Civil War Tour--September 13th thru September 21st, 2021

 On September 13th we flew to Richmond Virginia to start our very awesome Civil War Tour.  Alan McKay was our tour guide.  He was so full of knowledge, like a walking encyclopedia!!!  

             Here we are, all masked up, in the airport waiting for our flight.

We arrived in Richmond, Virginia and, of course, 

we had to try out the Richmond cuisine.  It was good!!

Day 2: Sept. 14th, Richmond  &  Fredericksburg

(My narration is the information we were given before the tour. 

Some of the pictures might be out of order :)

Today our tour begins at the Virginia State Capital, which served as the capital of the Confederacy during the war.  Here in the Old Senate Chamber is where Robert E. Lee will accept the command of the Army of Virginia.  Next we will visit the Museum of the Confederacy, which houses the largest collection of Confederate relics in one place.  This stop will also include a tour of the White House of the Confederacy, which was the residence of the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis.  In the afternoon we will visit Hollywood Cemetery (no connection with California), burial site for Confederate commanders 

J.E.B. Stuart, George Pikett, Henry Heth, and many others.  The most notable buried here are Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy) and two Presidents of the United States, James Monroe and John Tyler.  We will leave Richmond and march northward to Fredericksburg.  After dinner we will walk the sacred grounds of the battlefield of Fredericksburg where many Union soldiers lost their lives trying to  protect Prospect Hill.  

Capitol Square

Hollywood Cemetery

                                                                    Fredericksburg

Day 3: Sept 15th,  BULL RUN, MANASSAS, HARPERS FERRY

This morning we will remember where the Civil War began in July 1861 the Battle of Bull Run.  Here Union General Irvin McDowell faced Confederate General Gustave Beauregard, starting the great Civil War.  We will review the events of 2nd Manassas as well.  This afternoon we will arrive at one of the most beautiful and well preserved antebellum towns.  Harper's Ferry, situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the northern tip of the Shenandoah Valley.  Here we will visit the old Armory where abolitionist John Brown and his raiders started their rebellion against slavery in 1859.  We will end our day with a wallking tour of the Harper's ferry National Historic Park where we will be reminded of the great importance of this site during the Civil War.  

 

If you look close you will see a cannon ball wedged in the side of this building!!!

Manassa

If you look closely, you will see a canon ball embedded in the side of this house.  

Day 4, September 16th, ANTIETAM & GETTYSBURG

We will visit the Antietam National Battlefield where the Union and Confederate armies fought the bloodiest one day battle in North American history.  Here we will visit the famous Cornfield, Bloody Lane, and Burnsides Bridge.  a visit to Antietam National Cemetery will remind us of the high cost of war.  it was here that President Lincoln issued his great Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery throughout the states.  Next we will travel to Gettysburg and have a wonderful visit to the Visitor Center for an extensive overview of the battle of July 1-3, 1863.

Day 5: Sept. 17, Gettysburg Battlefield

Visit to the battlefield of Gettysburg which is universally recognized as the great and decisive battle of the war.  Here we will visit Culp's Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, Seminary Ridge, Little and Big Round Tops, the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, and Devil's Den.  In 3 days of battle there were 46,286 casualties. 

Day 6, September 18, Washington DC

We will visit or Nation's Capital, Washington  DC.  We will end our Civil War journey by visiting Fords Theater and remember the tragedy of April 14 when President Lincoln was shot.  Across the street we will have a somber visit to the Petersen House where on April 15 President Lincoln will pass away.  Next we will have a wonderful of Arlington Cemetery where we will witness the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington House (Robert E. Lee's Home), and burial site of JFK

Day 7, September 19, Washington DC

Here is what our agenda said we were doing on September 19th:  Today we begin with a visit to our Nation's Capital Building. We will see the White House, home of so much history.  Stops at the World. War II Memorial and Iowa Jima Memorial will remind us of "the greatest generation" that sacrificed so much.  Nearby is the Korean War & Vietnam Memorials.  After lunch we will visit the Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. We did not follow this agenda. 

Here is what we did do on that day, probably out of order. 

Washington Monument

Lincoln Monument

Holocaust Memorial Museum

National Mall

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

United States Capital

Day 8, September 20th, Washington DC

This is what our information said we were going to do on this day:  We will be able to enjoy a Smithsonian Museum of choice.  The Air and Space, American History, or National Gallery.  The Holocaust Memorial or National Archives, with its collection of sacred documents are nearby.  Remember our nation's history and be reminded of how great it is to be an American!!!!

We did extra stuff too!!

Martin Luther King Memorial

We had met Mike Lee 11 years earlier when he was campaigning and came

to Blanding.  Jeremy had helped with his campaign in the past and

arranged for he and his staff to come to our house for a bbq.  He met Paco.  We had

put a "I Like Mike"shirt on Paco.  Mike loved that.  

When we met him in Washington he remembered us and 

he remembered Paco!!!

Tuesday September 21st, Washington DC to Baltimore, Maryland

This day we travel to Baltimore and visit Ft. McHenry and relive the birth of our National Anthem during the war of 1812.  

From Baltimore we fly out to return home.

Fort McHenry was so beautiful and interesting with so much history.  

After our visit to Ft. McHenry we were able to go see more of 

Baltimore.  It was also interesting and very beautiful.

Now it was time to head home.  This trip had been every thing we had hoped for.

We came away with a deep awareness of all of the sacrifices that had been

made to ensure that we have the freedoms and the rights and choices 

that we have here in the USA.