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And then there's another, much heavier book about how the Civil War changed the way we look at death in America, how we dealt with wholesale grief for the first time, and how things like ID'ing bodies, building monuments everywhere, getting Northern sons' bodies home, finding lost Southerners, and just how it changed the Army, the ideas of warfare in the early industrial age, and even the slightly creepy notion of the army of embalmers and opportunists that followed the soldiers as they went into battle... It's called "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust, and it's much heavier than the other book, but it will blow your mind.
Thanks, back to motocross.
DC
Racer X
Part of my family is from Fredericksburg. Did you go to Mary Washington?
I even date back to racing my first race at the old Maryland Line track just a couple miles south of the Pennsylvania line off of 83 ( Route 439 exit for those not familiar where this track was).
My first race was the annual "Blue and Grey Race" which was a big rivalry race between District 7 and District 13 as I seem to recall. I even had a t-shirt as a kid from the race of a guy on an MX bike being "blasted" out of a cannon with a soldier in blue on one side of the cannon and a soldier in grey on the other side! (as a kid I loved that shirt!)
As has been stated, there is tons of civil war history in the area. I live in the area of the old Maryland Line track now, and one of my favorite spots just a few miles from my home is Hanover Junction train station-- noted for Lincoln having stopped here before as well as a target of JEB Stewart's Confederate Calvary trying to wreak havoc on Northern infrastructure and accumulating (or "appropriating") Northern supplies on the days leading up to Gettysburg.
The station is restored to its Civil War era appearance and the train tracks that carried Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg address, and shuttled wounded soldiers from Gettysburg to hospitals in Harrisburg, York, Baltimore, etc are now a trail system for walking, running and cycling.
As DC stated-- the Budd's Creek Civil War connection is definitely it's proximity to John Wilkes Booth's escape route.
Our family tradition after the Budd's Creek National is to go stuff ourselves at Captain Billy's Seafood. As you wander your way through some still pristine southern Maryland farmland to the restaurant along the water, you will pass the historical marker noting Booth's (and accomplice David Herod's) ill fated days hiding out along the water before their eventual Potomac crossing in Virginia where the end awaited Booth and capture and hanging awaited Herod.
I guess I better end my history lesson and get back to work... I enjoyed this topic!
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And if you listen to books, Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton) reads this and it's amazing -- my mom and I listened to it while driving her motorhome to Loretta Lynn's a few years back and then we sat in the motorhome for a couple of hours the night we got there finishing up, it was great!
DC
Racer X
Oh, and just to be clear, Jackson had the Second Corps, which was deployed on the right, down river.
There used to be a track I raced on not far (it might have been on it actually) from the first battle of the English civil war, the battle of Edghill, 23 October 1642.
I've heard that Antietam is the best-preserved battlefield in the Eastern Theater, but I have actually never been there.
My neighbor is Belle Grove plantation, the house James Madison was born in. This house was used both by the north and south at certain times. If you're going to Budd's and have time to sightsee, 45 minutes away is Stratford Hall where Robert E Lee was born. Right down the road from there is where George Washington was also born, Washington's boy hood home Ferry farm is located directly across from Fredericksburg. It's a bit sad to visit Marye's heights and realize most of the battle field has been built on, it would have been nice to see the city preserve that.
If you're a civil war buff, Fredericksburg and the surrounding area is a great place to visit. Also, a lesser known battle is Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, this involved some of the worst hand to hand combat in the entire war.
• Most of the development on Marye's Heights is the University of Mary Washington, which was founded in 1908. It's constructed from classic red brick, and if they were gonna build something up there, I can't think of anything that woulda been better. (I have a graduate degree from UMW.) As you probably know, a significant piece of the heights (between Hanover Street and Lafayette Boulevard and behind the stone wall) is preserved.
• I wouldn't classify the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House as less well known. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park comprises four major battlefields -- Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Court House, Chancellorsville and the Wilderness, and they're all very well known to history buffs. Fredericksburg just happens to be the most urban.
All of these battlefields have earthworks that are very well preserved. (Just to be clear, most of the trench lines running southeast from Fredericksburg were constructed after the battle in December 1862, as Lee held the position until the following spring.)
" I wouldn't classify the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House as less well known. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park comprises four major battlefields -- Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Court House, Chancellorsville and the Wilderness, and they're all very well known to history buffs. Fredericksburg just happens to be the most urban."
All of these battlefields have earthworks that are very well preserved. (Just to be clear, most of the trench lines running southeast from Fredericksburg were constructed after the battle in December 1862, as Lee held the position until the following spring.
You're right, I should have said most people who casually follow the history tend to forget about it. Normally the people I know to want to see Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, I usually have to tell them not to miss that one either.
