Chancellorsville and Bull Run

I am seeing so much and learning so much, it's a little overwhelming. 

George Washington Birthplace

I watched the movie and walked around outside a little bit. Nothing too exciting because Washington didn't do much here except be born.

Chancellorsville

Wow. What a place. There was definitely an energy here, which was weird because it's right next to a turnpike. I went on an excellent tour led by a very knowledgeable ranger. I knew nothing about this battle except that Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded here. 

Here is what I learned. Lincoln REALLY needed a win in the eastern theater. The Union was doing well out west (like at Shiloh), but all eyes were on Virginia since it was close by and where the Confederate capitol was. Lincoln kept assuring everyone that they were winning, but they really hadn't won anything major. Unfortunately, they wouldn't win this battle, either. 

The Union troops far outnumbered the Confederate troops, but General Lee came up with an audacious plan to attack the flanks, where the Union army was weak. General Hooker's plan was to fight a defensive battle, so his troops spent a bunch of time digging trenches and establishing themselves in this spot. The Confederate troops attacked, and what followed was the second bloodiest day of the Civil War. Towards the end, Hooker was standing on a front porch and a column he was leaning on was hit by a cannon. He was hit in the head with some debris and exhibited symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting. So, now we would assume he had a concussion, but at the time, no one knew about concussions. So he remained in command and apparently gave some questionable orders, although it sounds like the Union would have lost, regardless.

The night before the battle, General "Stonewall" Jackson was out riding his horse on a scouting mission. His troops were not informed of his plans, so when the skirmishers saw him ride by, they shot at him. Someone yelled that he was on their side, but the North Carolina regiment yelled that that was a lie, no one from the Confederacy was supposed to be out and about. So they opened fire, and he was shot three times- in the hand, the arm, and the shoulder. You can still walk down this path where he was riding when he was wounded.

 

He was taken to a hospital, where his left arm was amputated. (Robert E Lee later said, "You have lost your left arm, but I have lost my right," meaning he wasn't sure how they'd manage without him.) He died of pneumonia eight days later.

 

Anyway, this is where the story gets even more interesting. When his chaplain left the hospital and saw Jackson's arm laying on the ground outside, he took it down the road to his brother's plantation and buried it in the family cemetery, and you can still go see it. So OBVIOUSLY that was my next stop. Although there are other people buried there, the only marker is for Jackson's arm.

 

 

 

Prince William Forest Park

I'm not exactly sure why this has national landmark status, but it was a nice peaceful spot in the midst of the craziness of the D.C. suburbs. People drive like maniacs out here! I went for a short hike in the forest, but it reminded me of the forest we have back in Chicago, so it wasn't too thrilling to me. Also, I didn't feel like doing much hiking because I had just been to Cici's for lunch and was waddling around like I weighed 400 lbs. Gotta love that $5.99 pizza buffet!

Manassas

I had never heard of the battle of Manassas, but I HAD heard of the Battle of Bull Run. Turns out it's the same battle, but the Union and Confederacy could not agree on how to name the battles. This was the first land battle of the Civil War. I went on a ranger tour and thought it was interesting to hear about how the war started out. The generals didn't know what they were doing; most of them hadn't seen any combat or had only commanded a few men. One of them expressed his concerns to Lincoln, but Lincoln reminded him that the South was green, too, and they just had to go for it. So the Battle of Bull Run happened, and it sounds like a disaster. The soldiers didn't even know how to fire their guns accurately! They usually didn't hit what they were aiming at. And they didn't even have official uniforms yet, so a group of guys would come up to another group of guys and say, "What side are you on?" and then start shooting. 

Lincoln had hoped this would be quick and easy. The Union would win easily, and this would end the was. Unfortunately, the South won this battle. 

 

 

These Union cannons have been in the same spot since the war.