Featuring North America始s Leading Travel Destinations
Commemorating the Sesquicentennial, the 150th Anniversary of America始s Civil War and Emancipation
Taste & Explor Hampton Inn/Woods
The Yellow Barn
American Celebration
tock
Indoor Pool at Hampton Inn
on Parade
doah Caverns The Grottos at Shenan
Thrilling visitors from around the world, Shenandoah Caverns is the only cavern in Virginia with elevator service! Explorers of every age and ability will discover an underground world of wonder. With level walkways and no stairs to climb, only the sights are breathtaking. The Family of Attractions includes amazing parade floats and presidential inaugural props at American Celebration on Parade. Delightful antique animated department store window displays on Main Street of Yesteryear. Experience the live indoor beehive and model trains in motion at the Yellow Barn. Four attractions at one low price! Open every day except Dec. 25th. www.shenandoahcaverns.com 2 • Byways
re Shenandoah Hampton Inn & Suites, Woodstock, VA has achieved #1 in Virginia and #5 in the nation, voted by our guests! The Hampton Inn & Suites strives to make each guest feel as comfortable as they can. Everyone should feel as though this is their home away from home. With an indoor heated pool, 92 rooms (including 30 luxurious suites), wireless Internet, and 32” flat screen TVs, the Hampton Inn/Woodstock is the newest, most exclusive hotel in the Shenandoah Valley. It is located in the quaint, historic town of Woodstock, and central to many of the Valley’s breathtaking and unique attractions, including Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Caverns and many Civil War Battlefield sites. Located just 15 miles from Bryce Resort, check out the new overnight Bryce Golf Packages from just $99.00 per person, double occupancy. www.hamptoninnwoodstock.com e wineries Visit the fiv nandoah of the She e Trail. County Win
The Bushong Farm at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is one of many Civil War Historic Sites in Shenandoah County
Wine Tasting, Caverns, Attractions, Rt. 11 Yard Crawl, and Civil War Battlefields in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia 90 minutes from the Washington Beltway Shenandoah County Tourism 888-367-3965 • www.shenandoahtravel.org Byways • 3
PREVIEW By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher
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merica’s Civil War was one of the most difficult periods in our nation’s history. North against South, brother against brother, family against family, the toll of the conflict was measured in far more than casualties on the battlefield. Casualties that are unprecedented in American history. As we approach the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War -- the 150th anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina -- we reflect on the War Between the States and its impact today. In this issue of Byways we focus on the Sesquicentennial by visiting many of the historical sites made famous by the Civil War. Places that were sleepy villages or local creeks became chapters in U.S. history books, and became some of the most revered travel destinations in North America. Places like Manassas, Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Appomattox, New Market, and Richmond. The introduction to the Civil War is written by Scott Harris, Director of the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park in New Market, Virginia. Scott explores the causes of the War, and provides an overview of why events were spinning out of control, and even last ditch diplomacy was doomed to failure. Our coverage is not designed to cover every event, every battle of the Civil War. We begin in South Carolina, where it all began, with the firing on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces, and conclude with the surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. In between, some of the most famous battles and some of the least well-known are highlighted. A special focus is presented on Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. We visit the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, and tour Richmond, taking us from Civil War, to Reconciliation to Emancipation. And then we view Richmond today, a modern, progressive Southern city which emerged from the ruins of war. The goal is to highlight the many opportunities we will have over the next several years to experience the impact of the Civil War on our country, and to visit many of these famous sites as we relive and commemorate this unique time in our nation’s history. In researching the many articles and locating 4 • Byways
Battlefield Tour in Gettysburg
many of the outstanding photographs we’ve presented in this issue, we understood that 150 years is not a long time. Many of the scars of this war still remain, for those whose ancestors fought on both sides, and for those in slavery whose future freedom would be determined by success or failure on the Battlefield. The Civil War had a monumental impact on the America we know today. The Civil War Sesquicentennial presents us with a unique opportunity to go back in history and learn and experience this unique period in our nation’s history. We encourage all of our readers to join in the commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. You won’t be disappointed.
Malvern Hill Battlefield artillery demonstration
Volume 27, Issue No. 3, 2010 Richmond, Virginia, a modern and progressive Southern City, served as the capital of the Confederacy. Today itʼs the centerpiece in the commemoration of the Sesquicentennial, the 150th Anniversary of Americaʼs Civil War and Emancipation. In-depth coverage of the Sesquintennial begins on page 8.
Features
The Sesquicentennial of Americaʼs Civil War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 War -- Fort Sumter Attacked! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Museum and White House of the Confederacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Forging Freedom: Headquarters, Heroes and Haunts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Battlefield Comes to Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Antietam, War Comes to Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Contrasts Highlight Tennesseeʼs Civil War History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Civil War in Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Siege of Vicksburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Tragedy in Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Worldwide Interest in Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 History Awaits at New Market Battlefield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Newport News Highlights Land & Sea Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Appomattox Court House, The Final Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Out of Ashes, Richmondʼs Reconciliation and Revival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Departments
Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Whatʼs Happening Louisvilleʼs MEGA Cavern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 In the Heart of the Ozarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Coming in future issues of Byways… Upcoming coverage includes Iowaʼs tour destinations, a focus on Oklahoma, coverage of Americaʼs Scenic Byways, and the top group tour destinations in North America. A Mississippi River overlook near the Black Hawk River Bridge along the Great River Road in Iowa.
Covered bridge near Winterset in Madison County, made famous by Iowa novelist Robert Waller.
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motorcoach.com Ozarks’ Kirkwood Tour & Travel Sweet Magnolia Tours Trieloff Tours
The National Reservation Center Charter a motorcoach anywhere in North America 888-733-5287 • nmn@motorcoach.com 6 • Byways
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The Sesquicentennial
Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee is considered one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in the nation. 8 • Byways
of AmericaĘźs Civil War Why Civil War?
By Scott Harris, Director New Market Battlefield State Historical Park
W
hat caused the American Civil War? Although this question has been debated by historians, politicians, and the general public for nearly 150 years, there is still no universally-accepted answer. However, among several factors that contributed to the outbreak of war in 1861, most historians acknowledge the institution of slavery as the overriding, decisive cause.
