Washington was a city of about 61,000 people at the outbreak of the war and not exactly a garden spot. Plagued by heat and humidity during the summer, the city became almost unlivable due, in part, to the “70 distinct stinks” coming from a sewage canal that ran near the current location of the National … Read more
Stevenson Stevenson was a busy and strategic spot at the junction of Memphis and Charleston Railroad and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. Pontoon bridge here allowed thousands of Union soldiers to advance into North Georgia during the Chattanooga Campaign. Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum 207 W Main St, Stevenson AL 35772 256-437-3012 Bricks salvaged from the … Read more
Cross the Potomac River with Robert E. Lee. Discover the “Lost Orders” with McClellan and fight the battles of South Mountain as you follow the roads the soldiers used during the 1862 Antietam Campaign. Trace the route of John Wilkes Booth’s escape route through southern Maryland after he shot Abraham Lincoln. Ride with Confederate Jubal … Read more
From the first big battle at Manassas/Bull Run in 1861 to the surrender of Lee’s army at Appomattox in 1865, Virginia stayed in the headlines throughout the Civil War. More than 2,000 “military events” were recorded in Virginia during the war, more than any other state. No part of the state escaped, with battles fought … Read more
As the largest city in the Confederacy and the southern gateway on the Mississippi River, New Orleans became an early Union target. After days of heavy bombardment in April 1862, a Union flotilla under Capt. David Farragut passed the Confederate-held forts at the mouth of the Mississippi and steamed toward the city. New Orleans officials, … Read more
Because the Mississippi River formed much of Louisiana’s eastern border, control of vital ports became a strategic factor for both Union and Confederate forces. Once Civil War was declared, the Union’s objective in Louisiana was to gain control of the Mississippi River, forcing Confederate troops to defend Louisiana and prevent Federal troops from dividing the … Read more
Salisbury Pick up a free taped guided tour and other information at the visitor center, 204 Innes St. For Salisbury and Rowan County information, call 800-332-2343. Confederate States Military Prison Site and Salisbury National Cemetery 202 Government Road, Salisbury NC 28144 Civil War Trails sign 224 E Bank St, Salisbury 704-636-2661 (cemetery) The Confederate government … Read more
This gracious city’s antebellum prosperity suffered during much of the Civil War as exports of rice and cotton were curtailed by a Union blockade. Savannah fell to Gen. William T. Sherman just before Christmas 1864 following his famous “March to the Sea.” It was from here Sherman telegraphed Lincoln, presenting him “as a Christmas gift, … Read more
When Virginia seceded, the Federal government in Washington D.C. found itself virtually surrounded by a hostile foreign country. Abraham Lincoln moved swiftly to occupy a comfort zone around his capital. Farther away from Washington, however, Union control was less certain. Confederate John Singleton Mosby was a feared raider of Union patrols and supply lines. Citizen … Read more
Compared to the big set-piece battles elsewhere, the events that unfolded in the western part of North Carolina might seem small. But some of the meanest, most interesting and most personal stories of the war are coming into focus through the Civil War Trails program here. Tales told in the novel Cold Mountain are brought … Read more