The Battlefield of Spotsylvania
If you’re planning a vacation and happen to be a history buff, you’re in luck; there are literally countless sites in America to fulfill your taste for the past. Civil War buffs in particular will find endless doors open to them; Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and other states are home to famed battlefields such as Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Antietam, and Shiloh. One important battleground from the last years of the Civil War is unfortunately often forgotten; the Spotsylvania Battlefield in Virginia, also known as the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. This particular battle was fought close to the Wilderness, Chancellorsville, and Fredericksburg, so if you are in the area, you may want to take time to see all of these great places. The Wilderness, from personal experience, is a mysterious wooded field where mostly ruins remain. At all four parks, you should be able to find markers that guide you to different parrs of the field and show you what stood at a particular spot during the time of each respective battle.
A Little History
The Battle of Spotsylvania was fought in May 1864 between Generals Robert Edward Lee and Ulysses S. Grant; it was ten months since the battle of Gettysburg, and the war was heating up. Although General Meade was still in charge of the Union Army nonofficially, his position was now being filled by Ulysses S. Grant, who was determined to make Lee wish his army had never clashed at Spotsylvania. Many sites connected to the Spotsylvania battlefield have passed down through history; Spotsylvania Court House and the Bloody Angle in particular. This was one of the war’s bloodiest battles, and many soldiers must have had horrifying visions of the Battle of Chancellorsville which had been carried out close by in May 1863.
Want to Explore On Foot?
Spotsylvania Battlefield offers walking trails for those interesting in seeing history up close. You can explore the battlefield with a driving tour as well, if you choose to stay within the comfort of your own car (this especially comes in handy on those hot summer days when you don’t want to get *quite* so much into the past that you fry like the soldiers did in their uniforms). Perhaps the most famous part of the tour will be the Bloody Angle, a scene of intense fighting and unbelievable suffering. You might want to take special note to spend more time here, taking pictures, reading up on your travel brochures, or just reflecting on the history of the area. Also remember to check out the area known as the “Mule Shoe,” where a few selected Federal units threw all their might against Confederates crouching behind manmade walls.
“Fun Time” on the Battlefield
One interesting idea if you happen to stop at the designated picnic area is to take a special lunch. A “Civil War” meal of stew and biscuits would certainly be appropriate, but many of us would be content to grab a burger and soft drinks and plop down at the benches. This is fine too, of course, and would make a memorable lunch. Unfortunately, there is only one area “okayed” for eating. Grabbing a bite to eat and parking somewhere to eat in your car is also fun; I’ve visited the Gettysburg battlefield many times and have enjoyed doing this. Eating your meal while listening to Civil War music and looking out over the battlefield is a wonderful vacation memory and an unforgettable experience.
Staying Overnight? Lots of Choices
If you are planning to stay overnight, your best bet for lodging would most likely be the bigger, “modern” city of Fredericksburg. Chain hotels such as Best Western and Ramada Inn are available for your convenience, and if you are visiting from I-95, a few of these hotels are located near the I-95 exits. It is easy to find Spotsylvania from these spots; look for brown signs and National Park Service markers to find your way. Having visited parks in this area, I can say that the best time to visit is either directly after the battlefield opens, or just before it closes (although probably not *too* close to closing, as you don’t want to get stuck inside). It’s always nice to take your time doing the tour and not have to speed up or slow down because someone else isn’t giving the tour the amount of attention you are giving it. Don’t expect to be the only person on the field, though, though, since battlefields are usually widely visited.
If You Need Something . . .
My advice if you are staying overnight is to not worry too much if you’re forgotten something important. Fredericksburg is a more “cosmopolitan” city than it used to be, and you’re sure to find a store that sells what you need. Be prepared for anything; battlefields have a way of making things “disappear” even when you’re sure you knew exactly where they were. Who’s to say you won’t step in a muddy ditch and then discover your shoe has completely disappeared? Or that you won’t spill ketchup all over the only jacket you brought? Fredericksburg’s shopping district will give you plenty of choices.
The Field Today
Unfortunately, Fredericksburg’s modern assets make it harder to picture the way it was in the years of the Civil War. Spotsylvania, thankfully, has less modernization, and it is easier to see what the soldiers saw by taking a tour of the field. Don’t forget to use those cameras, people; memories are wonderful things, but they often can’t help us recapture every single thing we saw on our vacations (if you’re like me, even a whole bevy of photo albums fail to hold all the pictures I’ve taken over the years). The trick is to “film memories,” capture great vacation moments for future enjoyment. Spotsylvania is a reverent and somber place, so if you’re traveling with young children, you might want to counsel them to show respect for the people who died here and the goals they were trying to accomplish. Explaining the battle in an interesting and exciting way might put the “spark” in children’s minds so someday they might be a Civil War buff like good old Mom or Dad!
Local Side-Trips
If you do decide to visit the three other parks in the area (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Wilderness) you will be glad you took the time to do so. Some interesting sights included the Stonewall Jackson Shrine (Jackson was mortally wounded in May 1863 during the Battle of Chancellorsville), Old Salem Church, which is currently closed to the public but can be viewed from the surrounding area, and Chatham Manor, a plantation-style home seemingly out of place in the midst of the battlefields. The most important thing to remember is to take your time, see all there is to see, and pay tribute to the many young men who lost their lives, not only during the Battle of Spotsylvania, but during the entire Civil War.
