Tag Archives: NPS

Another Mighty Scourge: Weather and the War

It seems there is no end to the snowy weather in the East. Several years ago (2013-14?) it was pretty snowy as well. ECW published the following article then, and it seems appropriate to shovel it out from beneath the drifts … Continue reading

Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Civil War Events, Common Soldier, Memory | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Thoughts on Appomattox (part four)

The doors of Wilmer McLean’s house stand wide open–front and back–and a bevy of Parks Service volunteers stand ready to funnel the throng through. A Park Service ranger stands in the hallway to ensure no one enacts any mischief in the … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Memory, National Park Service, Sesquicentennial | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On the First Day of Christmas . . . The Gift of War Part III

Nothing says Holiday Cheer like an indoor fir tree filled with armaments of war. Or commanded by war leaders. Or bedecked in battle flags. Nothing, I tell you. And it can all be yours with some carefree shopping on your … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Common Soldier, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Memory, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shaping Chancellorsville: Cementing the Story

Part eight of a series The area on the Chancellorsville battlefield known as Fairview was a central point of action during the fighting on May 3. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (FSNMP) already owned much of the land there … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Civilian, Memory, National Park Service, Preservation, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shaping Chancellorsville: The New “Heart of the Battlefield”

Part seven of a series Throughout the seventies, Fredericksburg and Spostylvania National Military Park (FSNMP) continued to fill interior gaps in its land holdings. A pair of major acquisitions came in 1973 and 1975 that opened new ground and, ironically, … Continue reading

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No NPS? No Problem!—Other Places You Can Go to Get Your Civil War Battlefield Fix

Prelude to a series My high school history teacher was notoriously passionate about the Civil War. He’d stand at the front of the room amidst a cloud of chalk dust, the blackboard behind him covered with names like “McClellan” and … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, National Park Service | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

My Life as a Black Civil War Living Historian—part two

Part two in a series As a Park Service historian, I give tours on all four of the Park’s battlefields: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. I loved talking about the military history but never said much about the … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War Events, National Park Service, Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Day on the Day One Battlefield at Chancellorsville

Spring 2006 My daughter and and I arrive at the Day One battlefield—called the “Lick Run Battlefield”—at 8:45 a.m. Several other volunteers have arrived before us. They stand in front of a small building that had once been a farmer’s … Continue reading

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Shaping Chancellorsville: CVC

part six in a series In 1957, the FSNMP master plan called for the addition of a visitor center at Chancellorsville to replace the contact station built by the CCC.[1] Original plans called for placing the building on the south side … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Memory, Monuments, National Park Service, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shaping Chancellorsville: The first reenactment and ‘The Last Meeting’

part five in a series In 1933, administration of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park was turned over to the National Park Service, and shortly thereafter, the NPS invited the Civilian Conservation Corps to come in to the park … Continue reading

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Memory, Monuments, National Park Service, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment