Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park

During our recent vacation in the keys, we decided to take a day and ride out to Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park aboard the Yankee Freedom III. The only other means of reaching this remote National Park is by private boat or seaplane. The Dry Tortugas is located 70 miles from the southern most tip of Florida. The area is known for great snorkeling and superb night skies (primitive camping is permitted).

On approach to Fort Jefferson from the NW

Approaching by boat, Fort Jefferson appears to rise up out of the water. The fort sits on Garden Key and was initially built to protect important shipping lanes through the Gulf of Mexico. During the Civil War period, it was used as a prison. The most notable prisoner being Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who was convicted of being complicit to the assassination of President Abraham, because he helped set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth.

Homemade Cuban refugee boat

The Dry Tortugas are less than 100 miles from Cuba. Several homemade crafts from Cuba have made it ashore in the Dry Tortugas; once on US soil they are allowed to stay. We saw 3 or 4 of these boats stored in the fort during our self-guided tour. The one pictured above was the most recent craft to land here.

View from inside the fort with the moat in the foreground

One of two swim beaches from atop the fort

Loggerhead Key and Lighthouse seem to float above the water

The Yankee Freedom III

The clear blue waters are very inviting. So inviting that I totally forgot about all the jellyfish we could see from the boat and atop the fort.  Snorkeling just off the beach, we saw several species of tropical fish along the submerged fort wall as well as corals (including some good size brain coral) and a couple rather large conchs. Elisabeth was just getting comfortable snorkeling when suddenly we were surrounded by moon jellies. I somehow got stung but didn't mention it in my attempt to calm her and get her to shore. Moon jellies aren't known to have very painful stings but everyone responds differently. I had a good 4 inch rash on my arm that was certainly painful but not debilitating. Despite my discomfort and the numbers of jellies, my husband and I decided to swim around to the pilings, dodging jellyfish the whole way. Our efforts were greatly rewarded! I did not expect to see so many coral and fish - I felt like I was in a National Geographic documentary. 

We got back to the beach just in time to change and get back on the ferry boat - we were literally the last ones on board and as a result we were relegated to the sundeck for the return trip. The kids managed to find a bit of shade. 

Needless to say this was a very memorable excursion and one we hope to make again. 

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Antietam National Battlefield

Previously, I shared about the development of my son's passionate interest in the Civil War. As a result, we make an effort to visit Civil War related sites wherever we go. After visiting the Manassas Battlefield outside of Washington DC, I thought it would be worth a day trip to the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland.

The Battle of Antietam occurred more than a year after the battle of First Manassas and a month after Second Manassas (a.k.a 1st and 2nd Battle of Bull Run). By this time both armies were much more experienced and skilled at killing one another. This, along with the fact that this battle was the first major one to be fought on union soil, meant that this battle was destined to be brutal. The resulting casualties were well in excess of 22,000 Americans thus taking it's place in the annals of American history as the deadliest one-day battle in all of United States history.

As in the case of Manassas, the battlefield is kept much as it would have appeared in 1862. Compared to the Manassas Battlefield though, the serenity and beauty of this battlefield is significantly enhanced by the more sparsely populated area and the terrain of the Appalachian foothills within which it is located.

There are numerous walking trails on the grounds including the now infamous "bloody lane." Confederates piled fence rails along what was then called the "sunken road" and dug in. In three hours of fighting, it is believed that 5,500 soldiers were killed or wounded and the "sunken road" got it's new name. Four hours later, Federal troops finally forced the Confederates out. At the end of the day, neither side had won a decisive advantage and General Lee's army retreated back across the Potomac River.

Another amazing thing about the battlefield is the number of elaborate monuments to the men that fought and died here. Find out more about the monuments on the National Park website where you can see detailed information and even adopt one.

A stone observation tower was built on the site and is accessible to the public. From the top, the views are spectacular.

As you follow the driving tour you will also come to what has come to be called "Burnsides Bridge" another landmark where intense fighting occurred on this day. Details surrounding the defense of the bridge by the Confederates and taking of the bridge by Union troops can be found here. 

Related articles

• Manassas: Civil War Firsts (shannafern.com)
• Antietam Memorial Illumination (exploratorius.us)

Manassas: Civil War Firsts

Several months ago, we were visiting friends in Carolina Beach, NC and stopped at the Fort Fisher State Historic Site. We visited the site on previous occasions but something clicked with my 6-year old son on this particular occasion. It was there on that visit that my son became interested in all things related to the Civil War.

