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Civil War 150th Anniversary |
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In recognition of the 150th anniversary American Civil War, Battleground will be offering tours focusing on some of the key battles and sites of that conflict. We hope you will join us in celebrating the courage of the soldiers and civilians of both sides by visiting the hallowed places where they endured and sacrificed.
In addition to our 150th Anniversary series, we can provide tours of other battlefields at your request.
First Battle of Bull Run: Clash of Amateurs: On July 21, 1861, two untrained and inexperienced armies collided near Manassas, Virginia, bringing on the first major clash of the Civil War. The battle that followed was chaotic, confused, and remarkably hard-fought. First Bull Run also had an amazing cast of participants, many of whom would gain great fame in the coming years. Our tour follows the battle from start to finish, including Sudley Church, Stone Bridge, Matthews and Henry hills, with an optional visit to Blackburn’s Ford.
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
The armies that fought again on the plains of Manassas in August 1862 were larger and far better prepared than those that battled there the year before. Second Bull Run was a ferocious contest that inflicted over 20,000 casualties, cemented R. E. Lee’s reputation as a bold commander, and led to his climactic invasion of Maryland – an operation that was destined to become one of the turning points of the war. Spend the day learning about this desperate battle, visiting such sites as Brawner Farm, the Unfinished Railroad with its ‘Deep Cut’, Chinn Ridge, and Henry House Hill.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day. In just one day of intense combat, some 23,000 American soldiers fell on the fields around the little town of Sharpsburg, Maryland during what remains the bloodiest day in U.S. military history. Our tour takes place on one of the best-preserved battlefields in the country, ground made famous by the heroism of the men led by McClellan and Lee. Included are visits to landmarks such as Miller’s Cornfield, West Woods, Bloody Lane, and Burnside Bridge, among others.
Battle of Monocacy: Monocacy is often called “the battle that saved Washington.” In July 1864, Jubal Early’s Confederate army was pushing rapidly through Maryland toward Washington. General Lew Wallace assembled a scratch force along Monocacy Creek to slow them down and buy time for reinforcements to reach the capital. Join us for this comprehensive battlefield tour and learn how Wallace, a Hoosier politician and future author of Ben Hur, fared against Early’s veterans in one of the most important small battles of the Civil War.
Battle of New Market: Best known today for the participation of the brave VMI cadets, there is much more to the story of the battle fought at New Market, Virginia on May 14-15, 1864. Commanders demonstrated extremes of skill and incompetence, daring and hesitation, in a battle that pitted two political appointees against one another; one would emerge with a burnished reputation, the other with a military career in ruins. Our tour explores the battlefield in depth, including visits to many lesser-known or ignored battlefield areas outside the current park boundaries. New Market is an ideal subject for evaluating command decisions and leadership styles.
| Please contact us for pricing specific to your party. |
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Future Civil War tours we are looking at:
- A Weekend with the Antietam Campaign
Spend a weekend in beautiful western Maryland getting a detailed look at one of the major turning points of the Civil War. Our itinerary will include the South Mountain battlefields as well as the magnificently preserved fields of Antietam. Date TBD.
- Wilderness-Spotsylvania 2014 (150th Anniversary)
The start of the Overland Campaign, our tour will encompass these two terrible battles where nearly 60,000 men fell. Spring 2014.
- Retreat to Appomattox 2015 (150th Anniversary)
Spring 2015
If you are potentially interested in any of these future tours, we encourage you to email us. No commitment is necessary for some time, but we can put you on the contact list and keep you updated as we develop these tours.
Battleground Tours can conduct tours of other battlefields not listed here; please contact us with your interests.