An afternoon in Colonial Maryland
A friend of mine recommended Historic St. Mary’s City in Southern Maryland as a weekend destination numerous times, but up until this point I haven’t followed up with the suggestion. I kept saying I was waiting for a Sunday to go, because they tend to be quieter in towns or cities, but always found somewhere else to go or something else to do. Finally, I just admitted my Sundays are tied up, so I just went.
Point Lookout
Now, the driving directions from the DC area are very simple. Get off the beltway and follow a state route to its end, where one turn is made. Yeah, well, I still messed it up. I thought I was being smart and took an assumed short cut. It might have been a good choice, had I not made a wrong turn.
State Park
Having mistakenly followed MD Route 5 to the park gates, I asked the park ranger if I could just turn around. I wasn’t prepared to pay the cash fee nor did I want to since I wasn’t sticking around. He was nice enough to let me and said I could drive to the end of the park road to circle around if I wanted. Of course, I’m not one to miss a great photo opportunity, so I took him up on the offer.
Chesapeake Bay shore
Point Lookout Lighthouse
The park was beautiful. The road, which ran along the Bay, was lined with fisherman. At the end sits the Point Lookout Lighthouse, which is currently a museum open for tours. Built in 1830, it marked the mouth of the Potomac River on the Chesapeake Bay.
Memorial Park
The Confederate Memorial Park sits right outside of the State Park, where the original POW camp was located. The park was established by the Decedents of Point Lookout POW Organization to honor the Confederate military members and civilians imprisoned at the Civil War camp.
Confederate Memorial Park
Point Lookout Confederate Prisoners-of-War Memorial
The focal point of the park is a large Confederate POW Memorial. It’s lined with the various Confederate state flags, with a POW statue in the middle.
Civil War Cemetery
Point Lookout Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Maryland State Confederate POW Memorial
Not far from the park sits the Point Lookout Confederate Cemetery, which is maintained by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The POW camp, formerly a Union Civil War hospital on Point Lookout, housed over 50,000 prisoners during its operation. More than 4,000 died while there and were buried in nearby plots.
The state of Maryland exhumed the unidentifiable remains from their original burial spots and reinterred them further inland in a newly established cemetery. The state also erected a marble monument in 1876 to those Confederate buried in the large common grave. In 1910, the Federal Government assumed responsibility for the cemetery and erected the large granite monument to the Rebel soldiers and sailors lost at the POW camp, listing the known individuals.
All in all, I’d say this little gem of a location was a good find. I’d like to revisit the park at some point. Maybe tour the lighthouse, relax near the water or enjoy the open space.
Historic St. Mary’s
Eventually, I did make it to Saint Mary’s city, an outdoor living history museum dedicated to the first capital of the fourth permanent English settlement in America.
Woodland Indian Hamlet
Indian Hut
The site’s Indian Village was a very happening place. Apparently today is “Woodland Indian Discovery Day,” and there were tons of family activities going on in the area. That being said, I stayed as far away as possible, but it also meant the rest of the park was relatively vacant, which was nice.
St. Mary’s City
Chapel
Old State Hall
Ordinary
Framed Town Buildings
There are several reconstructed buildings within the state run museum, including the newly finished brick chapel. The volunteer stationed at the chapel said it was to be officially opened this up-coming week. Apparently, the original was locked by the town sheriff under orders from the English monarchy, and will be unlocked by the current town sheriff. The building is considered an important one in the museum, as the state was founded on principles of religious tolerance.
The 17th-Century State House was also rebuilt. It housed the state government until 1695, when the capital was moved to Annapolis. Various other common period buildings are on exhibit as well, including an Ordinary, which is basically a small bed-and-breakfast.
The rest of the museum structures are framed buildings, which mark actual buildings found during the archeological exploration of the site. The original foundations and such are considerably well preserved because the land has been left relatively undisturbed since the city was abandoned.
Colonial Ship
Maryland Dove
A replica of the Dove, one of the two ships that brought the state’s original settlers over, is docked on the bay.
Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation
Spray House
Gohiah Spray, my guide
House Gardens
Small Sunflowers
The tobacco plantation was an interesting exhibit. ‘Gohiah Spray,’ himself showed me around the property. His seven-year–old son’s tobacco barn. The wild pigs on his property, destined to be dinner for his daughter’s up-coming wedding. His wife’s house gardens. His two story home, which shows his wealth. The sunflowers he picked for his wife. We covered quite a bit.
Today’s Flickr set: exhibit photos
Day 2: In the midst of a revolt
Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg, VA
We went to the recreated/restored city of Williamsburg on our second day. The 1700′s Virginia State capital was instrumental in the country’s push to break ties with the English crown. Many of the country’s Founding Fathers walked these streets.
Colonial Williamsburg
Duke of Gloucester Street, at the Silversmith and Milliner & Tailor shops
Horse and Carriage
The streets, including the main Duke of Gloucester Street, were lined with small trade shops and exhibit sites. The trade shops, including a wheelwright, blacksmith and silversmith, among others, were fully functional. The wheelwright apprentice told a family the shop fills order from various historical locations and museums for time-period carts and such.
Revolutionary City
The area near the Capitol is referred to as “Revolutionary City,” and hosts a living history themed program each day. Today’s theme was Collapse of the Royal Government, 1774-1776. The skits run periodically at various points within the area throughout the day.
Elizabeth Nicholas & Edmund Randolph
Guilty and sentenced
The first short program piece for the day was Star-Crossed Lovers,, depicting a budding romance between the youngest members of two dueling families. She was the daughter of the patriot, Robert C. Nicholas, while his father, John Randolph was a staunch loyalist. The two flirted for a bit, discussed an upcoming ball and left with a date to dance.
We missed most of the program, but made it back to catch A Court of Tar and Feather. A group of Continental Army soldiers took offense to a local citizen blabbering against the patriotic cause in a nearby tavern. The group pulled him out into the streets and publicly ‘tried’ him for treason. After the testimony of a bartender (both for and against the guy) and his refusal to apologize, with some encouragement from the crowd, he was ‘sentenced’ to be tarred and feathered. He did give in right before the ‘hot tar’ was slapped on his bare back and decided a public apology was the better option.
Historic Buildings
Courthouse
Magazine
Public Hospital of 1773
The local magazine is actually the original building restored. It’s also the site of a key event pushing Virginia towards a revolt. In April 1775, Virginia’s Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, ordered the gunpowder be removed from the magazine, which infuriated the colonists. Now, it displays various weapons and other military accessories.
During the Public Hospital’s hay-day, it was a mental institute, however, now it’s the entrance to Williamsburg’s art museums. There’s a small exhibit inside dedicated to the building’s original purpose. Having spent more time than I’d like to admit in a few mental hospitals, it was frightening to see what they were like back then. Not that I believe I’d have been commit to such a place, but still. The mental health system, from my experience, has come a long way.
The museums were interesting. It was a two-for-one deal. Both the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art and DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts museums were housed together in a building behind, but connected to the Public Hospital. Of particular interest to my friend was the toys/doll house collection, which is where we concentrated our stay. It was neat. They had a few HUGE, intricately decorated houses. Wow, I can’t imagine how much time it must have taken to build them.
Royal Government
Capitol
House of Burgesses
Governor’s Palace
We started the State Capitol first thing; however, I couldn’t sit still through it. I felt like I was wasting my precious morning minutes stuck inside a building on a timed tour. The streets were relatively empty at that point giving me ample opportunity to snap a few pictures without large tourist crowds cluttering them, but I was squandering it. Therefore, we snuck out a side door to continue on our way. Once we made our first round through town, we came back to the Capitol and took the entire tour.
The H-shaped building is the third rendition, replacing the previous two destroyed by fires. During the Colonial period, the west half was considered the “King’s side,” and housed the higher legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government. The Royally appointed Virginia Governor and his Councilmen held General Court in the lower floor and privately met on the upper level. The east portion of the building was referred to as the “People’s side,” and was home to the lower house of the legislative branch, the publically elected House of Burgesses. The lower level was the official meeting room, with offices and small council rooms above.
It was in the “People’s side” where many of the American Revolution-era’s most influential people, including Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, as Virginia’s elected politicians, began discussions against British rule and pushed for American Independence. The House of Burgesses, with its ties to the British government, was eventually replaced by the Virginia House of Delegates.
We ended the day at the Governor’s Palace. The building tour was not included in our one-day Capital City Pass, however we were allowed into the gardens. Walking around the grounds was more than enough for me. The house’s exterior and gardens were very nice, as would be expected for the home of the English crown’s representative in the colony.
