Anybody ever been to Civil War battlefields?

[Archaea]

To accompany my child who performed with his school group at the Kennedy Center in DC, I traveled with the group to DC.

Observations for those that care, otherwise, snicker or ridicule to your heart's content:

DC is small and very accessible, but finding a gas station there is a nightmare.

The Washington Hilton, where Reagan was shot, is run down and not a very good property.

Gays in DC are very in your face about it; made me want to start a straight sex awareness week, or a Straight Sex with skinny, young and attractive females awareness week. My guess is it wouldn't go over well in DC.

After having visited DC a number of times, I don't care to go back. There is less to do there than New York which can be new every time.

Seeing battlefields with boys is great. We were in Gettysburg on Monday and they did a reenactment of amputations of the wounded. The guides are knowledgeable and friendly.

The battle came as a result of a number of horrific blunders and it is no wonder General Pickett finished last in his class at West Point.

How could one be a general or President knowing you get to pick which young men die?

It was a moving experience having taken the tour of the fields, then to go to the cemetery and read Lincoln's words. One leaves wondering what would have happened had the sides found political solutions. Would we be witnessing apartheid in the South?

Would our economies have not risen to the extent that we would not have defeated Japan and Germany in WWII?

Gettysburgh may have had as many as 51,000 casualties with armies of 75,000 against 93,000. Amazing.

Bull Run was less impressive, and it seems odd given the positioning on the hill that they made so much out of Jackson given his position on the hill, but maybe I didn't get the proper perspective.

Who has seen famous battlefields?

[bigpiney]

No civil war battlefields that I can remember, but I went to where the battle of Lexington and Concord took place when I was visiting Boston.

I could not believe that such an insignificant river(30 ft wide) and area could have been the first battle of the American Revolution. It was amazing to think that it all started there.

[creekster]

We have taken a couple of tours of various battlefields. My favorites are Gettysburg (the re-enactment in July is fabulous), Antietam, which is reatlveyl untouched (although suburbia is encroaching) and fredricksburg (the low wall along the road is in good shape and the mansion on the heights across the river is quite interesting). I also liked the Wilderness and Spotsylvania (with the bloody angle) but like you found manassas/Bull Run hard to enjoy given how much it has changed.

The re-enactment at G-burg takes place on the actual battle dates this year, btw, which would be kind of neat to see. If any of you have any interest in this era, I reccommend going to the re-enactment at least once. It can be a little hokey, I suppose, but it was very memorable for my entiore family and my kids still talk about the cannons and the period church service (I was pressed into playing the pump organ for a few minutes due to a late arriving organist, which was sort of neat).

[OhioBlue]

I've been to Valley Forge.

Oops, wrong war.

I think I have been to Gettysburg, but don't remember it. Looks like I need to get out east again. I barely even remember my own home town.

[DrumNFeather]

There are a lot of great historical sights out here in the DC area...

Not far from DC you'll find the homes of many a founding father and scattered along the path to those sites you'll find battlefields and other interesting pieces of history located all over Northern VA.

[FarrahWaters]

I went to Gettysburg with my family several years ago. The most memorable thing to me was seeing my dad so excited and and hearing his commentary as we drove around. He doesn't get passionate about very many things, but he's a big Civil War/ WWII buff. You could see a light turn on in his eyes as he described key points in the battle, and I realized all that history I read about in books was very real and really meant something to him. It helped me appreciate the experience more.

[Surfah]

I live in Fredericksburg, VA. The most historic little city in the states they say. Watch or read "Gods and Generals" as it all takes place here. Chancellorsville battlefield is close. Stonewall Jackson made his famous and eventually fatal stand there. Washington chopped down the cherry tree at Ferry Farm a stone's throw east across the Rappahannock. Lots of other noteables here including James Monroe. It's very cool.

I've also been north to Gettysburg.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

To accompany my child who performed with his school group at the Kennedy Center in DC, I traveled with the group to DC.

Observations for those that care, otherwise, snicker or ridicule to your heart's content:

DC is small and very accessible, but finding a gas station there is a nightmare.

The Washington Hilton, where Reagan was shot, is run down and not a very good property.

Gays in DC are very in your face about it; made me want to start a straight sex awareness week, or a Straight Sex with skinny, young and attractive females awareness week. My guess is it wouldn't go over well in DC.

After having visited DC a number of times, I don't care to go back. There is less to do there than New York which can be new every time.

Seeing battlefields with boys is great. We were in Gettysburg on Monday and they did a reenactment of amputations of the wounded. The guides are knowledgeable and friendly.

The battle came as a result of a number of horrific blunders and it is no wonder General Pickett finished last in his class at West Point.

How could one be a general or President knowing you get to pick which young men die?

It was a moving experience having taken the tour of the fields, then to go to the cemetery and read Lincoln's words. One leaves wondering what would have happened had the sides found political solutions. Would we be witnessing apartheid in the South?

Would our economies have not risen to the extent that we would not have defeated Japan and Germany in WWII?

Gettysburgh may have had as many as 51,000 casualties with armies of 75,000 against 93,000. Amazing.

Bull Run was less impressive, and it seems odd given the positioning on the hill that they made so much out of Jackson given his position on the hill, but maybe I didn't get the proper perspective.

Who has seen famous battlefields?

I've seen Gettysburgh (numerous times) and Vicksburg and many lesser known battlefields in the South. Well worth it.

[Archaea]

Is it true that the city of Vicksburg refused to recognize and to celebrate the fourth of July for one hundred years because they surrendered on July 4, 1863?

Your knowledge of famous battles, IIRC, is actually quite extensive. You also seem knowledgeable about Roman and Greek battles.

[il Padrino Ute]

When I was 10, my family spent the entire summer vacation travelling to several US and Church historical sites. The visit to Gettysburg left the biggest impression on my young mind. Seeing the reenactment of the battle was the highlight of the trip for me. I still have the model musket that is really just a cap gun that I got that day. It wasn't until I visited it again about 12 years later when I really comprehended what had taken place there.

I hope to take my family there in the near future.