The confederate earthworks are pretty wild, it's amazing they held up so well over time. Really puts it into perspective when you have miles of trench lines stretching out.
You know, the Confederate left actually extended across what's now UMW, across the modern Route 1 Bypass, over the hill where the "new" Mary Washington Hospital sits, and all the way to the Rappahannock River, near where Fall Hill Avenue climbs the hill.
My ex and I used to drink at a bar downtown all the time. One Saturday night, at about 11:00 pm, I asked her if she wanted to walk through the town and climb up on Willis Hill. She was a good sport, and she knew damn well what I meant. So I'm thinking I'm pretty clever, because we're gonna be overlooking the lights of Olde Towne when we do the deed.
So we climb up that hill (not easy, mind you) and there are at least a dozen Mary Washington kids already up there doing the same thing. Lotsa beer bottles lying around, some girls bent over. We actually had to move along the top of the hill and find our own dark spot. Good times.
Thank you for the book suggestion-- I always take a Civil War book (or two) on summer vacation and I'm definitely interested in grabbing this one... Thanks!
Don't know if you've had the chance to read it, but on a similar theme-- an interesting read is "Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination: The Untold Story" by Thomas A. Bogar.
My Civil War fascination and proximity to York, Pa. has lead me to becoming a regular monthly attendee at the York Civil War Roundtable. Among the interesting monthly topics and speakers, we get licensed Gettysburg Battlefield guides and Civil War book authors including Thomas A. Bogar last year to discuss "Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination".
He did exhaustive research on the little-known actors and actresses, stagehands, as well as the Ford Theatre owners and staff, as they all were the firsthand witnesses to what unfolded... It makes a unique perspective as these folks stories would be lost to time if not for someone like Mr. Bogar researching and sharing them. And while I admit that some of it can get a little too detail oriented-- definitely an interesting read for anyone. A friend of mine and his wife once owned Tudor Hall-- John Wilkes Booth's childhood home- in Bel Air, Maryland- so I'm sure that probably added to my interest.
And yes-- I'm sure our paths probably crossed years ago... Big Berm in Carroll County, Md and Shippensburg and Chambersburg were some of the other regular places we'd race... And I do remember you contributing to Cycling East back years ago too... That was a great cycle paper and its really cool that you had the chance to contribute to it...
I never in a million years thought I'd be part of a "Civil War and Motocross" thread as they have always been favorites but not likely to intertwine--- but that's Vital MX for you !!
Thanks again for recommending the book...
Pit Row
The great locomotive chase went through Calhoun where we lived.
Ended up doing a college term paper on the battle of Resaca, which happened just north of Calhoun. Spent time in a,library with an awesome archive with volumes of field reports from lieutenants on up the chain. Easy to see that a lot of them were stretched to their limit.
While I know of no significant engagements east of Washington, DC (where Budd's Creek lies), I know a few more west of the city that are worth a visit if anyone's in the area. (These are in addition to the cataclysmic engagement at Antietam, which has been mentioned several times.)
• Stuart's Raid on Rockville: In June 1863, J.E.B. Stuart attacked and captured a large Federal wagon train near Rockville, a suburb of DC. He did so while he was supposed to be screening Lee's Army as it advanced into the North, leaving Lee "blind" and resulting in the two huge armies making incidental contact near a small, and now famous, town in southern Pennsylvania. It was a cavalry raid, so there's no "battlefield" as such, but I'd imagine there's a history marker somewhere.
• Battle of Monacacy: In July 1964, Jubal Early led a Confederate army into Maryland to threaten Washington in hopes of relieving pressure on Lee at Petersburg. This advance was delayed (bot not halted) at the Monacacy River near Frederick, Maryland (not to be confused with Fredericksburg, Virginia). The battlefield (not far from Antietam) is preserved as the Monacacy National Battlefield Park.
• Battle of Fort Stevens: A few days after Monacacy, Early actually attacked Washington, DC, itself, but was stopped at Fort Stevens, which was part of the capital's defense system. (Abraham Lincoln actually witnessed some of the fighting in person.) Fort Stevens, which is partially preserved, is actually inside the DC city limits, if you can believe that (13th Street NW, near Rock Creek Park).
Good story,,I used to hate history when I was younger , but now I appreciate it.
Always thought the Civil War was fought a lot further South down in the Georgia area.
Fascinating time that shaped your history. There's a great TV series " American Railroad journeys" with English presenter, Michael Portillo that makes lots of reference to the Civil War in places it visits.
That was taken along the fence line where the start merged into the long straight away.
https://youtu.be/CMb9Uoi0d2M
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