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American colonial settlement patterns reflected different geographic, economic, and cultural forces. The southern portion of the original 13 British colonies developed an economy largely based on cash crops like tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton. These labor-intensive crops demanded large numbers of workers, most of whom initially were enslaved Africans. In the north, conditions generally favored smaller-scale agriculture, maritime trade, and manufacturing. Immigration, especially from Ireland and Germany, provided a larger share of the labor force than in the south. The border regions between north and south included most of these factors in varying degrees. Although slavery existed in all the colonies (later states) initially, by the early 19th century most northern states had either abolished the practice outright or established processes for its eventual end. Broadly speaking, the northern states supported free labor, high import tariffs to protect domestic manufacturing, and religious and political movements that sought to contain or eliminate slavery. In the south, the plantation-based economy fostered support for low tariffs to import foreign goods, and slavery as both a stable labor force and as a means of social control. Even with the end of the African slave trade in 1808, natural increase caused steady population
A Civil War Battlefield cannon in Tennessee
growth. The 1860 census showed a slave population of four million. Representing only 13% of the total U.S. population of 31 million, slaves constituted 39% of the nine million southerners counted in 1860.
Union reenactors in Tennessee
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The Hall of Valor, New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, New Market, Virginia
The U.S. Constitution defined a slave as three-fifths of a person for purposes of apportioning congressional districts, giving slaveholding states an advantage in congress. The fear of this “slave power” was a strong motivating force in the north to oppose the spread of slavery to new territories, particularly the vast lands acquired by the Louisiana Purchase and by conquest in the Mexican War. Conversely, slaveholding states wanted no federal government limits on the spread of slavery into future states, believing that such limits would be the first step toward total abolition. The debate over slavery fractured the American twoparty political system along sectional lines during the 1850s. The rise of the abolitionist movement in the north, along with that of the Republican Party which opposed the spread (if not the existence) of slavery, made southern Democrats harden their resistance and agitate for secession from the Union to protect the South’s “peculiar institution.” The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused South Carolina and six other slaveholding states to pass ordinances of secession and declare the Confederate States of America by the spring of 1861. South Carolina forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, and Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the southern rebellion. This action pushed four wavering states, including Virginia, into the Confederate camp. Not every southerner fought to preserve slavery, just as most northerners did not initially fight to end it. For
many on both sides, the issue was whether the federal government could override states’ rights by force. Southerners took up arms to defend their homes from invasion, while northerners sought to ensure the sanctity of the Union. Despite these aims, the war evolved steadily, perhaps inevitably, into a final showdown over the existence of slavery. Reenactors depict Confederate troops
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War -- Fort Sumter Attacked!
Fort Sumter, South Carolina, where the Civil War began.
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Under orders from Confederate President Jefferson braham Lincoln’s victory in the presidential Davis, troops controlled by the Confederate governelection of 1860 triggered South Carolina’s declaration of secession from the Union. By ment under P. G. T. Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter February 1861, six more Southern states made similar on April 12, 1861. declarations. On February 7, the seven states adopted a provisional constitution for the Confederate States of America and established their temporary capital at Montgomery, Alabama. A pre-war February Peace Conference of 1861 met in Washington in a failed attempt at resolving the crisis. The remaining eight slave states rejected pleas to join the Confederacy. Confederate forces seized most of the federal forts within their boundaries. Fort Monroe in Virginia, Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Pickens, Fort Jefferson, and Fort Taylor, all in Florida, were the remaining UnionRichmond, Virginia was the held forts in the Confederacy, and Lincoln was detercapital of the Confederacy. mined to hold them all. 12 • Byways
Visitors relive history as they walk the grounds of Fort Sumter today.
Decades of growing strife between North and South had erupted in civil war. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back. Northerners rallied behind Lincoln’s call for all the states to send troops to recapture the forts and to preserve the Union. With the scale of the rebellion apparently small so far, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers for 90 days. For months before that, several Northern governors had discreetly readied their state militias; they began to move forces the next day. Four states in the upper South (Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia), which had repeatedly rejected Confederate overtures, now refused to send forces against their neighbors, declared their secession, and joined the Confederacy. To reward Virginia, the Confederate capital was moved to Richmond. The city was the symbol of the Confederacy. Byways • 13
The Museum and White House of the Confederacy
The back portico of the White House of the Confederacy
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S
ince opening its doors in 1896, the Museum and White House of the Confederacy in Richmond has been a tourist destination, and the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War will be no exception. The Museum was founded in 1890 and opened its doors in the home occupied by Jefferson Davis and his family during the Civil War. Now known as the White House of the Confederacy, in April, 1865, the house became headquarters for the occupying Union Army. During Reconstruction, the house was headquarters for the Military District of Virginia. At the end of Reconstruction it became a school and remained as Central School for 20 years. In 1890, the ladies of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society assumed possession and began the process of collecting the artifacts, photographs, and documents, which would be displayed in the museum. The Museum continued to be located in the house until 1976 when the artifacts were transferred to the new museum building and the house was closed for restoration work which would let visitors see it as it looked when the Davis family lived there. The restoration was completed and the house opened to the public in 1988. The collection is well known by scholars, authors, and other historians of the American Civil War as an important location for research and study of the Confederacy. The Museum possesses more than 20,000 artifacts and more than 100,000 documents and photographs. Its collection of wartime Confederate flags, in
White House Dining Room
The Parlor of the White House
excess of 550, is the largest of its kind. The Museum building has three floors of exhibits and is self-guided. Audio wands are available for the main floor exhibit. The current exhibit on the second floor is titled “Between the Battles,” and focuses on the life of the common soldier when he was not engaged in battle. An exhibit on the lower floor displays art of the Confederate soldiers both during and after the war. Another exhibit on the same level is about the Confederacy in Virginia history. There are guided tours of the White House which last approximately forty-five minutes. The Museum and White House are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday. Both sites observe Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, and are closed on those days. There is a $9 charge to visit one building and a combination ticket to the Museum and White House is $12. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, AAA members, and Youth 7-13. Active duty military personnel are admitted free. Byways • 15
Forging Freedom: Headquarters, Heroes and Haunts; Civil War and Emancipation, 150th, Richmond VA
Richmond, 1862
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he path to Freedom burned through Richmond. Steeped in authentic history and attractions, the past comes to life in the Richmond Region. With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Emancipation spanning 20112015, Richmond is a great place to begin your journey.
