Has anybody visited The Continent and would be willing to render an opinion of their battlefield upkeep?

I’ve toured Civil War battlefields, but I’ve few kin who trod that soil. I’d kind of like to know the soil my great-uncles and grandparents fought across was likewise preserved.

– Max

As a Southerner I grew up sharing much of the oral traditions and history of the South. I learned of the War of Northern Aggression and the grievous wrongs done to the South in retribution for what was still viewed as a righteous war. And, it seems to me, that the sharing of oral traditions is a far stronger trait in the South than it is in the North, and that may help explain why there is far more interest in the past down South. And why there is still a sense that the Civil War is still a living part of our experience, and traditions, here in the Old Dominion.

In my lifetime I have observed society bend and twist the history of that period. Today is is difficult, if not almost impossible, to understand how, and why, our young nation almost destroyed itself. The causes were deeply social and economic in nature, and were exacerbated by the politics of the day. And they are all but forgotten by the average American today.

There is much to be learned from a careful study of both the politics, and the tactics, of that war. As was mentioned by others, it was our transition from seeing ourselves as Virginians, or Texans, or New Yorkers to seeing ourselves as Americans. It also marked the transition from battle tactics developed during the Napoleonic Wars using overwhelming mass, to wars of mobility to avoid overwhelming firepower.

The National Park Service has done a generally good job in attempting to preserve the history of the war. They seem to get too caught up in “interpreting” history based on today’s political correctness. And, I feel, they have not fought hard enough in many instances to preserve and protect battlefields from encroachment and development. But, in general, your tax dollars are well spent with NPS.

Sharpsburg is one of the most moving experiences you will ever find. The battlefield is well preserved, and relatively small, so it is easy to grasp the tactical significance of each terrain feature. The Park Service does a fine job of providing an outline of the battle, so that as you walk the field you can picture, and hear the action. And, if you are like me, you will, towards the end of the day, sit on the hill overlooking the Stone Bridge, and ponder why Ambrose Burnside did not attack across fords that existed immediately upstream, and shortly downstream.

Another battlefield that has special magic is Chickamauga. It is exceptionally well preserved and I was highly impressed with the NPS crew there. I will admit that I arrived on the field shortly after dawn, on a morning in mid-November, several hours before the visitor center would open. So I walked much of the field by myself while I waited. By my own count I saw 14 deer, and more that 50 wild turkey, along with an abundance of other wild game.

For those who are interested in finding more information about specific units, or are looking for a wider range of books than are generally found in most bookstores, I would recommend 20thMaine.com. This is a small organization in Freeport, Maine, that specializes in the Civil War. They started out as a small store, but were squeezed out a year or so ago, and now operate on the internet. They are great people (including their dog, Dixie,) and have been very helpful to me over the years. The store, by the way, is named after the 20th Maine Regiment which held the right of the Union line on July 2, 1863, on Little Round Top at Gettysburg. On that day, it is safe to say, that Coronel Joshua Chamberlin, and the 20th Maine, probably saved the Army of the Potomac and the Union.

That is so true. And Faulkner said, “…the past isn’t forgotten. It isn’t even past.” Here where I live, all this is just yesterday, and people’s feelings about the War of Northern Aggression and the lives of their great-grandfathers are still very close to the surface.

I really wish every school kid in America could spend about 8 hours there with a interesting guide and it would open a lot of eyes and add appreciation of just what sacrifices were borne to build this great country.

V/R

If you go here and scroll down, you’ll find the image with it’s modern look, and keep scrolling down you’ll find an image of the sunken road then & now.

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/civil-war-sites-then-and-now/

respects,