Prominent Houses
Wythe Mansion
Randolph House
George Wythe was a very accomplished scholar and prominent figure in Williamsburg. He’s perhaps overshadowed by one of his most famous students, Thomas Jefferson, but he did play a significant role in movement towards the Revolution himself. As a politician, he was elected to the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. He educated and eventually freed his slaves, a couple who chose to stay employed by him as freemen/women. He was a leading Colonial-era scholar. He became a law professor at nearby College of William & Mary and instructed many prominent figures.
The Wythe Mansion is the original building where he and his wife lived. Apparently, even the door knobs are original, meaning I touched and turned the same knob as the likes of George Washington and Jefferson. Kind of neat. The gardens were also open to walk through. The house tour was very relaxed. Every ten minutes a small group is escorted into a small area in the yard for a brief history lesson regarding Mr. Wythe and then everyone is released to roam around at his/her own pace.
Next stop was the home of Peyton Randolph, another virtually unknown (to me) and yet influential revolutionary. Leading up to the Revolution, he seemed to head every significant meeting that took place. He served as Virginia Attorney General, the Speaker of the House of Burgesses and chairman of the Virginia Convention and the Continental Congress. He died of a stroke before signing the Declaration of Independence, thus leaving him relatively lost to history.
The house is quite large and tours are every 15 minutes. I thought the tour itself was quite interesting. Our tour guide, while seemingly rather indifferent, was quite informative. The highlight of the tour was the dining room, where the floor is still original. Once again, we were standing on the same wood flooring as George Washington.
Today’s Flickr set: town photos
Day 1: In the beginning…
Jamestown Settlement
and
Historic Jamestowne
Jamestown, VA
As a mini-vacation before the semester begins, a friend and I took a three-day weekend trip to the Williamsburg, VA area. Our first day was spent at Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement in America.
Jamestown Settlement
The large, privately-maintained museum, run in conjunction with the Yorktown Victory Center, is focused on telling Jamestown’s story. It’s located within miles of the actual settlement site.
Powhatan Indian Village
Reed-covered huts
The recreated Indian Village consisted of several reed-covered huts of varying sizes. Each was set up a little differently inside. Some were very spacious and very comfortable, while others seemed rather cramped. The beds were made with animal furs and the walls lined with drying food, fur, reed-baskets and such.
Colony Pier
Aboard the Godspeed, with the Susan Constant to the right
Canon firing aboard the Susan Constant
Docked in the pier are replicas of the three ships aboard which the first colonists traveled to Jamestown, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. The trio carried a combined one hundred and five individuals across the Atlantic Ocean during the initial four-month journey from England to Virginia in 1607.
On a funny side note, while we were innocently touring the Susan Constant, one of the ship’s crew took a liking to my friend. Her body language and facial expressions screamed ‘leave-me-the-hell-alone,’ but that didn’t deter this guy. He showed us two of the ship’s cannons, letting her go through the motions of loading one and aim another. The good sport she is, she went along with it, and the good friend I am, I laughed the entire time.
We waited around the river for a live cannon firing demonstration aboard the Susan Constant. We were told (by my friend’s admirer) the best picture angle was on another ship, so we watched on the Godspeed.
James Fort
James Fort
The final stop was a living recreation of the 1610-14 James Fort, which housed the original settlers in the area. They had a blacksmith working, a woman making bread, several individuals discussing various aspects of early colonial life. All very interesting.
Galleries
Jamestown Galleries
The galleries were very nice. It was impressive. The exhibits were definitely top-notch. It started with an exhibit about the Virginia land, moved to the three different people and cultures, the Powhatan Indians, African slaves and English settlers, who would eventually met at Jamestown, and then the story of the settlement.
You could definitely spend an entire afternoon, if not much more, wandering through the museum. There’s a LOT of information and a LOT to see. My friend and I both agreed our brains began to hurt halfway through. Wow, it was rather overwhelming. We skimmed through the last ‘year’ in the museum and skipped the special exhibit because we were overloaded and ready for lunch.
This morning’s Flickr set: exhibit pics
*Note: Photography was not allowed within the museum galleries, so it’s just of the outdoor exhibits.
Colonial National Historical Park – Historic Jamestowne
Moving onto the actual site of the settlement, maintained by the National Parks Service.
Old Towne
“Old Towne” is the site of the 1607 James Fort. The triangular fort was built by the original settlers to protect their fledgling colony.
Jamestown Memorial Church
Captain John Smith Statue overlooking the James River
Excavating the first original well within the James Fort
The Memorial Church tower was built in 1690, making it the oldest surviving structure at the site, while the rest of the church was added in 1907. The remaining cobblestone foundation of the original 1639 church is displayed through glass panels on the inside.
