Top Ten Civil War Places

By Kathleen Walls

For Civil War buffs, what better way to learn about America's most devastating tragedy than visiting museums and battlefields. Here's my pick of the top ten for a great overview of the War Between the States. Each one highlights a unique fact most people do not know about the War Between the States.

Sculpture Moment of Mercy in front of Museum

•  National Civil War Museum, Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania

For an overall view of the Civil War and the years and facts leading up to the war, this is a great place. It begins with events in 1850 and continues through post-war years to 1876. There are 17 exhibits on the two floors of the museum. You start on the second floor with A House Divided , showing all the underlying causes that made the country ripe for a war, and progress counter clockwise to Civil War Music back at the stairs. On the first floor, the exhibits begin with The Battle of Gettysburg and end with Lincoln: War and Remembrance .

This musuem collections of artifacts, manuscripts, documents, photographs, and other printed matter is over 24,000 items. This allows them to rotate items so that you might see something new and different on second visits.

Do browse the grounds and view Terry Jones sculpture, Moment of Mercy . It portrays a little known event that occurred at the battle of Fredricksburg in December 1862. Union General burnside attempted to take Fredricksburg, VA. The Rebles defended firecly resultingin over 6.000 dead or wounded Union soldiers lying in an exposed field between the forces on that cold December night. A young Confederate Army sergeant with Company G, 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, Richard R. Kirkland, could not stand the cries from the wounded soldiers. Without benefit of a truce he jumped the fence with canteens of water and began ministering to the fallen men. The Union soldiers saw what he was doing and held their fire rather than kill this brave humanitarian.

Most unique fact about the beginnings of the War: Historians in Kansas claim the first battle was not Fort Sumter in 1861 but the Battle of Black Jack Oaks in Kansas. This was the first engagement between recognized militia units fighting over the Free State/Slave State issue. The units were led by John Brown for the Free State Militia and Henry Clay Pate for the Pro-Slavery militia. This battle occurred on June 2, 1856.

The Snodgrass Cabin on Chickamauga Battlefield

•  Chickamauga National Battlefield, Georgia

On September 19,1863, the wooded hills of Chickamauga rang with the clash of steel and the roar of gunfire as Confederate and Union troops locked in mortal combat in what was to become the bloodiest battle fought on Georgia soil and the last major Confederate victory of the War

When the smoke cleared and the battle was done, the Confederates held the field with the Federals pushed back to Chattanooga. But at what price? They had lost over 18,000 men out of their 66,000 soldiers. The Union Army left 16,000 bloody corpses at Chickamauga. Twenty five years after the war, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was officially dedicated on the anniversary of that bloody battle.

You will find 5,300 acres of the battlefield. It is well marked with numerous monuments, historical tablets, wayside exhibits, and trails. Major points of interest can be reached by following the seven-mile auto tour you find in the official park brochure. Additionally, visitors can choose to use the park's "Dial and Discover" cell phone tour for additional insight.  The museum inside the Visitor Center is not large but offers wonderful resources for a serious student or a casual visitor. There are exhibits, an orientation film, a fiber optic battlefield map, a bookstore, and the Claud E. and Zenada O. Fuller Collection of American Military Shoulder Arms. The collection contains about 346 rifles beginning with the primitive models brought to this country by early explorers and continue through the Civil War era.

Most unique fact about this battle: This battle calls attention to the "brother against brother" aspect of this war. When Lincoln was informed of the casualties at Chickamauga he was devastated. He also had a reason for personal grief. His brother- in law, Benjamin Helms was one of the casualties. Helms was a Confederate officer who died at Chickamauga!

The Illinois Monument at Vicksburg

•  Vicksburg National Battlefield, Mississippi

The Battle of Vicksburg along with Gettysburg signifies the real end of the line for the Confederacy. Vicksburg was critical to both sides from the beginning of the war. Until the Union could control the entire river to Cairo, Illinois, they could not prevent the South from supplying their armies. Whoever controlled Vicksburg controlled the river.

Vicksburg was called the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy." It stood on a bluff guarding the river and was protected by heavy artillery on the bluff and a ring of forts that protected it from land. The key players in this drama were Union General Grant who attempted first to attack the city and then laid siege to compel the surrender, and General Sherman who attempted to take Vicksburg from the south. The chief Confederate here was General John Pemberton, who repulsed the original attacks but could not withstand the long siege.

This was a battle site where not only soldiers were casualties but civilians. The bombardment forced the residents to take shelter in caves. The bombardment was not the biggest killer however; starvation and disease were the main culprits. The Union forces fouled all the streams flowing into the city and prevented any provisions from reaching the desperate people. By the end of the siege, rats were being sold to those lucky enough to get them at the butcher shops.

