David Foster/Flickr Creative Commons
A lot of folks find the US Civil War a fascinating period in our nation’s history. So many people in our country had family and ancestors involved on one side or the other, and if not directly involved then definitely affected by the turmoil. As the largest war fought on this continent, the battlefields are known, maintained, and available for tour. So today I thought we’d take a journey through Virginia, which probably had more battles fought on it’s soil than any other state during that conflict. Virginia is a wide state. She stretches from the Blue Mountains in the west to the Atlantic in the east, and during the Civil War she stretched from the very beginning at Manassas to the bitter end at Appomattox. That’s where we’ll go today, the beginning and the end.
The first major battle in the US Civil War was the First Battle of Bull Run located near Manassas, Virginia. The National Park Service maintains the battlefield now as Manassas National Battlefield Park, and there is quite a bit to see. The easiest way to get there would be to take 66 west out of Washington DC until it intersects Hwy 29 just outside of Centerville. Continue west on 29 (also known as Lee Highway) until you see the park entrance prior to arriving in Gainesville. You can visit Stone House which was used as a hospital by both sides, as well as Stone Bridge which the Union troops retreated across after losing both the first and second battles of Bull Run. Ruins of the Robinson House, the village of Groveton, and the plantation at Hazel Plain are also available for viewing as well as walking tours of the battlegrounds.
Appomattox Courthouse is the site of Lee’s surrender in 1865 thus sparking the end of the Civil War. You can reach Appomattox easiest by traveling east from Lynchburg on 460, and the National Park Service maintains the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park just northeast of town. Lee signed the articles of surrender in the Mclean House which has been reconstructed on site and re-opened in 1949 with Ulysses S Grant III and Robert E Lee IV in attendance.
Remember, before you hit the road on a long trip back through time, be sure to visit us at PPL Motorhomes to stock up on all the necessities!