Captain Smith is probably one of the most famous early settlers. He was captured by the Powhatan Indians, lived with the tribe and eventually released. He felt he was saved in some respects by the chief’s young daughter, Pocahontas. Disney even made a movie about his story. He later explored part of the Chesapeake Bay region and was elected head of the settlement, when it was struggling to survive. Under his leadership, the settlement stabilized and began to thrive.
The Jamestown Rediscovery Team of archeologists has two digs currently in progress within the presumed original site of James Fort. In the largest, they are excavating a well, which has apparently yielded a number of artifacts already. The second is near the church, where they are looking for evidence of a small cottage.
New Towne
In the 1620’s, the colonists began to expand beyond the walls of the fort creating their permanent settlement in the “New Towne” area.
Merchant Row Ruins
The remains of the Ambler House, a 1750’s Georgian-style mansion
Jamestown served as Virginia’s capital until the end of the 1690’s, making it a relatively bustling town. There were a variety of homes, taverns and shops built in this area to support the activities of the state government. The area now includes remaining foundations of large and small houses, as well as rowhouses. Interpretive boards are scattered along the walkway to help put it all in context.
After the capital was moved to Williamsburg, the island was eventually split into a couple of plantations, including one owed by the Ambler family. The remains of the family’s mansion still stand amongst the former town’s ruins.
Jamestown Island Drive
“The Gooden Weed”
View from the auto-tour
The Island Drive is a large looped road (3-5 miles) around the remaining portion of the park. It has a series of pull-offs with signs containing a painted scene and information about some piece of settlement life, such as growing tobacco or the failed venture of harvesting silk. Again, the area was gorgeous. There were several bridges over marsh areas which provided amazing views. The rest of the drive was through wooded areas.
Glasshouse
As you enter the sight, one of the first attractions is the settlement’s glassblower. The foundations of the settlement’s original glasshouse furnaces are housed in a small exhibit hut. In addition, a working studio with live demonstrations and a shop is set up.
Glassblower
The glassblower makes a different item each hour, which is then sold in the gift shop and priced base on the number that can be made within an hour. While I was there, he was making a small, clover-lipped bottle. There were some pretty amazing pieces, including this year’s collector’s piece, an extremely intricate glass horn that cost well over $100.00.
It seemed like a storm was brewing almost the entire afternoon, but fortunately, held up until we finished at the glasshouse. However, just as we walked to the car, the rain came pouring down. Talk about perfect timing.
This afternoon’s Flickr set: site photos
A little random piece of state history
Baltimore, MD
Forecast called for rain, so I planned accordingly. Instead of hiking around outside somewhere and getting soaked, I tried my luck at a relatively large museum house.
Mount Clare
Mount Clare is a very old Georgian Manson, once owned by one of the many Carroll families in early Baltimore. It was the center of a self-sufficient plantation in colonial times, and has seen three wars, the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War. Kind of interesting.
Mount Clare Mansion
“Carriage-side”
Rear view
I was the only one there. In fact, by looking at the guest book, I’d say the house isn’t very busy, with the exception of a few school trips. That’s too bad. So, I got my own personal tour of the house. All of the furniture is original to the house, and property of its former owners. Apparently, the museum association has been tracking the property’s original furnishings down over the years. They’ve bought what’s there back and the search continues.
Carroll Park
View of Inner Harbor
City’s Great War Memorial
After my tour, since the rain held up, I briefly strolled around the small park surrounding the house. It wasn’t much. The city’s local World War I Memorial is about the only thing, other than the mansion, on the grounds. It does have a nice view of the <bharbor though.
Today’s Flickr set: house pics
Day 1: The Civil War and the Confederate Capital
Petersburg, VA,
Henricus Historical Park
Chester, VA
and
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Henrico County, VA
So my two-day mini-vacation weekend has begun!
To make the most of my time today, I decided to start a little south of the city at the Petersburg Battlefield, then work my way up to the city, where my lodging is. Since I have no problem getting up extremely early, I actually made it to the battlefield before it opened. Yep, at 7:00 am, I was already wandering around the grounds.
Petersburg National Battlefield
The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, fought between June 1864 and March 1865, was the breaking point for the Confederate Army. After Cold Harbor, Union General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant redirected his attention from the Richmond to the significant supply center south of it, Petersburg. The railroads and roads passing through the city were the life-line for both the Confederate Capital and its Army. The nine-month ‘seige’ ended with Lee pulling his Army out, abandoning both cities. His retreat, the Appomattox Campaign, eventually led to his surrender within the month.