Day 1 – Richmond Begin your tour at the Virginia Capitol where the Confederate Congress met and Robert E. Lee accepted his commission in the Confederate Army. While on these grounds visit the numerous monuments honoring Virginia leaders and trailblazers. Don’t miss the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial that tells the story of Barbara Johns, a 16-year-old student who organized and led protests against segregated schools. The protests led to Brown vs. Board of Education and desegregation. Then it’s off to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, which houses 16 • Byways
Reenactment of Confederate troops at Gainesʼ Mill Battlefield
Virginia Capitol in Richmond
the largest collection of Confederate artifacts in the nation. The house is as it was when Jefferson Davis and his family lived there. We’ll have our lunch in historic Shockoe Bottom among the cobblestone streets and old tobacco warehouses. We visit the Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center at historic Tredegar Iron Works that houses two floors of museum exhibits, evocative voices of soldiers and civilians and a 20-minute film about Civil War Richmond. From here one can choose a battlefield for personal tours such as Gaines’ Mill in Hanover County, Drewry’s Bluff in Chesterfield County, or Glendale/Malvern Hill in Henrico County. The entire Richmond Region is filled with Civil War battles and skirmishes throughout the years from 1861-1865. In New Kent County, you can take the trail of J.E.B. Stuart’s famous ride around the Union Army. We walk next door to the adjacent American Civil War Center. “In the Cause of Liberty,” the Center’s flagship exhibit, presents the story of the Civil War, its causes, course, and its legacies from the viewpoints of Unionists, Confederates, and African Americans -- the war’s three main participant groups. The dynamic interByways • 17
Stonewall Jackson, Monument Avenue
Reenactment at Cold Harbor Battlefield
1865. Here, 76,000 patients were received and treated, 17,000 of which were wounded soldiers. We head to Petersburg to visit the Pamplin Historical Park located on the site of Breakthrough, the battle that ended the Petersburg Campaign and led to the evacuation of the Confederate capital in Richmond. This park features four museums and plantation homes as well as living-history interpretations of military and civilian Civil War life. We’ll have lunch here before the tour. play of three peoples at war changed America forever and created a vastly different country from the one that existed before the war. The Overlook, located across from Tredegar Iron Works, tells the story of the burning of Richmond as the Confederate Capital fell. Tonight we have a Civil War dinner complete with southern entertainment! Day 2 – Richmond/Petersburg To learn an overview of Virginia, we visit the Virginia Historical Society whose headquarters, Battle Abbey, was constructed by the Confederate Memorial Association as a shrine to the Confederate dead. The society collects and interprets Virginia’s past through “The Story of Virginia” exhibit as well as traveling exhibits. Visit the Chimborazo Medical Museum. This was the site of the largest military hospital in the world from 186118 • Byways
Monument Avenue, Richmond
When we return to Richmond, the coach takes us down Monument Avenue which is the nation’s only avenue that’s designated a National Historic Landmark. Several of the six monuments are dedicated to Confederate leaders. Next we visit the Confederate War Memorial Chapel built in 1887 by Confederate veterans as a memorial to the Confederate dead. Late afternoon we visit Hollywood Cemetery. This is the final resting place of two U.S Presidents, Jefferson Davis and his family, 25 Confederate generals and 18,000 Confederate dead. Tonight we attend a Civil War wedding and reception dinner with dancing! (beginning November, 2010) Day 3 – Reconciliation To take a journey through Richmond’s past, we must address the role of the city’s engagement of slavery as we visit the Manchester Slave Trail. From 1680 until 1780, Richmond was the second largest slave market and a principal port of entry for Africans being sold into slavery. For 40 years prior to the Civil War, Richmond was the nation’s center for the export of slaves. Walk the path that the slaves took. The Manchester Slave Trail is a memorial to those who walked this route. Now, as it was 150 years ago, this walk is an emotionally powerful experience. Option: This can be done at night with a torch light guided tour. Next tour the Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, which was organized in 1867 by Rev. John Jasper. Born a slave in 1812, he gained his freedom to become a nationally celebrated preacher. Jasper was best known for his 1878 sermon “De Sun Do Move.” Lunch will be served here at the church with great southern cuisine. After lunch, we visit the Reconciliation Statue which raises the level of awareness and informational accuracy about Richmond’s role in the slave trade. The statue depicts two people
melded in an embrace and is linked to similar memorials in Liverpool, England and the Republic of Benin, West Africa. This afternoon we take a Canal Cruise on the canal designed by George Washington. Hear a narration of the city and its history. (Available seasonally.) Stroll along the nearby Richmond Canal Walk to see the historic exhibit, “African-Americans and the Waterfront,” which chronicles the African American contribution to the development of Richmond’s riverfront. Dinner tonight will be filled with excitement as we celebrate Emancipation with African American dance and music by the Elegba Folklore Society. Day 4 Depart for home. Contact for additional information: Janie Lawson, CTIS – Tourism Sales Manager Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-370-9004 or 804-783-7409 jlawson@richmondva.org www.VisitRichmondVa.com
The Reconciliation Statue, Richmond
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The Battlefield Comes to Virginia
The Deep Cut Monument is one of many on the Manassas (Bull Run) Battlefield.
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wo major battles of the Civil War were fought in Virginia at Manassas Junction, and became famous under two different names. That is because in the South the battle was named for the nearest artificial object near the field of action. In this case, Manassas, the railroad junction. In the North, it was named for the nearest natural object near the scene of the conflict. It this case, it was the creek known as Bull Run.
First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas (the name used by Confederate forces and still often used in the southern United States), was fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia. It was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. Just months after the start of the war at Fort Sumter, the Northern public clamored for a march against the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, which could bring an early end to the war. Yielding to this political pressure, unseasoned Union Army troops under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell advanced across Bull Run against the equally unseasoned Confederate Army under Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard near Manassas Junction. Expecting an easy Union victory, civilians from Washington, DC packed picnic lunches and rode by carriage out to view the battle. McDowell’s ambitious plan for a surprise flank attack against the Confederate left was not well executed by his inexperienced officers and men, but the Confederates, who had been planning to attack the Union left flank, found themselves at an initial disadvantage. Confederate reinforcements under the command of Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston arrived from the Shenandoah Valley by railroad and the course of the 20 • Byways
battle changed. A brigade of Virginians under a relatively unknown colonel from the Virginia Military Institute, Thomas J. Jackson, stood their ground and Jackson received his famous nickname, “Stonewall Jackson”. The Confederates launched a strong counterattack and as the Union troops began withdrawing under pressure, many panicked and it turned into a rout as they frantically ran in the direction of nearby Washington, DC. Those who came for a picnic fled at the horror of the battle. Both sides were sobered by the violence and casualties of the battle, and they realized that the war would potentially be much longer and bloodier than they had originally anticipated.
General Stonewall Jackson received his nickname at the first Battle of Manassas.