Living in an RV the last few months has afforded us the opportunity to visit many other Civil War sites to feed his curious mind and fill in facts about a critical period in our nations history. During a recent stay outside of Washington DC, we camped very near the Manassas National Battlefield Park - the site of the very first battle between the union and confederate armies on July 16, 1861. The two armies met here again the following year. In both instances, the union army had to withdraw across Bull Run Creek to escape destruction. The south referred to these battles as First and Second Manassas in reference to the Manassas train junction, while those in the north called them the First Battle of Bull Run and the Second Battle of Bull Run named after the creek the Union troops had to retreat across.

Reconstructed bridge crossing Bull Run Creek

It was at the First Battle of Manassas that Thomas Johnson Jackson got his famous nickname. When it looked as if the union was routing the confederate army, General Jackson brought up his brigade to reinforce the weakening lines of Barnard Bee and two other generals. The story goes that in order to encourage and rally his men, General Bee points to General Jackson and shouts "There stands Jackson like a stonewall! Rally behind the Virginians!" General Barnard Elliot Bee, Jr. is mortally wounded in this battle and becomes one of the first general officers to die in the war while Stonewall Jackson soldiers on to become Robert E. Lee's strong right arm.

Is it just me or does this look like Superman's Dad on a horse?

The visitor center at Manassas National Battlefield Park is situated atop Matthew's Hill a key position during both battles of Bull Run. This location has commanding views of the surrounding area which has been kept much as it was during the battle (with the exception of considerable highway noise). I highly recommend watching the 20 minute video in the visitor center. We attempted to tag along for a tour of the grounds with a ranger but my 5 and 7 year olds did not have the patience for it. The video, which gives a great overview of both battles, was just the right length and held their interest and mine. The entire park is huge, near 5,000 acres with many trails and several interpretive signs. (Note: This property sits at a very busy crossroads and the deer population is huge here. Be cautious when driving this area at night!)

Atop Matthew's Hill 

From Matthew's Hill looking north toward the Stone House and crossroads

Statue of Stonewall Jackson on Matthew's Hill

Jonah pretending to load a cannon on Matthew's Hill

The Stone House where wounded soldiers were cared for

At the First Battle of Manassas, politicos on both sides of the conflict believed that one battle between ground troops would decide the war. Both sides vainly thought their side would sweep the other and the defeated army would immediately concede. At first the Union army appeared to be winning the day but once southern reinforcements arrived the union army was routed. The retreat was orderly until troops, who were mostly inexperienced, 90-day volunteers, found the road back to Washington clogged with retreating spectators and their carriages. This battle showed the nation that this war was not going to be short nor easy for either side. The quote on the plaque below indicates the lesson learned by many during this first battle - that this war would not be easy nor romantic, but terrible and deadly. I had a dim notion about the "romance" of a soldier's life. I have bravely got over it since. 

Related articles

• Civil War historian to speak at Fort Fisher (books.blogs.starnewsonline.com)
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• Overview of the Battle of Fort Fisher (military.answers.com)
• Campgrounds Near Bull Run, Virginia (livestrong.com)
• Manassas- Hiking Guide to Civil War Battlefields (Part One) (lewisandclark2011.com)
• Historian Says Best Way To Save Manassas Battlefield Is To Expand Highway Through It (gadling.com)

H.L. Hunley: The Civil War Submarine

My son loves the "You Wouldn't Want to....." book series. They are a great introduction into history for young children. One of the first books we discovered in this series was You Wouldn't Want to Be in the First Submarine!: An Undersea Expedition You'd Rather Avoid. Through this book, we were first introduced to the amazing story of the Civil War era submarine, the H. L. Hunley. The Hunley is significant in that it was the first submersible to sink an enemy vessel. While it played only a small role in the American Civil War, it was a major technological advancement of the era. Tragically, three crews of men perished in the operation of this vessel including it's final successful mission against the Housatonic.