The Siege
Confederate Dimmock Line
Confederate Battery 9
Union Fort Stedman
The City of Petersburg was well-defended by multiple fortification lines, the outermost being the Dimmock Line, a line of batteries and trenches stretched about ten miles. The strong earthworks of the line helped the greatly out-numbered Rebel defenders fend off the Union uncoordinated initial assaults in June 1864.
The line was the target of MG Benjamin Bulter’s Army of the James during the June 9th First Battle of Petersburg. After the unsuccessful assault of Bulter’s men, Grant ordered the Army of the Potomac, under MG George Meade, to attack the city. After days of unsuccessful advances between June 15 and 18, the Federal troops dug in along a 30-mile line between Richmond and Petersburg for the duration of the nine-month siege.
In March 1865, Lee realized his army was in a tight spot, with its supply line slowly being cut. He ordered MG John Gordon to assault the Union line in hopes to push the Federals back far enough to allow his Army to escape. Gordon planned and executed an early morning surprise attack on Fort Stedman on March 25th. The fort was located relatively close to the Confederate line and only about a mile in front of a Union supple depot along the US Military Railroad. The Rebel assault was successful at first, as the force easily overran the fort and took more than 1,000 POW’s, however it faltered as the men advanced toward the supply depot. The Federal infantry, with artillery support, restored their line and reoccupied the fort.
Reminiscent of a previous hike through Manassas Battlefield, ended up wandering around lost in the battlefield’s wooded area. It was not fun at ALL!!! Honestly, I’m not sure where I went wrong. I obviously made a wrong turn somewhere (at least I think). I thought I was correctly following the arrows and markers, but after a long stretch of not seeing anything, I decided I had to abort the hike. I don’t know if that was my mistake. Perhaps I was steps away from the tree line and the end of the trail, but it didn’t seem like it. Scared that I would get too far from what I knew was a path, I made an about-face and headed back.
I wandered around trying to retrace my steps, but it didn’t seem to be helping. I was surrounded by thick trees and any path that may have been there was covered with fallen leaves. I had nothing. To be honest, I was a little worried. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get myself out of this one. How would anyone be able to find me in the middle of the woods? But, surprisingly, despite not actually realizing it, I managed to find my way back to where I started and emerged unscathed. The little unintended adventure did eat up some time and energy, but I pressed on.
Battle of the Crater
Union Mine Tunnel
“The Crater”
One of the most well-known engagements of the siege was the Battle of the Cater. After the opening battles at Petersburg, MG Ambrose Burnside’s Union IX Corps was position near the Confederate First Corps’ line. In an attempt to break through the Rebel line, a mine was dug over 500 feet, reaching a Confederate fort. Twenty-feet below the surface, more than 8,000-lbs of gunpowder was detonated on July 30th, a month after the project began.
The explosion killed a significant number of Confederate soldiers and opened a large gap in their line, however, the Federals squandered the opportunity. The Union colored unit trained to make the advance was pulled, due to political concerns, and those ordered to make the assault in their place mistakenly marched into the crater. The Yankees were trapped in the pit, unable to climb out, as Confederates lined the brim. Burnside, despite the terrible scene, ordered reinforcement into the crater, resulting in an absolute slaughter. The Union suffered more than twice as many casualties as the Rebels.
As a little side note, the engagement is depicted at the beginning of the 2003 film Cold Mountain, after which Jude Law’s character, disillusioned about the war, begins his journey home to Nicole Kidman.
City Point
Appomattox Manor
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Headquarters
Grant set up his headquarters during the Campaign about eight-miles behind the Union line in City Point on the Appomattox Plantation. The 2,300 acre property, owned by the Eppes family, sat at the confluence of the James and Appomattox River. The 100-year old Manor was abandoned by the family before the Union troops arrived.
This morning’s Flickr set: battlefield photos
Now, my plan was to go straight back to Richmond after leaving Hopewell, Petersburg’s City Point Unit, however, that changed. On my way in I noticed signs for the Henricus Historical Park, which peaked my interest. I certainly hadn’t heard of the place, but it was a ‘historical park.’ It seemed like it was located in the general direction of Richmond, so ‘on my way.’