The battlefield and monuments situated on it are all interesting but for me the most interesting monument is the Illinois one. It recognizes all its soldiers. One name stands out, Private Albert D. J. Cashier, who mustered out with the remainder of the regiment on August 17, 1865 after serving for three years and 11 days in the ranks. But Albert had a secret. "He" was a "she."

Even after the war ended, "he" lived as man. Cashier joined the Grand Army of the Republic, the largest organization of Union veterans. When Cashier applied for a pension in 1899, "he" was examined by three surgeons to determine "his" eligible for a veteran's pension.

It wasn't until 1911, almost 50 years after the battle of Vicksburg that Cashier was struck by an automobile. The doctor, who was summoned to examine the old soldier, noted a broken leg. Just in case there were other unknown injuries, he farther examined Cashier. Imagine his surprise when he discovered that Cashier was a woman but, after listening to the old soldier's pleas, agreed to maintain her secret.

But things did not continue as "he" wished. Just three months later, the old veteran was forced to move into the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Quincy, Illinois. Even as "his' health deteriorated, Cashier attempted to continue the male identity. "He" was successful for only three more years when a mental condition led to confinement in an insane asylum at Watertown, Illinois. There she was finally compelled to wear female attire and live the life of a woman. In death, Cashier was partially allowed to revert to the male role. "His" tombstone reads "Albert D. J. Cashier, Co. G,95 ILL Inf. Civil War, Born : Jennie Hodgers, In Clogher Head, Ireland 1843 – 1915."

Most unique fact about this battle: Since the surrender of Vicksburg occurred on July 4, 1863, the date held bitter memories for residents of Vicksburg. Thus they refused to celebrate Independence Day until 1947 when General Dwight Eisenhower visited the city.

The Eternal Peace Monument at Gettysburg Battlefield. Credit NPS

•  Gettysburg National Battlefield, Pennsylvania

The most famous and one of the best preserved battlefields. Along with the battle of Vicksburg and almost the same time frame, this battle really signaled the end of any Confederate hopes.

The Museum section offers 22,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to the battle.It is the place to begin your tour. The battlefield park is the real treasure here. The sites are marked will and the battle explained as you move throughout the park. Soldiers' National Cemetery is built where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

One thing to note is that here, the battle was fought in not just in open fields but across people's homes and farms. The city was devastated during the battle. It came about when General Robert E. Lee and his "Army of Northern Virginia" advanced into Pennsylvania in his most daring attempt to carry the war to the North. Initially it appeared Lee could be successful but Union General Meade forced Lee to begin his retreat back to Virginia on July 3, 1863. The loss of lives on both sides was tremendous.

Most unique fact about this battle: We have Gettysburg to thank for the many reenactments on battlefields around the country today. In August, 1869, a local attorney, David McConaughy organized the first official reunion of the soldiers who fought at Gettysburg to recount their experiences and locate specific sites on the battlefield. Eventually, Confederate veterans were also invited. As the actual veterans died off, others who were interested in preserving history took their place.

The General at Southern Museum

•  Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History at Kennesaw, Georgia

This museum is built around The General, literally and figuratively. It showcases the importance two unique factors in the war: the first use of the train as a military resource and the importance of spies and civilians in this war.

One of the Civil War's most daring spy stories began with a secret meeting in Fletcher House, now Marietta History Museum on the night of April 11, 1862. James Andrews and 21 other men plotted a daring train theft. The idea was to cut the Confederate supply lines. The target was the General, a Western and Atlantic engine on a routin e run between Atlanta and Chattanooga. The next morning Andrews and his Raiders boarded the train as passengers. When William Fuller, the conductor, and his crew went to breakfast at the Lacey Hotel in Kennesaw, then known as Big Shanty, the raiders absconded with "The General." The plan was to move north toward Chattanooga destroying rails and burning bridges behind him to facilitate an easy win for the Federal troops at Chattanooga.

The indignant crew of The General took the insult personally. Conductor William Fuller and two of his crew raced on foot the two miles to Moons Station where they commandeered a handcar and two maintenance men to help in the pursuit. When Fuller and his men encountered torn-up track, they continued on foot then on whichever different engines that were handy. Finally at Adairsville, the Confederates boarded a southbound engine, the Texas. They continued in hot pursuit in reverse.

Meantime, the Rebels had sent a rider to nearby Dalton where the telegraph lines had not been cut and sent a message to General Ledbetter in Chattanooga. Southern troops were swinging north on the railway to meet the Raiders. Just at the top of Ringgold Gap, the gallant General gave out. All 22 of the Raiders were caught. Andrews and seven others were tried and hanged in Atlanta. The other 14 were sent to prison.

