Rebel Girls Head North

Bullet holes from the war in Fredericksburg  

One of my goals when I bought my first RV was to see a lot of the places I had taught so much about in my classroom over the years.  This summer I had the chance to really keep that promise.  And to fulfill a promise to my dear friend and stepdaughter, Darlene.  She is big on Civil War history and I am just big on history so we decided on a trip that would make us both happy.

The main objective was Gettysburg but there were lots of places to stop along the way there and back.  We were on the road 11 days and put another 1800 miles on my RV as well as over 700 miles on my car.  Not sure of the exact number of battlefields we did visit but the biggies were Antietam, Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg, Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Appomatox.  Despite all my years of teaching and studying the Civil War (as well as being married to a Civil War scholar for 12 years) I learned so much.  And felt so much.

Darlene on the bridge at Manassas

One morning very early Darlene and I walked a trail down to the creek at Antietam.  It was so hot and humid.  But no matter how bad it was for us I just couldn't help but think of those soldiers walking through those woods to the cool creek.  We were not wearing hot boots and wool uniforms.  Our breakfast had been hot and filling.  And most of all, no one was shooting at us.

At Gettysburg there was a lot to see and learn.  I think I enjoyed visiting the farm that had been converted to a field hospital the most.  Amazing to think of what those medical teams had to handle with the little tools and knowledge they had.  And just as you would expect for June at the most famous of all Civil War battlefields, the place was buzzing with visitors.

We planned the trip so that our final stop was Appomatox.  It seemed appropriate and it was a good place to end the tour.  Even though there were lots of tourists here as well, somehow there was this somber feeling that permeated the air.  Even the children seemed to be more settled around the buildings.  We walked the grounds in silence then went back to the car taking one last long look at where it all ended.  On the way back to the interstate we stopped at Washington and Lee to visit the Lee tomb.  Now the trip was really over.  But oh my, what a trip.

Darlene chats with a reenactor at Appomatox  

Steps walked across battlefields and through cemeteries:  75, 585

States visited: Kentucky, West Virginia (never again), Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

Days it took me to recover once we got back home: 3