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederacy, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28-30, 1862. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen. John Pope’s Army of Virginia, and a battle of much larger scale and numbers than the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) fought in 1861 on the same ground. Following a wide-ranging flanking march, Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson captured the Union supply depot at Manassas Junction, threatening Pope’s line of communications with Washington, DC. Withdrawing a few miles to the northwest, Jackson took up defensive positions on Stony Ridge. On August 28, 1862, Jackson attacked a Union column just east of Gainesville, at Brawner’s Farm, resulting in a stalemate. On that same day, the wing of Lee’s army commanded by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet broke through light Union resistance in the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap and approached the battlefield. Pope became convinced that he had trapped Jackson and concentrated the bulk of his army against him. On August 29, Pope launched a series of assaults against
Jackson’s position along an unfinished railroad grade. The attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. At noon, Longstreet arrived on the field from Thoroughfare Gap and took position on Jackson’s right flank. On August 30, Pope renewed his attacks, seemingly unaware that Longstreet was on the field. When massed Confederate artillery devastated a Union assault by Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter’s V Corps, Longstreet’s wing of 25,000 men in five divisions counterattacked in the largest, simultaneous mass assault of the war. The Union left flank was crushed and the army was driven back to Bull Run. Only an effective Union rearguard action prevented a replay of the First Manassas disaster. As the Union Army concentrated on Centreville, Lee planned his next move. He sent Jackson on another flanking march in an attempt to interpose his army between Pope and Washington. Pope countered the move and the two forces clashed a final time at the Battle of Chantilly (also known as Ox Hill) on September 1. Lee immediately began his next campaign on September 3, when the vanguard of the Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River, marching toward a fateful encounter with the Army of the Potomac in the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam.
The Stone House at Manassas (Bull Run) Battlefield. It was used as a field hospital during both battles.
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Antietam, War Comes to Maryland
As troops battled across the cornfields, this road became Bloody Lane.
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F
or nearly 100 years after its founding in 1763, the small village of Sharpsburg in Washington County, Maryland enjoyed a serene and peaceful existence. But the events of September 17, 1862 would change the place forever as the surrounding fields played host to “the bloodiest single day battle” in American history. The legendary engagement produced an estimated 23,000-plus casualties, more American losses than in all of the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and Spanish-American War combined. Byways • 23
Dunker Church, as seen today, was an important landmark during the battle.
The Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the desired to give material aid to Maryland and afford her bloodiest one-day battle in American history and the an opportunity of throwing off the oppression to which culmination of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the she is now subject, this would seem the most favorable.” North, was one of five Confederate offensives conduct- Surprisingly, Lee then wrote, “The army is not properly ed on a 1,000-mile front that fall. As Lee’s Army of equipped for an invasion of an enemy’s territory. It lacks Northern Virginia (about 40,000 men) marched across much of the material of war, is feeble in transportation, central and western Maryland, other Confederate forces the animals being much reduced, and the men are poormoved into Kentucky, northern Mississippi, and the Kanawha River valley of Reenactors walk the cornfields of Antietam. western Virginia. Never again during the war would so many Confederate armies be on the offensive at the same time. Lee’s invasion was the bloodiest and the most decisive of these incursions. Following his success at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis on September 3, “The present seems to be the most propitious time since the commencement of the war for the Confederate Army to enter Maryland.... If it is ever 24 • Byways
ly provided with clothes, and in thousands of instances are destitute of shoes. Still, we cannot afford to be idle, and though weaker than our opponents in men and military equipments, must endeavor to harass if we cannot destroy them. I am aware that the movement is attended with much risk, yet I do not consider success impossible, and shall endeavor to guard it from loss.” Meanwhile, less than 25 miles away, Union Gen. George B. McClellan was staging his Army of the Potomac, roughly 85,000 men. While camped in Frederick, Maryland, a few days later, Lee decided on a bold move. Because the 12,000-man Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry posed a threat to his lines of supply, communication, and retreat, Lee could not safely operate north of the Potomac River without neutralizing it. Accordingly, he divided his army into four parts. He directed Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson to supervise the envelopment of Harpers Ferry with three Confederate columns numbering more than 25,000 men. Lee assigned the newly arrived division of Gen. D. H. Hill to guard Turner’s Gap near Boonsboro. He later ordered Gen. James Longstreet to lead the rest of the army, about 10,000 strong, to Hagerstown, Maryland, near the MasonDixon Line and prepare to enter Pennsylvania. All of this changed when a copy of Lee’s plan (Special Orders No. 191) fell into Union hands. McClellan’s army gave chase and forced the Confederates into a holding action in the South Mountain gaps. Lee gathered his army at Sharpsburg and decided to make a stand northeast of town on Sharpsburg ridge. Two days later the armies met in battle. The Union named the conflict the Battle of Antietam in honor of the creek while the South called it the Battle of Sharpsburg in honor of the town. Simple landmarks took on legendary status once the smoke of battle cleared, including the Cornfield, Dunker
Church, the Sunken Road, and Burnside’s Bridge. Although outnumbered two to one, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army held off the Federals in what most historians consider an inconclusive outcome. Lee was forced to order his battered army to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley. Open year round from 8:30am-5:00pm (6:00pm in summer), the Antietam National Battlefield’s Visitor Center offers films, ranger programs, museum, a bookstore and driving tour maps. The roads of the park stay open until dusk. For more information on visiting Maryland, go to http://visitmaryland.org. Byways • 25
Contrasts Highlight Tennesseeʼs Civil War History
Shiloh Civil War Monument
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ennessee’s Civil War history is a study in contrasts: a secessionist state with staunch Union loyalties, divided cities held by both Union and Confederate troops, constant danger and hardship, and nagging uncertainty among friends, neighbors and families about who was friend or foe.
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Reenactors at Parkerʼs Crossroads in Tennessee 28 • Byways
In 2011, Tennessee commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The state has the second most Civil War sites in the United States. More than 1,462 battles, at least one fought in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties, brought destruction to the landscape. The state’s central location, river and rail paths, industries and farmlands all combined to make Tennessee a crucial state for both Union and Confederate forces, and caused it to be hotly contested for the entire duration of the war. In Chattanooga, follow the footsteps of 124,000 Civil War soldiers through the Chickamauga Battlefield. The Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park is the largest of its kind in the nation, with districts at the Chickamauga Battlefield, Point Park, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob and Signal Point. Fort Negley, originally built in 1862 with the assistance of black laborers, is one of the largest fortifications built by Union troops residing in Nashville during the Civil War. The unique star-designed Union fort from the Civil War is located between Greer Stadium and the Adventure Science Center near downtown Nashville. Shiloh National Military Park, established in 1894, is considered one of the best-preserved battlefields in the nation. The two-day battle, which involved approximately 65,000 Union and 44,000 Confederate troops, resulted in nearly 24,000 casualties. The park includes the Shiloh National Cemetery, along with the well-preserved, prehistoric Indian mounds that are listed as a historic landmark. The Carter House, built in 1830 by Fountain Branch
Carter, was the stage for the second Battle of Franklin, one of the worst disasters of the Civil War for the Confederate Army. This Registered Historic Landmark was used as a Federal Command Post, while the 23 members of the Carter family hid in the cellar during the five-hour battle. Just down the road, the McGavock family opened the doors of Carnton Plantation as a field hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Franklin. In 1866, the McGavocks, concerned about the conditions of the Confederate soldiers buried in shallow graves, designated land near the family cemetery for the re-interment of nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers. Today, the McGavock Confederate Cemetery is the largest, privately-owned military cemetery in the nation. Do not miss the riveting tale of Carrie McGavock in Robert Hicks’ New York Times bestselling novel, “The Widow of the South.” Tennessee is a perfect touring ground for Civil War enthusiasts. Today, visitors can follow in the footsteps of the Blue and Gray on battlegrounds large and small on Tennessee’s Civil War Trails, a program that makes developing compelling itineraries to Civil War sites throughout the state easy for individuals or groups of any size. Trails consist of markers and sites across the state that lead visitors from well-known and sacred sites like Shiloh, to never-before-interpreted locations like Parker’s Crossroads. For more information, visitors and tour operators can visit www.tnvacation.com or call 1800-462-8366.
