American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

I will be making a trip from the Pacific Northwest (Seattle area) to the Norfolk, Virginia area for a few days. I'll be flying in sometime on Wednesday September 12th, and fly back homeward on Sunday September 16th. My Saturday and Sunday are full with a conference, but would have an afternoon free to meet anyone on any Peninsula/Richmond, VA area battlefields. I'm contemplating getting up to the Manassass battlefields, since I've never been there...

So I'd love to hear from you on 2 things - what battlefields in that area are good ones to see/tour (I have been to Gettysburg, Antietam) and also if you'd be around for a meet and greet, and what times (afternoon, evening, Thursday or Friday better)

Not quite the organizational level of a Notso 'See Ya' event, but an opportunity nonetheless!


General Jeff Laub
Union Chief of the Army
ACWGC Cabinet Member
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/

If you have the chance to make it to Manassas do so. Probably my favorite site in VA. Also,

Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville/Wilderness/Spotsylvania are good to visit (4 sites within a few miles of each other. Another one I liked was Petersburg. The Peninsula sites, although few and lots of driving involved, are good as well.

Lt.General Dale Lastowicka
VIII Corps
Army of the Shenandoah

Given your time frames, Manassas seems a bit of a stretch. Besides, to get there you would have to pass within miles of all of the Peninsula battlefields (Fair Oaks and the Seven Days), Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, most of the battlefields from the 1864 Overland Campaign (Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor), and all of the sites around Richmond. Save some miles and stick closer to home.

Also, don't forget Fortress Monroe, Yorktown, the Norfold Navy Yard, etc.

Have a great trip.



BG Ken 'Muddy' Jones
1/1/XXIII Army of Ohio
USA

I expect to be here, in Richmond on those dates.
Friday works more easily for me as I ordinarily am off work 11:30am.

I drive by Shockoe Hill Cemetery nearly every day at least once (These are HPS Peninsula map locations)...
My present-day abode would be found south of battery #7 & north of the poorhouse.
Its not the Virginia Central RR anymore but the tracks still run in the same spot & I'm just west of 'em, between Meadowbridge Rd & the Mechanicsville Turnpike.
Not much of the "Fields" left round about Richmond but there's still plenty to see, including an impressive array of Confederate Monuments & Hollywood Cemetery, on bluffs overlooking the James River & Belle Isle.

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Cold Harbor is well worth the stop...when I went there with a couple of gaming buddies we lucked out and got a personalized tour from one of the staff.

As mentioned not too much to see with a lot of the Peninsula fields...many have been built over, or its just an open field. Not much to Gaines's Mill, etc. I particularly found Malvern Hill a let down. There are plenty of little sites though...

However, just south of Petersburg is Pamplin Park - http://www.pamplinpark.org/ - excellent grounds owned by one family since the Civil War before being released to the foundation to open the park...site of the final Union breakthrough of the siege. Also an excellent museum...very much worth your time, and not nearly as congested as the Manassas area.

If you do go North a driving tour of Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville/Wilderness/Spotsylvania is well worth it.

I live south of Richmond, but not sure what my availability will be during that time...already have a bit on the books, so we'll see.

LGen. Hamilton
II Corps
ANV, CSA