Help me plan a Civil War site vacation.

[GH85Carrera]

Next year I am planning on driving my 911 to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Pocono Summit, PA to be exact.

I am fascinated by the history of the civil war, and I know there are a lot of great sites to visit. Gettysburg is the obvious one. We have been to Mananas, VA but we ran out of time to see as many sites as we wanted.

Since we have a lot of time to plan the trip I would like any "inside information" from people that have been there and what are the best sites. Can we hire local guides and not just read the literature provided at each site.

We will likely spend several days just visiting the sites, so it is not just a one day thing.

It was humbling to realizes the body count at Mananas, and the two battles fought there. How close the southern forces came to Washington D.C.

All of this is stuff that bored me to tears as a kid in school. Now I find it fascinating and very interesting.

If there are people that want to meet up for a meal we can plan that next year as the time gets near.

[flipper35]

There are some battlefields in AK and MO if you want to tour slightly south of the direct route.

[golfnutjtl]

I highly recommend Vicksburg! My wife and I thought Vicksburg was actually more interesting than Gettysburg. We hired a guide through the park service for both visits and they are definitely worth the $20 to $30 per hour fee.

[Seahawk]

Nice, Glen.

If you are going up I 81, I always recommend folks stay in Lexington and visit VMI. They have a great museum to get you started and the Stonewall Jackson house is really neat. You may have before.

Stonewall was a professor at VMI. The book, "Rebel Yell" by SC Gwynne is a great. spectacular introduction into where you are headed and cover my recommendation below. You can stop at the Field of Lost Shoes memorial to VMI north on I81 after you leave Lexington..

My personal favorite battlefield experience is Fredericksburg.

The walking tour is really a humbling experience, especially if you bring a map of the battle. Incredible stupidity and bravery.





That is the site I am most familiar with and recommend. Enjoy!

You guys are welcome to visit!

[flatbutt]

VMI for sure and as you're going to Pa you can't miss Gettysburg.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

When the Confederates lost the Salt works, they lost their capability to preserve meat in large quantities at one location, the associated logistic chain from that site was key to distribution of this critical supply during the war. Bad Union strategy to have not targeted the site earlier in the civil war.

What else is made on Avery island today so critical to our country?

[mattdavis11]

I was just a damned little kid, but I remember going to the site at the battle of Vicksburg. Pretty cool now knowing it was the turning point in the war.

[SCadaddle]

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted

When the Confederates lost the Salt works, they lost their capability to preserve meat in large quantities at one location, the associated logistic chain from that site was key to distribution of this critical supply during the war. Bad Union strategy to have not targeted the site earlier in the civil war.

What else is made on Avery island today so critical to our country?

The one and only Tabasco sauces!

[SCadaddle]

Originally Posted by golfnutjtl

I highly recommend Vicksburg! My wife and I thought Vicksburg was actually more interesting than Gettysburg. We hired a guide through the park service for both visits and they are definitely worth the $20 to $30 per hour fee.

Absolutely. The Vicksburg park is great, and also a reason to dine at The Beechwood restaurant. Mid century modern motel type restaurant with the BEST steaks you will ever eat. I had what they call "the show stopper" a few weeks ago one night. It's a 24 oz. ribeye. I told them I just dubbed it "the heart stopper". It was unreal. HIGHLY recommend!

https://beechwoodrestaurantandlounge.com/

[thor66]

Cemetery Ridge near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

[VillaRicaGA911]

If down south (Georgia) must see is the POW camp the confederacy ran at Andersonville as well as over near Savannah Ft Pulaski, if I recall correctly that battle was the first time the rifled barrel cannon was used by the union and made fixed position forts of this type obsolete. The union forces were able to stay out of range of the confederate cannons while inflicting heavy damage to the fort. These are just some of the sites in Georgia.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Like seahawk said, If you are coming up 81, you will pass VMI, a bit north was the battle of Newmarket. Not as big as Vicksburg or Fredericksburg, but right off the interstate.