Carnton Plantation
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Civil War in Missouri
Civil War Museum, Carthage
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n the Civil War, Missouri was a border state that sent family members of these early years helped motivate men, armies, generals, and supplies to both opposing Missouri’s Confederate irregulars and “Bushwhackers,” sides, had its star on both flags, had separate govern- such as the James brothers, Cole Younger, William ments representing each side, and endured a neighbor- “Bloody Bill” Anderson and William Clarke Quantrill. Zigzagging across the Missouri-Kansas border between against-neighbor intrastate war within the larger highways 71 and 69 south of Kansas City, Civil War national war. By the end of the Civil War, Missouri had supplied buffs will find a number of small-town museums and hisnearly 110,000 troops for the Union Army and about torical markers related to the Kansas-Missouri border 40,000 troops for the Confederate Army. There were war between 1856 and 1861, and to the retreat of Gen. battles and skirmishes in all areas of the state, from the Price’s army after the defeat of Westport in October Iowa and Illinois border in the northeast to the edge of 1864. Many facets of the Civil War can be found at nationthe state in the southeast and southwest on the Arkansas border. Counting minor engagements, actions al and state historic sites, museums, interpretive sites and skirmishes, Missouri saw over 1,200 distinct fights. and cemeteries throughout Missouri. For additional information on Missouri Civil War Only Virginia and Tennessee exceeded Missouri in the events, visit http://www.visitmo.com. number of clashes within the state boundaries. Missouri also helped produce some of the most recognizable figures of the Civil War era. Missouri was the pre-war home to Dred Scott,William T. Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant. When war came, Missouri’s battlegrounds shaped the lives of such notables as Grant, Jesse James, Mark Twain, George Caleb Bingham and William Clarke Quantrill. Prior to the Civil War, Missouri was home to a bloody guerilla war along the Kansas-Missouri border. Pro and antislavery forces ambushed and raided each other in an attempt to influence the question of slavery in Kansas. This fighting prepared Missourians for the type of Civil War they would witness. Anderson House, Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, Lexington. The atrocities and violence against Photos courtesy Missouri Division of Tourism.
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The Siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg National Military Park
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The Vicksburg National Military Park is America’s he Siege of Vicksburg was the final major military most monumented national military park, where the action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, fate of our nation was decided in 1863. Within the Park Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the you’ll also find a Union ironclad gunboat with over Tennessee crossed the Mississippi River and drove the 6,300 artifacts that had been submerged on the bottom Confederate army of Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton into of the Yazoo River for 102 years. The largest National the defensive lines surrounding the fortress city of Military Cemetery of Union dead in the United States is located in the park, and a few miles away 5,000 Vicksburg, Mississippi. Confederates repose at Soldiers Rest in City Cemetery. When two major assaults (May 19 and May 22, 1863) The Vicksburg Battlefield Museum, just east of the milagainst the Confederate fortifications were repulsed with heavy casualties, Grant decided to besiege the city itary park, features models of gunboats, the film beginning on May 25. With no re-enforcement, supplies “Vanishing Glory” which tells about civilian life during nearly gone, and after holding out for more than forty the siege, as well as a diorama depicting the Siege of days, the garrison finally surrendered on July 4. This Vicksburg. For additional information on visiting Vicksburg, visaction (combined with the capitulation of Port Hudson it the Vickburg Convention & Visitors Bureau on-line on July 9) yielded command of the Mississippi River to at http://www.vicksburgcvb.org. the Union forces, who would hold it for the rest of the conflict. The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered, when combined with Gen. Robert E. Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg the previous day, the turning point of the war. It also cut off communication with Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department for the remainder of the war. The city of Vicksburg would not celebrate Independence Day for about eighty years as a result of the siege and surrender. The Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg. The park is located on ground high above the Mississippi River. Over 1,340 monuments, a restored Union gunboat, and National Cemetery mark the 16-mile tour road. Texas Memorial Byways • 31
Tragedy in Get
A tour group on Little Round Top, where Union Forces awaited the final charge of Confederate General Robert E. Leeʼs Confederate troops.
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he Battle of Gettysburg is called the most famous and most important Civil War Battle. It occurred over three hot summer days -- July 1 to July 3, 1983 -- around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. What began as a skirmish, ended with casualties numbering 51,000 Union and Confederal dead, wounded and missing, the largest number of casualties in the Civil War. Gettysburg is often described as the War’s turning point. Before the Battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee’s 32 • Byways
Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The Confederate Army had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union Army of the Potomac under General George G. Meade, a new and untried commander, marched to intercept Lee. The skirmish began on July 1 with the two armies colliding at Gettyburg. Events would escalate quickly, as Lee rushed 25,000 men to the site; the Union had less than 20,000 soldiers there. Meade, however, anticipated reinforcements totaling up to 100,000 men to arrive and strengthen his defensive plans. Confederate General James Longstreet saw the Union
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position south of the town along the high ground at Cemetery Ridge as impregnable and recommended Lee should leave that position alone and instead move east between the Union Army and Washington and build a defensive position, forcing the Union Army to attack them instead. But Lee believed his army was invincible. He decided to attack the Union Army’s defensive position at the southern end of Cemetery Ridge which he believed was less well defended. Some of the most bitter fighting of the Civil War erupted at places now part of American military folklore such as Little Round Top, Devil’s Den,
the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard. The Union lost some ground during the onslaught, but still held a strong defensive position along Cemetery Ridge. War councils on both sides gathered to plan the next day. Meade decided to remain in place and wait for Lee to attack. Longstreet tried again to talk Lee out of attacking such a strong position, but Lee believed the Union soldiers were nearly beaten and would collapse under one final push. Lee decided to gamble to win the Battle of Gettysburg and in effect, win the Civil War. He believed attacking the Union line at its center would be the least expected. The Rebels moved into the woods opposite Cemetery Ridge for the coming charge. Just after 1:00pm, 170 Confederate cannons opened fire to pave the way for the Rebel charge. This was the heaviest artillery barrage of the War, but many shells missed their targets. The Union army returned heavy cannon fire and then ceased, hoping to fool the Rebels into thinking the cannons were knocked out -- and that is exactly what the Rebels did think. Longstreet was overwhelmed with emotion as he gave Lee’s order to advance. “Charge the enemy and remember old Virginia,” yelled Pickett as 12,000 Rebels formed a line stretching a mile. In silence they headed toward the Union Army. The Union fired their cannons, killing many; but the Rebels went on, screaming the Rebel yell. A fierce battle ensued as they got very close to the Union army, but Union reinforcements swarmed in and opened fire. The battered, outnumbered Rebels finally began to give way. This great human wave that had been Pickett’s Charge began to recede as the men drifted down the slope. The supreme effort of Lee’s army had been beaten back, leaving 7,500 of his men lying on the field of battle. Lee met the survivors, telling them, “It is all my fault.” Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. The gamble had failed and the tide of the War was now permanently turned against the South. On November 19, 1863, President Lincoln went to the battle field to dedicate it as a military cemetery. In a little over two minutes, the President delivered the historic Gettysburg Address to honor the fallen and redefine the purpose of the War. Over time, the speech and its words -- “government of the People, by the People, and for the People” -- have come to symbolize the definition of democracy itself. Byways • 33
