel rooms as we went, but was afraid I would get off schedule or end up spending more than I should in a pinch.
I also decided to tweak the original trip plan a bit to cut out Montgomery, AL entirely. The more I looked at what Civil War stuff I was going to get at the Confederacy's original capital, the less I was inclined to veer that far south. I also think the grant is going to cover most but not all of the 9-night trip (gas prices have gone up substantially since the grant submission - the IRS rate for mileage is 4 cents higher than it was in February), so another hotel room and 200-300 miles seems unnecessary.
Right now, the trip itinerary looks like this:
Friday - leave in the morning for Lynchburg, VA
Saturday - visit Appomattox Court House, then drive to Frederick, MD
Sunday - visit Gettysburg
Monday - visit Antietam, then Harper's Ferry, then drive to Manassas, VA
Tuesday - visit Bull Run, then Fredericksburg
Wednesday - visit Chancellorsville, then The Wilderness, then drive to Richmond, VA
Thursday - visit The Museum of the Confederacy
Friday - visit Petersburg, then drive to Charleston, SC
Saturday - visit Fort Sumter, then H.L. Hunley
Sunday - drive home
It is a busy itinerary, but hopefully there will be room for some spur-of-the-moment stops along the way (and maybe a few evening rounds of golf after the parks have closed).
I am reading Jeff Shaara's Civil War Battlefields book on my Nook right now in preparation of our visits. It looks to be very helpful in terms of identifying what to see once we are there. On the drive home from Jacksonville, I am going to compile checklists for the various stops. I just finished James McPherson's Antietam and hope to get through at least one more Civil War book before Friday. Steve Bartlett gave me several books before his move to Nashville that look to be helpful. I expect to get some reading done in the car or on the trip as well.
The plan for documenting the trip is to write about it on this blog and film it on my iPhone as we go along in order to put together an iMovie. My Flip camera died last week, so the phone will have to be recorder. The quality will suffer a bit, but it will be easier to keep up with.
I am getting awfully excited at this point about the next week and a half. It is taking all the cool I can muster to contain history geek in me that wants to come out and annoy my wife, kids and innocent bystanders nearby. Just two more days...
CC
At this point, I am about 80% ready for the trip. After securing a grant, I was able to convince Ryan Wadley to join me on the trip. I helped Ryan on a grad school Civil War project last year, so I knew he was interested in the history I am going to be seeing and figured I could twist his arm to split the driving with me since the grant covers our lodging and gas (special thanks to Savannah and Harper for their permission).
I locked in hotel rooms a few months ago in order to a) finalize the trip dates and b) get the lower rates. I had thoughts of just snagging hotel rooms as we went, but was afraid I would get off schedule or end up spending more than I should in a pinch.
I also decided to tweak the original trip plan a bit to cut out Montgomery, AL entirely. The more I looked at what Civil War stuff I was going to get at the Confederacy's original capital, the less I was inclined to veer that far south. I also think the grant is going to cover most but not all of the 9-night trip (gas prices have gone up substantially since the grant submission - the IRS rate for mileage is 4 cents higher than it was in February), so another hotel room and 200-300 miles seems unnecessary.
Right now, the trip itinerary looks like this:
Friday - leave in the morning for Lynchburg, VA
Saturday - visit Appomattox Court House, then drive to Frederick, MD
Sunday - visit Gettysburg
Monday - visit Antietam, then Harper's Ferry, then drive to Manassas, VA
Tuesday - visit Bull Run, then Fredericksburg
Wednesday - visit Chancellorsville, then The Wilderness, then drive to Richmond, VA
Thursday - visit The Museum of the Confederacy
Friday - visit Petersburg, then drive to Charleston, SC
Saturday - visit Fort Sumter, then H.L. Hunley
Sunday - drive home
It is a busy itinerary, but hopefully there will be room for some spur-of-the-moment stops along the way (and maybe a few evening rounds of golf after the parks have closed).
I am reading Jeff Shaara's Civil War Battlefields book on my Nook right now in preparation of our visits. It looks to be very helpful in terms of identifying what to see once we are there. On the drive home from Jacksonville, I am going to compile checklists for the various stops. I just finished James McPherson's Antietam and hope to get through at least one more Civil War book before Friday. Steve Bartlett gave me several books before his move to Nashville that look to be helpful. I expect to get some reading done in the car or on the trip as well.
The plan for documenting the trip is to write about it on this blog and film it on my iPhone as we go along in order to put together an iMovie. My Flip camera died last week, so the phone will have to be recorder. The quality will suffer a bit, but it will be easier to keep up with.
I am getting awfully excited at this point about the next week and a half. It is taking all the cool I can muster to contain history geek in me that wants to come out and annoy my wife, kids and innocent bystanders nearby. Just two more days...
CC
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