March 13

Yes, this is a “night” late. I arrived home must before midnight, so just now getting onto the website to comment on Monday’s adventures.

Spotsylvania Court House battlefield (a part of the Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania NMP) opened its auto-tour route at sunrise. I was waiting. There are eight “stops”. The one which caught my attention was the “Bloody Angle”. The Mule Shoe Salient was the name of this part of General Lee’s defenses. There was one spot in the salient which was as illogical for military purposes as a man trying to leap tall buildings in a single bound (reference for all you old folks who remember the original Superman). Lee was horrified by this point in the line and tried to reinforce it. But on May 12, 1864, Grant sent 20,000 men against the salient, with the intent to break through this weak section. For 22 hours some of the bloodiest fighting of the war occurred at and around the Bloody Angle. A paved path takes a visitor out to the center of the action. A few turns later on the one-way park road I was stopped by road crews removing a large tree from the roadway. Strong winds had come through the area. This probably explains why the Skyline Drive was closed for 70+ miles, due to “inclement weather”. More about that later.

A one-hour drive and I was at George Washington’s Birthplace. A reconstructed house in which Washington’s parents lived can be self-toured, on days when it is open (which was not today). Barns and other structures which represent the life George knew are within a 200-yard radius. One surprise was not seeing the oyster shells which outlined the original foundation of the Washington’s house. Archeologists discovered the foundation, recovered it, and place the shells on top so visitors could view the outline. But the area was fenced in with signs saying work is in-progress. And no shells, just dirt all over the ground. A short drive on the road which leads to the Potomac River, takes one to the Washington family cemetery. Three generations of Washingtons are buried here, including his great-grand parents, his grandparents, and his parents. Thirty-two bodies in all were discovered during an initial investigation. All were moved into a single burial vault, in 1930, due to decaying conditions.

One hour later I was at the Fredericksburg section of the Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania NMP. Talk about stupidity. Union General Burnside ordered division after division up the hill from the Rappahannock River through the small borough of Fredericksburg. There were no trees, no buildings, no nothing, for a quarter-mile to where the Confederates lay behind the “Sunken Wall”. It was a slaughter. Visitors can walk the length of the Sunken Wall, and stop at the Innis House, the only surviving structure along the Sunken Wall road. Bullet holes can still be seen on a couple of the vertical boards. Owners after the battle had replaced most of the siding. But the inside was not redone. Though visitors are not allowed inside, a photo of one wall is on a display stand outside the house, and it looks like multiple woodpeckers had a party. I then headed a bit south to take the auto-tour road which covers Lee’s Command Center and tall hills from which the Confederate artillery rained death on Federals. Some cannon are positioned at the stops. Unlike 1862, trees now cover the entire area, so one is not able to get a sense of what the Rebels saw during the battle. This park covers many different areas. I only stopped at the two locations, so I could move on to the next park.

I wound up losing 30 minutes of travel time to the horrors of I-95 traffic. Yes, even at noon this beast can raise its ugly head relative to vehicle motion. Thankfully I knew how to use route US 1, which parallels I-95, and at the first chance I was on my way. The next park, Prince William Forest Park, is across I-95 from the National Museum of the Marine Corps, in Triangle, VA. Everyone should stop at this museum. I have visited before, so headed over to Prince William. And guess what? It is just that, a forest. A couple of asphalt roads snake through the park. There are campsites and some hiking trails. The surprise of the day was rediscovering that the Potomac Heritage Scenic Trail is in the park. The main park road, and well as one of the hiking trails, are official segments of the Scenic Trail. I stopped to get GPS waypoints. I will be stopping at other locations of the Scenic Trail later in the year, but today became my official “count” for this park unit. The rangers and volunteers at the Visitor Center were very enthusiastic and helpful. We spent a good 20 minutes talking about my Quest and other parks around the country. Ranger Melissa asked that I say “hi” to all her co-workers at Capulin Volcano National Monument when I stop there in May. Jennifer and Michael of the volunteer staff wished me the best and safest travels.

A short cut through the back country of Northern Virginia had me on I-66 in no time, with Shenandoah NP as the next designation. Turns out the park had closed Skyline Drive, starting at mile-marker 32, for about 100 miles. The explanation on the sign was “inclement weather”. Most of the hiking I wanted to do was in that section. One example of having to adjust “on the fly” as I visit these parks. And the historic Dickey Ridge VC at MM 5 was not open. The ranger at the entrance station said it would open this coming Friday. Thankfully, the staff had left the Passport Stamp at the entrance kiosk. There were about 100 people total at the VC parking lot, taking photos of the Shenandoah Valley and walking on the nearby trails. If you do not like masses of people, this is the time to visit the park. Summer months the Skyline Drive can be practically bumper to bumper.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP is a few miles from Shenandoan NP, in Middletown. The VC is not in the park boundaries. But a map at the VC shows one where the park properties are located, which are not all connected. There are a couple of stops on US 11, with placards, signs, monuments, and markers. The main fighting took place on this US 11 corridor. This section is part of the 17.5-mile self guided auto-tour route. With 9 stops along state and country roads, one gets the idea that this is not like Shiloah or Gettysburg, contained in a single spot. The key takeaway from this battle is that General Jubal Early’s Confederates made a surprise attack on the morning of October 19, 1864, and nearly drove the Union Forces from the Valley. Those Union soldiers which survived the initial onslaught kept retreating towards Winchester, where Union General Philip Sheridan had his main force. Sheridan could hear the sounds of cannon and rifles and thought celebrations were underway, until word reached him of the offensive. He quickly sent reinforcements, and what seemed to be a great Rebel victory turned into a decisive defeat. There was no more resistance from the Confederacy in the Valley from this point forward.

One the battlefield are two houses. The main attraction for tourists is the Belle Grove plantation home. It was built in 1797, and is as original as can be. The manor was used as a hospital after the battle. A separate organization operates the plantation, so an entry fee is required. The other home is the Heater House. The owner’s wife was pro-Union, even though she had two sons who died fighting for the Confederacy, and she helped Union soldiers during their time in the Valley. In 1901, the U.S. Government gave her monies to help repair damages.

On a final note, I welcomed the courtesy of the Cedar Creek staff. At the Map sign outside the VC is a box with a handle. I pulled up on the handle, the door opened, and the Passport Stamp equipment was inside, in a Rubbermaid container. It would be great if every park did this, for those visitors who arrive outside the VC hours.