Union reenactors fill the streets of Gettysburg
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Worldwide Interest Expected in Gettysburg
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he Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will undoubtedly be the focus of the national commemoration of the Civil War, from 2011 to 2015. As the site of the war’s most famous battle, Gettysburg is expecting worldwide interest in this small Pennsylvania town. Travel groups of all ages and interests will make plans to learn about, experience and pay tribute to the tragedy that occurred in Gettysburg nearly 150 years ago. In Gettysburg, history comes alive. The battle is brought to life through living historians, interactive museums and engaging tours through the 6,000-acre battlefield and the quaint town where thousands of soldiers fought among the streets in 1863. Start your trip at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, equipped with a special group entrance and motorcoach parking. Visitors are ushered into the film, “A New Birth of Freedom,” the famous Gettysburg Cyclorama Painting and the 12 museum galleries. An onsite restaurant is perfect for boxed lunches. From there, experience the most-visited battlefield in the country with a tour of the Gettysburg National Military Park. An expert Licensed Battlefield Guide will board your motorcoach and present an engaging, humanizing story of this great battle. Groups may also march the field of Pickett’s Charge, the famous -- but failed -- attempt by the Confederate troops on the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Smaller groups may experience the battlefield on horseback or by Segway personal transporter. The town of Gettysburg offers dozens of museums, restaurants, shopping and tours, including evening candlelit ghost walks and history tours that will make visitors feel like they’re standing in 1863. Personalized tours for groups are available through many of The Battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, by Currier and Ives. Gettysburg’s tour guides and museums. The 150th anniversary will bring new and expanded events to Gettysburg. Beginning in 2011, museums and other attractions in Gettysburg will offer special programming and activities for the Sesquicentennial anniversary. On weekends throughout the summers, living historians and re-enactors will set up camp on the battlefield and give visitors an upclose look at the Civil War from a soldier’s perspective. Groups can also arrange for personalized, interactive living history tours anywhere in Gettysburg. At the centerpiece of Gettysburg’s 150th commemoration is Schmucker 36 • Byways
Guided tours are available.
An evening candlelit Ghost Tour in Gettysburg.
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A motorcoach tour stops at the Pennsylvania Memorial on the Battlefield grounds.
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A horseback tour of the Gettysburg battlefield.
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President Abraham Lincoln reenactor is a familiar sight in Gettysburg.
Hall, set to open in April 2013. This new museum will focus on the first day of the battle, Civil War hospitals and faith in the Civil War. Currently the home of the Adams County Historical Society on the Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary campus, Schmucker Hall will be the newest of many great attractions for group travel. In November of 2013, Gettysburg will honor Abraham Lincoln and his immortal speech -The Gettysburg Address. Visitors can walk in the footsteps of Lincoln in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, visit the David Wills House museum or take a Lincoln tour in downtown Gettysburg. Gettysburg features dozens of group-friendly hotels within close proximity of Gettysburg National Military Park and all major attractions, tours, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. Groups interested in visiting Gettysburg during this important American anniversary, should contact Jenny McConnell, Director of Sales, Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, at 717-338-1053 or by email at jenny@gettysburg.travel. For more information on group travel to Gettysburg, visit www.gettysburggrouptours.com.
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Reenactment at New Market Battlefield
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History Awaits at New Market Battlefield
ocated in Virginia’s beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley, the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park tells the story of one of the last major southern victories in the Civil War’s “Breadbasket of the Confederacy.” On May 15, 1864, Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge defeated a larger Union army under the command of Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel on the Bushong family’s farm near the town of New Market. Breckinridge’s army included 257 Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute, facing their baptism of fire. Never before, or since, has a college student body been called into pitched battle as were the VMI Cadets, ten of whom were killed or mortally wounded. Established in 1967 and administered by VMI, the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is a National Historic Landmark comprising nearly 300 acres of the core battleground, including the historic Bushong Farm and Hall of Valor Museum. The Hall of Valor, one of the first Virginia museums accredited by the American Association of Museums, interprets the Battle of New Market and the saga of the entire Civil War in Virginia. Colorful dioramas, exhibits, and computer kiosks describe the incredible acts of endurance and resilience demonstrated by soldiers of the North and South. The Civil War Preservation Trust named the New Market Battlefield its “Civil War Discovery Trail Site of the Year” for 2005. The Hall of Valor also features an Emmy™ Awardwinning film, Field of Lost Shoes, which depicts the battle in vivid detail. The title refers to the enormous muddy field across which the VMI Cadets charged, with 42 • Byways
shoes literally sucked from their feet as they advanced. The Museum Store contains a wide variety of distinctive historical books, prints, ceramics, jewelry, toys, and quality souvenirs, including an extensive Civil War video collection. The museum, including restrooms, is handicapped accessible. An additional restroom and vending building accommodates bus groups. Each May New Market experiences again the sights and sounds of combat during the annual Battle of New Market Reenactment. This living history event is the oldest battle reenactment in the United States, and one of the few still held on the original ground. The event features thousands of authentic Civil War reenactors depicting Confederate and Union soldiers and civilians. The Park’s interpretive programs cover such topics as the Battle of New Market, Civil War soldier life, and 19th century farm life. Self-guided and staff-led walking tours of the Battlefield originate at the Hall of Valor. Step-on guides for bus groups are also available. A variety of group programs are available, suitable for both children and adults. Youth programs are designed to complement the Virginia Standards of Learning, and may be adapted to fit other states’ academic standards. Adult tour offerings can likewise be tailored to specific interests. The Town of New Market offers noteworthy 19th century buildings, family-friendly restaurants and shops, and several hotels, all within minutes of the Battlefield. The New Market Rebels, a collegiate wooden-bat baseball team, plays other Valley League clubs during June and July, and New Market Heritage Days are celebrated in October. The Shenandoah Valley is home to exten-
sive caverns that are open to the public, including Luray Caverns and Shenandoah Caverns/American Celebration on Parade, which features a collection of festival and parade floats and memorabilia. The scenic Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive are easily accessible from New Market. The town is also centrally located near other historic Valley towns such as Winchester, with its renowned Apple Blossom Festival; Staunton, site of the Frontier Culture Museum and Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library; and Lexington, home of the Stonewall Jackson House and VMI Museum. For more information on the Town of New Market and other Valley attractions, contact the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association at 540-7403132, or visit the web site at www.visitshenandoah.org. The New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is located at Exit 264 off Interstate 81. Operating hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm daily except for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve and Day. To learn more about admission rates and interpretive programs, call 866-515-1864, or e-mail nmbshp@vmi.edu. For Park information, visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket.