The General continued in service for another 30 years. It remained a working engine until 1891 when it was retired. It was renovated and made appearances at festivals and reunions until it came to Kennesaw Civil War Museum. The museum was renovated and renamed the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History in 2003. The museum also showcases Railroads: Lifelines of the Civil War and Glover Machine Works: Casting a New South . It has a great multi-media show telling the story of the daring train chase.

One of the newest exhibits is a rare regimental flag of the 65th Georgia Infantry. The flag still proudly displays its 41 bullet holes and a bloodstain. This flag saw much action during the Civil War, including the entire Atlanta campaign. It survived many battles, including the Battles of Resaca, New Hope Church/Dallas/Pickett's Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek and Atlanta, and is the only known surviving example of an Army of Tennessee flag with both unit and state designations.

Most unique fact about the highjacking of The General: The Medal of Honor was instituted shortly after and the first medal was awarded to one of the raiders, Private Jacob Wilson Parrott. James Andrews, the group leader whose name is forever associated with the raid was ineligible to receive the medal since he was a civilian.

The Michigan Monument at Andersonville

•  Andersonville National Historical Site, Georgia

Andersonville , it's very name conjured up horror during the Civil War. During the fourteen months the prison functioned as Camp Sumter, 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned there. Of that number, 13,000 died from starvation, disease, unsanitary conditions, or exposure to a bitter winter cold.

The prison had been built early in 1864. It consisted of little more than a 15-foot high stockade enclosing about 16 ½ acres. In June, that was enlarged to enclose 25 ½ acres. Sentry boxes, called pigeon roost, by the prisoners were built every thirty feet along the wall. About nineteen feet within the wall was the "deadline". Any prisoner who entered this space was shot. The only water in the camp was a tiny stream that meandered through the stockade. The stream was used for all of the prisoner's sanitation needs as well as cooking and drinking. Naturally disease was rampant. Shelter consisted of what the prisoners themselves could fashion from their limited resources. During the fourteen months of its existence, the prison housed up to 32,000 prisoners.

As is usually the case in situations like this, bullies arose within the prison. A group of the dregs of the Union prisoners preyed on their weaker compatriots. Led by Willie Collins, these renegades called themselves "The Raiders". They stole what little other prisoners had and often killed other prisoners. Finally the prisoners informed Wirz. He allowed the prisoners themselves to try and convict several of "The Raiders". Six of the outlaws were hung from a makeshift gallows inside the stockade to the cheers of the prisoners. Willie went to his death defiant and cursing his accusers. The graves of the raiders are located near the front of the cemetery.

Important for its look at the terrible experience of being a prisoner of war. Today, it spreads a message of hope. The museum showcases POW in all wars but the actual site of Andersonville Prison and the rows of tombstones bring it all into focus.

Most unique fact about this site: Captain Henry Wirz, the commander in charge at Andersonville, was the only Confederate officer hanged for war crimes.

Musuem Exhibit of a Typical Medical Cabin Aboard Ship during the Ciivil War

•  Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, Georgia

The maritime experience during the war is the focus of this museum Civil War Naval Museum, which opened April 10,2001, is the only museum in the world that focuses on the maritime experience in the Civil War. It houses the 225-foot hull of the CSS Jackson . This massive ironclad was built at the Confederate shipyards just a few miles from the present site. The museum also has a replica of the USS Waterwitch . The Waterwitch was serving as a Union blockader in the waters just off Savannah. Confederate forces succeeded in capturing her June 3, 1864. Interestingly enough the confederates were piloted by a Black man, Moses Dallas. Dallas held the rank, if not the authority of an officer in the Confederate Navy. Both Dallas and his commander, Lieutenant Pelot, were among the first killed in the ensuing fight. Ironically, after fighting so hard to take the ship, the Confederate navy could not get it safely back to Savannah, and on December 19, 1864, it was burned to keep it from falling into the hands of General Sherman's advancing troops.

The most interesting exhibit is the reconstruction of the ironclad CSS Albermarle . The Albemarle was terrorizing the Union fleet until a young Union Lieutenant in a small steam-powered launch sank it in a daring raid on the Roanoke River. Inside you will experience life aboard a Confederate ship under attack up to the moment of its sinking. It's so realistic, I swear you can feel the flow of the river and the impact of the missiles.

Most unique fact about this site: Most people believe the Monitor and Merrimack were the first ironclads. Not so. When Japan invaded Korea in 1592 the Koreans developed a small fleet of ships called Turtle boats which were ironclad and resembled a giant turtle. The turtles ship's "shell" bristling with spikes to prevent boarding. It had sails which could be lowered during a battle when it could be maneuvered by oars. It had many similarities to the Civil War ironclads such as rams to crush attacking ships. It was equipped with ports just above the oars to enable firing of cannon, small firearms, and arrows.