In Lexington, Robert E. Lee was the president of a local college there after the civil war-
A good video I was watching a bit back (I shared it here before, and somehow timemarked it into the video, but I'd start from the beginning):



Further north/ depending on route you run into -( I copy and pasted a bit from another website)

Harpers Ferry, WV- The topography of the town is amazing from a siege standpoint. The physical scenery of the town is also spectacular.

Antietam, MD is a national historical park and has a battle museum

Frederick, MD has the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

If you can arrange a night stay at Harper's Ferry at a B&B, do that. Just a wonderful place. I stayed there when I was driving a car I bought back from Penn. Just a cool place with really good history.

Head on a course a little East and you could hit Appomattox and Richmond for some history on the way up.

Really can't go wrong.

[golfnutjtl]

Another good restaurant in Vicksburg is Rusty’s Riverfront Grill.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by VillaRicaGA911

If down south (Georgia) must see is the POW camp the confederacy ran at Andersonville as well as over near Savannah Ft Pulaski, if I recall correctly that battle was the first time the rifled barrel cannon was used by the union and made fixed position forts of this type obsolete. The union forces were able to stay out of range of the confederate cannons while inflicting heavy damage to the fort. These are just some of the sites in Georgia.

We went to Andersonville years ago and the conditions the POWs went through was horrendous.

Ms Rocket has dragged me all around the SE, the mid Atlantic and further north to see Civil War sites, but I have to say, they are always interesting to see. So much death and destruction, but courage and bravery, as well.

[Scott Douglas]

I'd love to be able to take trip like you're planning, Glen.
If I may I'd suggest you look around and see if you can find the Ken Burns film on the Civil War. I think that's who made it. Saw it on the History Channel some months ago and it explained what/where/who/why things went the way they did.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

We went to Andersonville years ago and the conditions the POWs went through was horrendous.

Ms Rocket has dragged me all around the SE, the mid Atlantic and further north to see Civil War sites, but I have to say, they are always interesting to see. So much death and destruction, but courage and bravery, as well.

I have been there as well, and some of our family vacations in my youth were going to the War of Northern Aggression historic sites

Andersonville is also a military cemetery, one of my friends is also buried there.

[Sunroof]

For anyone going to Gettysburg try going on Ebay and buy the Gettysburg Self Driving Tour CD or locate one somewhere. I believe I paid about $20 and it was a single CD with battlefield touring map. It was used but in great condition and when I got back home I sold it on Ebay for someone else to enjoy. It was FANTASTIC!! Pop in the CD and it directs you to a starting point where the narration takes you throughout the battlefield(s) with great detail. As you drive around and stop at the suggested areas you pass the many tour buses that pretty much offer the same tour but you have the privacy of your car. By the time you finish (2 hours if you get it all) your an authority!

Bob

[72doug2,2S]

If you are down as far as Lexington, Why not Appomattox?

In Lexington, there was a theatre called the lime kiln which ran "Stonewall Country" for decades. I don't think they do it any longer. In fact last time I was at Lee's Chapel in 2017 I got an uneasy feeling that they were trying to down play the whole southern pride thing. Too many woke idiots running around damaging our historical memorials trying to white wash it Taliban style, sans ak-47s.

[Rtrorkt]

Having lived in the Northern Virginia area that is within about a 2 hour drive 80% of the civil war battlefields, one stand out. Antietam or Sharpsburg as the south called it. It is one of the few that is not affected by modern intrusions. Go to Burnside Bridge or the sunken road and tell me that you are not affected. Gettysburg is that enduring seminal battle and really must be seen like Chancellorsville, Cold Harbor, the Wilderness. But Antietam is haunting.

And be sure to go to Appomattox. A side trip to the high bridge near Farmville wiil take you to the last battle of the war

[wdfifteen]

You might want to search for a good reenactment. I’ve been in a couple, and the people n uniforms and period clothes, as well as the military equipment really add to the experience.