Newport News Highlights Land and Sea Battles
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he Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War (2011-2015) offers Americans an opportunity to learn and commemorate our country’s greatest national crisis while exploring its lasting significance today. In Newport News, Virginia, student and adult groups alike have the chance to explore and discover the history, battles and legacy that shaped our nation. Virginia was a crucial element in Civil War history as it witnessed both the first battle between Union and Confederate forces and Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Three out of every five battles were fought here and there are over three times more Civil War battlefields in Virginia than any other state. Newport News saw the birth of the modern navy, the first, primitive forms of aerial reconnaissance and the ultimate irony of a conflict being lengthened by the enforced labor of the very people many hoped the war would free. The history of the Civil War has always been valued in Newport News and is honored with annual events and activities. All year long, groups can visit The Mariners’ Museum’s USS Monitor Center and learn about the famous Civil War “Battle of the Ironclads,” the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, and walk the deck of a full-scale Monitor replica in the award-winning exhibition, “Ironclad Revolution.” The exhibition also includes the Battle Theater, where visitors can experience the action of the Battle of Hampton Roads, and get a first-hand look at the conservation of the turret. You can also jump aboard the Civil War Bus Tour! Michael Moore, Registrar for Lee Hall Mansion, will take your group on a customized tour along the Civil War trails of
the Union and Confederate armies. Be sure to pay a visit to the Virginia War Museum during your time exploring Newport Southern Kitchen News. The Museum offers Home Cooking Since 1955 an expansive Close to Bryce Resort, Shenandoah Caverns gallery of U.S. & New Market Battlefield New Market, Virginia I-81 Exit military history from 1775 to Steaks • Seafood • Chicken • Breakfast the present 540-740-3514 day. Displays 9576 S. Congress Street of uniforms, Open 7 Days a Week vintage mili7 am - 9 pm Come by and meet your hosts, tary vehicles, Randy & Rebecca Newland weapons and art work focus on the men and women involved in American military actions from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War. The gallery includes displays on the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This is just a taste of what is to come in Newport News as we pay tribute to the heroism of the past. Come and relive history! For more information on Newport News’ Civil War Sesquicentennial events and activities, or to request our new 96-page Group Planner, contact Trista Attoh, group tour marketing manager, with the Newport News Tourism Development Office, at 757926-1442, toll-free at 888-493-7386. E-mail tattoh@nngov.com. Discover our backyard…and embrace our nation’s history! USS Monitor in action with CSS Virginia, 9 March 1862. Painting created by Julian Oliver Davidson (1853-1894)
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The reconstructed McLean house, where Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865, to end Americaʼs Civil War.
Appomattox Court House, The Final Battle
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he Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought on the morning of April 9, 1865, was the final engagement of the Civil War. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, having abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond, after the Siege of Petersburg, retreated west, hoping to join his army with the Confederate forces in North Carolina. Union forces, under the command of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, pursued and cut off the Confederate retreat. Lee’s final stand was at Appomattox Court House, where he launched an attack to break through the Union force to his front, but he assumed the Union force consisted entirely of cavalry. When he realized that the cavalry was backed up by two corps of Union infantry and his troops were surrounded on three sides, he had no choice but to surrender. The signing of the surrender documents occurred in the parlor of the house owned by Wilmer McLean on the afternoon of April 9. On April 12, a formal ceremony marked the disbandment of the Army of Northern Virginia and the parole of its officers and men, effectively ending the Civil War. Dressed in an immaculate uniform, Lee 44 • Byways
waited for Grant to arrive. Grant arrived in a mud-spattered uniform -- a government-issue flannel shirt with trousers tucked into muddy boots, no sidearms, and with only his tarnished shoulder straps showing his rank. It was the first time the two men had seen each other faceto-face in almost two decades. The terms were as generous as Lee could hope for; his men would not be imprisoned or prosecuted for treason. In addition to his terms, Grant also allowed the defeat-
Union troops at Appomattox Court House
Lee never forgot Grant’s magnanimity during the surrender, and for the rest of his life would not tolerate an unkind word about Grant in his presence.
General Ulysses S. Grant ed men to take home their horses and mules to carry out the spring planting and provided Lee with a supply of food rations for his starving army. Lee said it would have a very happy effect among the men and do much toward reconciling the country.
General Robert E. Lee
The parlor of the restored McLean house, where surrender papers were signed.
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Out of Ashes, Richmondʼs Reconciliation and Revival
Historic Canal Walk and Canal Cruise in downtown Richmond
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ichmond today is an economically progressive city. As Virginia’s capital, Richmond offers a wealth of amenities not easily found among other East Coast municipalities. It’s a far cry from the burned and defeated city that served as the capital of the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War nearly 150 years ago. Richmond’s complete livability can be measured in numerous ways. Here are a few: • Beautiful neighborhoods with striking architecture • A vast cultural and educational heritage befitting its
Richmond Ballet
Visitors view the Capitol.