"Ed Hamilton's Sprirt of Freedom"

•  African American Civil War Museum and Memorial, Washington D.C.

African Americans had a huge stake in the war yet their side of it is seldom told. This museum showcases the role of both the men who actually fought and the women who became spies and aided their side in other ways. It focuses on those African-Americans who fought for the Union and offers an important look at these unrecognized heroes. It is also important to remember that many African-Americans, such as John Noland (Quantrill's Partisan Raiders) and Holt Collier (Ninth Texas Cavalry) did fight freely for the Confederacy and should also be honored for their bravery.

The memorial sculpture, "Spirit of Freedom" is done by America's foremost African-American sculptor, Ed Hamilton. It is encircled by the names of 209,145 members of the US Colored Troops (USCT). The sculpture is dedicated to the black troops who fought in the Civil War and is situated directly across the street from the museum at the Metro station.

The single story museum presents ante-bellum African American history and their participation in the Civil War  through artifacts, documents and interactive exhibits. Tours are self-guided, galleries are  chronological. A helpful feature of the museum is their genealogical database. If you are related to any of the US Colored Troops, you can use it to trace your ancestors.

Most unique fact about this museum: Harriett Tubman was the only woman to ever be recognized as leading a contingent of soldiers. She served with and guided Union troops under Col. James Montgomery in a successful raid in July of 1863 along the Combahee River in South Carolina. General Saxton, who reported the raid to Secretary of War Stanton, said "This is the only military command in American history wherein a woman, black or white, led the raid and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted." Tubman was badly cheated by her government as she received only $200 in pay over a three year period and her pension request for her service was denied.

The Artillery Exhibit at Bardstown Museum

•  Bardstown Civil War Museum of the Western Theater, Kentucky

It is the fourth-largest Civil War Museum in the United States. This museum is so important because it deals with the War in the West. That is a part of the war that is little understood and seldom explored but so rich in history. Totally different from the traditionally depicted Civil War in the deep South, the western border states fought in a different way and for different reasons. This was not so much a war fought with huge regiments of infantry and artillery. Here cavalry was important and guerilla tactics such as employed by Mosby, Morgan and Quantrill were most successful. Motivation often was forged by necessity, family roots and grudges. Actually there is a complex of museums here. Along with the Civil War museum you find Pioneer Village, a frontier village in front of the museum with and buildings that date from 1776 to 1820 and Women's Civil War Museum the only museum dedicated to the life of women during the Civil War.
Kentucky was officially Union but in actual fact the state was very divided with numerous Confederate sympathizers. The museum depicts both sides of the war evenly. The number and range of the weapons displayed is fantastic. The artillery exhibit is one of the most impressive I have ever seen.

Most unique fact about this site: As a border state, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri were a factor in the wording of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation did not free ALL slaves as most people assume. It did not outlaw slavery, and did not make the ex-slaves citizens.

It reads in part: "… That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free ; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom."

Two paragraphs down he actually spells out which states or parts of states in which the slaves are freed: "…order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit: Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. Johns, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South-Carolina, North-Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth-City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth), and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued."

Lincoln could not afford to lose the allegiance of the slave holding states loyal to the Union by interfering with their slaves.

The Anderson House at Battle of Lexington Site

•  Battle of Lexington State Historical Site, Missouri

An actual battlefield around the historic Oliver Anderson home. This was a pivotal point in the direction Missouri took in the war.

In September of 1861, Missouri was attempting to maintain "armed neutrality" by refusing to aid either side in the Civil War. Sterling Price in command of the Missouri Home Guard had, with the aid of Confederate forces under General Benjamin McColloch , had been victorious at the earlier battle of Wilson's Creek where both sides suffered heavy casualties. McColloch had returned to Arkansas and Price decided to take Lexington.

During the battle, the home changed hands three times in one day. Although Price was victorious, he was unable to home his prize and retreated. From this point forward, Missouri remained under Union control but the paid a heavy price at the hands of partisan rangers who waged an unending battle in the state.

Most unique fact about this site: The uniqueness of this battle is that there were no Confederate forces here. Few people realize that the Missourians were fighting as Missouri State Guard under the command of Sterling Price who was commissioned by the Governor of Missouri, Claiborne Fox Jackson, and were not a part of the Confederate Army.

I am sure there are some places I missed that are equally good but you can't go wrong with these.

For more info:

http:// www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/
http://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm
http://www.southernmuseum.org
http://www.nps.gov/ande/index.htm
http://portcolumbus.org/
http://www.afroamcivilwar.org/
http://mostateparks.com/park/battle-lexington-state-historic-site
http://www.civil-war-museum.org/