Chapter 32

In This Chapter

Finding the right battlefield for your level of interest

Exploring a battlefield to get the most out of your visit

T he following list of battlefields is not all-inclusive. You can visit literally hundreds more by using any of the methods recommended in Chapter 27. This chapter only includes the major battle sites discussed in this book. Although the battlefields have been categorized by method, this does not imply that you can only see these battlefields via the method recommended. These are only recommendations — by all means, visit any and all of them by any means you want or can! This chapter is simply a way of acquainting you with various battlefields and offering some suggestions for visiting them according to the methods offered in this book.

It would not be fair to leave you high and dry without some additional guidance and direction on what Civil War battlefields best lend themselves to each method discussed. While every battlefield can be successfully approached using any of the three methods described, this section matches the best method to a major battlefield you may want to visit.

Best Battlefields by the Mounted Method

Here are the following battlefields that you may want to consider seeing using the mounted method:

Gettysburg: The park’s layout enables you to visit without ever leaving your car. The routes are clearly marked, and you can easily drive around the battlefield and see the major sites. You can get a general appreciation for the key events of the three-day battle.

Antietam: This is a small battlefield that is well laid out for the driver. It is easy to examine key points from the car and get a good appreciation of the flow of the battle. From the car you can gain an appreciation for Lee’s dilemma in defending his position.

Chattanooga: The key points of the Chattanooga siege and the site of Grant’s breakout are easily accessed, and a short drive will give the visitor an appreciation for the strength of the Confederate defenses as well as the daunting problems the Union army faced in breaking the siege. A short drive will take you to the Chickamauga battlefield.

Chickamauga: One of the first battlefields preserved for visitors, you can drive along the Union defensive line and observe where Longstreet’s corps broke through. You can also drive around Snodgrass Hill where George H. Thomas won the name “Rock of Chickamauga.”

Murfreesboro: The battlefield park itself is small, covering the final Union main defensive line, and therefore easy to drive through. You can drive other routes that generally follow Bragg’s initial attack and the site of Sheridan’s counterattack.

Vicksburg: A quick drive to this city and its importance to the Confederacy will become immediately apparent. A road follows the main Confederate defensive line around the city. You can examine the earthworks and consider the problems facing the Union in attempting to take the city by storm. Another road follows the Union line to the national cemetery where over 16,000 Union soldiers are buried.

Petersburg: Like Vicksburg, the park roads at Petersburg follow a 23-mile route that parallels the siege line with stops at Fort Stedman and the Crater.

Valley Battlefields, 1862 and/or 1864: You can easily travel the Shenandoah Valley, which features numerous stops at the sites of many battlefields (many of which are not preserved) from both Jackson’s campaign of 1862 and Early’s campaign of 1864.

Cedar Creek: This easily accessible battlefield park provides visitors with a good overview of the 1864 battle and an appreciation for why Early won the first phase of the battle and why he lost the second phase.

Best Battlefields by the Mounted/Dismounted Method

Following are some battlefields that may lend themselves to either the mounted or dismounted method:

Manassas (First and Second): Nearly swallowed by development, these two battlefields are best seen through a combination of riding and walking. First Manassas battlefield has several sites to which you can drive. You can easily walk the main battlefield. Second Manassas requires a bit more perseverance, but will reward the visitor with a better appreciation for Jackson’s defensive stand and Longstreet’s attack.

Fredricksburg: This site provides a good combination of driving along the Confederate defensive line to view key points and stops to walk over the terrain where thousands of Union soldiers fell in the face of massed Confederate rifle and artillery fire.

Seven Days Battles (1862) and the Campaign of 1864: If you have your chronology straight, the tour of the Seven Days battlefields and battlefields of 1864 can be very rewarding. The park service has an excellent map that will enable you to travel to the various sites. Some sites are only marked and cannot be visited, but others (such as Cold Harbor, Gaines’s Mill, Fort Harrison, and Malvern Hill, and Drewry’s Bluff, and others) are very good for short tours.

Shiloh: This battlefield, which looks much as it did in 1862, features a good network of roads (most of them coinciding with the original roads), which enable the visitor to stop at the important sites to get a general understanding of the battle. However, to appreciate this battlefield fully, you must walk the fields to appreciate what fighting in these woods must have been like for the untried, untrained soldiers on both sides.

Bentonville: This large battlefield site enables a good tour by car and stops for exploration of the well-preserved trenchlines. One can readily appreciate Johnston’s sound decision for choosing this position to fight.

Chancellorsville: Another battlefield that enables the visitor to drive through easily, this one begs closer examination by walking and exploring. You can best appreciate the true meaning of the command and control problems as well as the difficulties of fighting and maneuvering in these woods by actually walking the trails.

Fort Sumter: This is the only battle site that you can see solely by the mounted/dismounted method because you must take a boat out to the fort. After you dismount, you can explore the ruins of the fort and get a sense for what Major Anderson felt when he withstood the bombardment. You can also fully appreciate the amazing effort it took for Confederate soldiers and sailors to hold the fort throughout the years of intense bombardment they withstood.

Best Battlefields by the Terrain Walk Method

Any battlefield will reward the dedicated terrain walker. Even the smallest fields reveal much to those who take the time to study the ground in detail. A full day oftentimes is not enough for the enthusiast.

Gettysburg: This is the terrain walker’s ultimate effort. There are three days of battle to cover all in one place. Gettysburg has all kinds of hills, valleys, woods, rocks, and open fields to explore — all of them significant. It can take days, even weeks, of walking about to examine every site.

Spotsylvania: Although you can cover the area in a car, this site is best appreciated at the soldier’s level. You must walk the Confederate defensive lines to appreciate their complexity and soundness. You must also view the lines from the Union side and appreciate the courage involved in attacking those defenses during those terrible days in May 1864.

Wilderness: This is another site where a car will get you to the high points, but until you attempt to explore the Wilderness, you haven’t really been on a terrain walk. You will need a topographical map, a compass, and some real cross-country navigation skills. After you are in the woods, you are on your own. You can get lost easily, just as thousands of men did during this confused and brutal battle.

North Anna: This site provides a rewarding visit for those who want to do some thorough research and map study before they head out. Little is marked, and you have to ask permission from landowners to visit some places, but there is much to see to the trained eye and willing explorer.

New Market: Probably the best battlefield for the beginner to test out a terrain walk, this is site of the 1864 battle that ended one part of Grant’s three-part strategic offensive against Lee in 1864. It is small and easily accessible. The visitor can walk the field where the Virginia Military Institute cadets charged and examine how well placed the Union defensive position was. You can also get a good appreciation for the importance of artillery placement on a Civil War battlefield.

Sayler’s Creek (also known as Sailor’s Creek): This site is a bit out-of-the-way, but it’s a good battlefield for the dedicated terrain walker. The battlefield requires some background study, but you get a good appreciation for the power of the Union army at this time and the weakness of the Confederates.

Perryville: This site is another out-of-the-way battlefield that rewards the dedicated terrain walker. Time spent in preparation for a visit here will pay big dividends. It’s a good site to walk to understand the Confederate attack and the Union predicament. Sheridan’s often-unappreciated role here is better understood when actually walking the ground.

Appomattox: This site is meant to be walked and appreciated for its symbolism and its larger meaning for the nation. The small village retains its 19th-century character and encourages exploration.