more than 200,000 citizens, and • Noted historic prestige tracing back to the early English settlers. Nationally recognized for its vitality and New Economy embrace, Richmond’s diversified employment base extends from chemical, food and tobacco manufacturing to biotechnology, semiconductors and high-tech fibers. The city consistently ranks among “Best Places to Live and Work in America” in several national publications. The Richmond Folk Festival
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The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
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Richmond is among a handful of mid-sized cities to Agecroft Hall, an offer a flourishing cultural community enhanced by sevhistoric 15th century eral first-class museums and prominent universities, its Tudor manor house own symphony, professional ballet and opera, and numerous theater companies and art galleries. While offering easy access to the ocean, mountains and Washington, DC, Richmond features countless pastimes at home. Trendy boutiques and restaurants, numerous sports and entertainment attractions, outdoor pursuits among one of the nation’s largest river park systems, and a treasure trove of historic landmarks provide fun and good times. Celebrate more than 400 years of American heritage – all at once – with a visit to the historic Richmond Region. Tour the site of many of the nation’s most significant moments in history. Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. The former capitol of the Confederacy. The first American hospital and U.S. canal system. America’s first African-American governor and the first African American Woman to start a bank. All these milestones took place here, lending to Richmond’s highly distinguished historical profile. But the full breadth of Richmond as a city extends far beyond historic sites and illustri- National Park Service and American Civil War Center ous figures from the past. Today, the city sets a modern precedent world-renowned museums and action-packed fun for all by blending upscale shopping, fabulous restaurants, ages. Richmond is increasingly recognized for the many distinguished yet often unheralded qualities long Richmondʼs 17th Street enjoyed by those who already live here. Farmers Market Today, the metropolitan area draws millions of visitors each year. Explore the unique blend of historic charm and modern culture that define the City of Richmond unlike any other, one that is now known as one of the most welcoming destinations along the East Coast. Maymont, a Gilded Age estate in Richmond
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g n i n e p p a H s ’ t a h W
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Louisvilleʼs MEGA Cavern!
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ouisville is home to one of the largest caverns in the United States…so large, it has been dubbed the “MEGA” Cavern! Byways • 51
What once started out as Louisville Crushed Stone a giant cavern of this magnitude looks like! and one of the best kept secrets in the city of Louisville, You’ll hop on an SUV-pulled tram and be joined by a Kentucky has now been revealed to the public. It was created by a massive limestone quarry -- with miners blasting out a mind-boggling amount of rock for over 42 years during the middle of the 20th century. It was acquired in 1989 by private investors who saw the potential to develop a portion of the cavern into an environmentally-conscious high security commercial storage facility. The cavern spans under a number of roadways above and is part of 17 miles of corridors located under the Louisville Zoo. It’s a great tour for all ages, whether you want to learn about science and history or simply want to see what The Louisville MEGA Cavern Visitors Center 52 • Byways
This coming holiday season Louisville MEGA Cavern will be transformed once again into an underground holiday light spectacular for 2010-2011. It’s a 30-40 minute ride through part of 17 miles of underground passageways, which will feature double the lighted displays from last year with triple the animation. Since its opening last year, the MEGA Cavern’s “Lights Under Louisville” allows the public to once again drive their own vehicle inside the cavern to experience this one-of-a-kind holiday transformation. It’s a great way to get your family in the mood this holiday season, so load up the vehicle and enjoy the sights and sounds of “Lights under Louisville.” And yes, motorcoaches are welcome! To make special group arrangements during the day, for a school, church, or motorcoach, please contact Group Sales at 502-855-3580. Space during the day is limited, and on a first come, first serve basis. Since the early 1990s, a massive amount of recycled concrete, brick, block, rock and dirt were (and continue to be) off-loaded at the cavern to fill in the holes and create floors and internal roads. Construction to carve out offices and storage spaces is ongoing, making just a dent in the more than 4,000,000 square feet of space. Even though it’s underground, the Louisville MEGA Cavern is actually the largest building in the state of Kentucky -- and by tonnage is the largest recycling center in the state. Now you can experience all the wonder and adventure of this unique attraction.
MEGA Cavern expert who will guide you on your underground adventure. It’s a 6070 minute tour, strategically lit to enjoy highlights such as: •Early cavern formations •A historic replica of the Cuban missile fallout bunker •A worm recycling/tasting room •Sights and facts of the early mining operation •Hear about the storm dog and pigeon eating hawk and more surprises around every corner! Louisville MEGA Cavern is an allweather attraction. The temperature inside the cavern hovers at a comfortable 58 degrees year round. Because you only ride and never walk through the cavern, it is especially convenient for parents with small children, seniors and the physically challenged. Byways • 53
Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America. Byways is emailed to more 9000 tour operators, 21,000 travel agencies and 100,000 frequent travelers through the internet. Subscriptions are complimentary. Byways’ distribution also includes 4000+ motorcoach companies, tour operators, travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, and meeting planners. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine, P.O. 1088, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Telephone 540-4773202. Fax 540-477-3858. ©Copyright 2010 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher. Editor and Publisher Stephen M. Kirchner
Advertising Director 1.800.469.0062 540.477.3202 Fax 540.477.3858 Internet: www.motorcoach.com/byways Blog: http://bywaysmagazine.wordpress.com Email: byways@motorcoach.com
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In the Heart of the Ozarks
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and learn about segregation during the early years. The museum complex also offers vintage military vehicles and Soldiers Memorial Park which honors our fallen.
hether you are coming to Pulaski County, Missouri for a Military graduation, attending one of the many County festivals, getting “your kicks on Route 66,” or planning a float trip along the scenic Big Piney or Gasconade Rivers, you’ll find it all here in the heart of the Ozarks. Route 66 in the Ozarks Start your tour with 33 scenic miles of Historic Route 66 running through Pulaski County. Deemed the Main Street of America, this route was commissioned November 11, 1926. Route 66 ties together the towns of Devil’s Elbow, St. Robert, Waynesville and Richland. Discover the newly remodled Piney Beach Cabins, which were originally a cottage court from the 1940s, the Elbow Inn and Bar B Q, The Fort Leonard Wood Visitors Center originally the Munger Moss Sandwich Shop, the Sugar Bowl bluffs, a scenic overlook of a To plan your visit to the Ozarks and Pulaski County, 1940s wooden railroad trestle contact Beth Wiles, Executive Director of the Pulaski bridge, Sheldon’s Market, built in 1941, the old County Tourism Bureau at 573-336-6355. Stagecoach Stop, Pulaski County Courthouse Museum, email@visitpulaskicounty.org. Buckhorn and Laquey...spot remnants of times past. The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau and Visitors Center offers a self-guided auto tour which leads you throughout the county pointing out historic sites along the way. Motorcoach groups may book a step-on guided tour of Route 66 to enhance their experience along Historic Route 66. Museums of Fort Leonard Wood Pulaski County, Missouri is home to Fort Leonard Wood, which features a state-of-the-art museum complex. Three indoor museums feature detailed historical displays of the Engineer, Military Police and Chemical Corp divisions of the United States Army. Visitors can walk through the tunnels of Vietnam, see a bridge builder, walk through Check Point Charlie, and shoot an M16. The WWII Building Museum is located just across the street. One of the museum’s unique projects is the restoration of the 12 - WWII Building Old Stagecoach Stop WWII company area that features a dinMuseum Complex Civil War Hospital ing facility, barracks, company headquarters, and officer quarters from the 1940s. See the history of the German prisoners that were housed at Fort Leonard Wood Byways • 55
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