Henricus Settlement
Yehawkan Indian Village
John Rolfe’s Tobacco Plantation
It was kind of neat. Apparently, Henricus was the Virginia colony’s second settlement, established in fall 1611 by Sir Thomas Dale. Apparently, it was here that Pocahontas lived for a period, converted to Christianity, was baptized Rebecca, and met and married John Rolfe. Who knew? The settlement was effective destroyed in a Native American uprising in 1622. The park had replicas of features within the local Native American villages, the 1611 fort, and a successful tobacco plantation.
Mid-day’s Flickr set: park pics
After my little side trip back to the beginnings of this country, I returned to my original course and tried to fit in as many of the Richmond National Battlefield sites south of the city as I could.
Richmond Battlefields
The National Park Service maintains various separate sites around the city from different periods of the war, from start to finish. The sites include several national cemeteries, forts along the Confederate Capital defense line, battlefields from the 1862 Seven Days Battles and the 1864 Overland and Richmond-Petersburg Campaigns. It certainly can’t be walked. I also don’t think it can be adequately visited in one day. I bet the drive time between the sites alone is a couple of hours. A park brochure is available with a pre-routed auto-tour, so I’m sure it’s possible, but I still think it would be tough to do.
City Defenses
Confederate Artillery overlooking the James River at Drewery’s Bluff/Fort Darling
Fort Harrison
Fort Brady
The Confederate Capital was the target of a number of Union campaigns throughout the war, obviously. Thus, it was also heavily defended by a line of forts and artillery pits, some of the large earthworks still remain visible along the countryside.
Fort Darling was a heavily armed position, with eight large guns, about seven miles down the James River on Drewery’s Bluff. After the fall of Yorktown during McClellan’s 1862 Peninsula Campaign, five boats, including three ironclads, were ordered up river to test the Richmond defenses along the waterway. The detachment, under Cmdr John Rodgers, was devastated by the strong Confederate position. The Rebels inflicted heavy damage on the Union flagship, USS Galeno, and pushed the Federals back down river.
According to a marker placed along the bluff, Cpl John F. Mackie, the first US Marine to have such an honor, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the May 15th battle. He continued to fire his musket at the Confederate gun pits from aboard the Galeno under heavy fire himself, until he was ordered to man one of the vessel’s weapons, which he did for the remainder of the fight.
Fort Harrison was considered to be one of the strongest fortifications along the Confederate defensive line of the war, until it was left stripped during the 1864 Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. In an attempt to distract Lee from his planned actions south of Petersburg, Grant ordered a coordinated assault on Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights near Richmond and the fort was easily overcome on September 29th by BG George Stannard’s division. The Union assault, however, bogged down as they continued their march to Chaffin’s Bluff due to confusion and the loss of unit commanders. The following day, Lee ordered a counterattack by newly arrived reinforcements to retake the position, however the assault was easily repulsed. The fort remained in Union hands for the duration of the campaign and was renamed Fort Burnham, after BG Hiram Burnham, who was killed during the battle.
Fort Brady was actually a Union-built position along the James River. It was constructed to keep the Confederate Navy at bay and anchor their line on the river, after the late September 1864 actions.
During my tour of forts, my camera filled up, so I made a pit stop at my hotel. The bonus of staying there!! Yayee. I checked in, moved my stuff to my room, emptied my memory card, found directions for the rest of the evening’s spots. All while trying not to waste too much precious daylight.
Malvern Hill Battlefield
Union Artillery
Methodist Parsonage
Confederate Artillery
The July 1st Battle of Malvern Hill/Poindexter Farm was the sixth and final engagement of Lee’s Seven Days Battles, during McClellan’s 1862 Peninsula Campaign. Almost the entire Union Army of the Potomac occupied the hill, under the command of BG Fitz John Porter, when Lee launched a direct assault on the heavily defended position.
Before the Confederate artillery could begin their pre-assault bombardment, Union Chief-of-Artillery MG Col. Henry Hunt beat them to the punch, launching one of the most impressive displays of the war. The Union artillery placed on Malvern Hill dominated their counterparts, positioned about 2,000-yds north near Poindexter Farm. Despite the setback, Lee ordered his disorganized forces forward, with the furthest point reached was within 200-yds of the Union line and his army suffered heavy casualties trying.
Late afternoon’s Flickr set: fort/battlefield pics
Wow, so yeah, it’s been a LONG day. I’d say I fit in enough for one day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but for now, I need to rest. I want to walk around the city for a bit, and then stop at the remaining battlefields in the area on the way home. Think I can do it?
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