The Civil War
I’ll be headed over to Gettysburg and Antietam shortly, and I have been reviewing Civil War history via several sources.
John Brown and his raid on Harper’s Ferry served as a precursor. Been there.
The first land battle took place not far from here (a skirmish really) at Philippi. Been there.
General McClellan made his bones at The Battle of Rich Mountain. Been there. There is a wonderful little cemetery at Beverly, WV with Civil War dead, and other similar resting places are scattered around the immediate area. Numerous ‘little skirmishes’ took place nearby
A word… Synchronicity; is on my mind. I don’t think my concerns fall under the Conspiracy Nut umbrella? YMMV
Category: Politics
I was just there… It’s overwhelming and definitely requires more than one visit.
I love to walk around Antietam, because so little has changed, and so few actually visit. There are times when you can have the fields to yourself, or close enough to that.
A couple of summers ago, Home6 and I visited many of the Civil War battlefields, including Gettysburg and Antietam.
Very sobering and sad.
What gets me most, especially at Antietam, but also at Gettysburg, is that I can stand on the very spot(s) where my ancestors stood. Not just the same field, but within a few yards here or there, of where they stood. It’s amazing and sobering to realize that I am blood of the blood that stood upon that ground, and how fortunate I am they they survived.
To all… I think Burnside’s Bridge is at the top of my list. The idea that battles were fought and lives lost trying to take bridge over a stream you could simply walk across resonates with me.
As a USAF brat I was a patriotic kid but only visited Shiloh at age 12, knew nothing about it before visiting but was very moved by the historical experience and gravity of the place.
In that regard it was almost spooky in some places in the park. (e.g. near bloody pond or at the top of pittsburgh landing)
Like a lot of people I suspect. the civil war didnt sink into me until I saw the Ken Burns series in 1989.
Nowadays the series looks hopelessly formulaic and out of date. But in 1989 as most Americans first real look at the civil war not in a classroom it was pretty groundbreaking.
though it might as well have been titled “6 Bruce Catton Books Edited by Ken Burns.”
I very very much want to visit both Gettysburg and Antietam.
I am a student of the Civil War history. Many of you are ahead of me in your battlefield visits, but I am about to embark on my travels this summer. I, too, liked the Ken Burns series.