After reading You Wouldn't Want to Be in the First Submarine!, my son was interested enough in the story to want to read other books on the subject including Shipwreck Search: Discovery of the H. L. Hunley (On My Own Science) and Secrets Of A Civil War Submarine: Solving The Mysteries Of The H. L. Hunley. I even found an audio version of Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine (American Civil War) for the whole family to listen to during a family trip. This book covered the 150 year old historical facts around the development and deployment of this remarkable vessel as well as it's recent discovery and recovery off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. It was during the conclusion of this book that I learned about the Friends of the Hunley.

Friends of the Hunley is a non-profit entity that was set up by the Hunley Commission to help raise money for the recovery, conservation, and ultimately the exhibition of the submarine. After a quick internet search, I found that the recovered vessel was housed in Charleston and tours to the public were available. So we decided to make a point of visiting Charleston for the express purpose of seeing the Hunley for ourselves. The tour was well done. Having read and listened to the various sources listed above, though, the tour was mostly a review of what we already knew with the marked distinction that we could see the actual objects mentioned including the steal hull of the Hunley itself.

The Hunley as it appears today

The Hunley is currently housed in a large warehouse looking building where scientists from Clemson University are working to stabilize what remains of the ship so that it may eventually be displayed in an open air exhibit. On the premises of this research site is a gift shop and small interpretive area with models and a full scale replica of a section of the Hunley as well as props from the 1999 TNT movie The Hunley (Tvm).

Inside the full-scale replica; the Hunley was operated by hand cranks

The openings for getting in and out were quite small

The the size of a cross section of the Hunley

If you have any kind of interest in Civil War history, naval history, the history of Charleston, or submarines in general, you will find the facts surrounding the H.L. Hunley most fascinating. You wouldn't want to.... miss out on learning about this enthralling piece of American History and innovation.

Related articles

• "An unfortunate accident... with the submarine boat" at Charleston (markerhunter.wordpress.com)
• The Submarine that Killed its Inventor in the American Civil War (crackedhistory.com)
• Secrets of a Civil War Submarine (cgbarbee.wordpress.com)
• Naval forces were important during the Civil War (examiner.com)

Richmond: Americamps and Civil War History

Our Americamps Site

We were in Richmond, Virginia a couple of weeks ago. Due to a lack of planning, we had to change campsites after just a couple of nights. We relocated from Pocahontas State Park southwest of town to an Americamps just off highway 95 north of Richmond.

Except for the road noise, the Americamps campground was nice and fairly priced. The Wifi was very good as well. We tend to like more natural surroundings but it met our needs for the two nights we were there. Plus, we were in a great location for accessing historic areas in downtown Richmond. 

We went to the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. This museum provided a good broad brush presentation of the Civil War in America: the issues involved, some of the facts and the way of life during that time. Some of the displays were a bit complicated but there was enough there to interest a 5 and 6 year old with some Civil War background already. The short video at the beginning did a great job of explaining how there were a lot of issues that gave rise to the Civil War. While slavery was an issue unto itself, this video made the point that slavery was an underlying aspect to all the other issues as well. I found that message to be very profound, and, in my own mind at least, I have no doubts (assuming I ever had any) as to the central cause of the Civil War in America.

The National Park Service Civil War Visitor Center

Right next door is the National Park Service Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works. Both sites give information on the importance of the Tredegar Iron Works during the Civil War as this site was the primary site of artillery production for southern troops. The National Park focuses on Richmond and it surrounding area during the Civil War including the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.  

After this we journeyed out to Cold Harbor which was a major battle field early in the war with the Battle of Gaines's Mill but is most notable for the Battle of Cold Harbor which took place at the end of the war during General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign. General Lee was victorious on both occasions. At the time of the war, the Cold Harbor area was mostly open fields and pasture, but now much is forested. We walked through the site looking at the trenches that were dug, but it was only in the more open areas that you understand their necessity. I haven't visited many Civil War Battlefields, but, of the one's that I have, this is the first one where I grasped at least of vague understanding of what it would have been like to be there a hundred and fifty years ago.

Jonah in a Civil War Trench at Cold Harbor

So if you want to get a flavor for the Civil War in America, Richmond is a good place to start. And there are many more battlefields and museums in the area than these few that I have mentioned devoted to the topic.

For a comprehensive list of Richmond Civil War sites, consider this one on the Civil War Traveler site (civilwartraveler.com).  Traveling on......

Related Posts:

• Manassas: Civil War Firsts
• Antietam National Battlefield