On To Richmond

By Leslie Dickstein

Sure they teach the civil war in school. But to bring one of the most important events in American history to life, there's nothing quite like standing on the same ground that General Ulysses S. Grant stood on more than a century ago or walking across the fields where tens of thousands of soldiers died.

Begin your trip in Gettysburg, which this summer celebrates the 135th anniversary of the famous battle fought there. From July 1 through July 5, some 20,000 re-enactors--and thousands of spectators--will meet at a farm about two miles from the Gettysburg National Military Park for what is billed as "the largest gathering of Blue and Gray since the Civil War."

At about the same time, the National Park Service plays host at its own commemorative events at the Gettysburg National Military Park. There are ranger-guided anniversary walks and demonstrations by living-history groups. Don't miss the one-hour "Life of the Common Soldier" program, which allows kids to enlist, march, drill and even receive an honorable discharge. The program is offered daily at 11, but register early--between 10 and 10:30--at the Cyclorama Center. (These five days are expected to be very crowded, so make your hotel reservations early.)

From Gettysburg, head south to Antietam National Battlefield at Sharpsburg, where soldiers fought on what was the bloodiest day of the Civil War. After a couple of hours' tour, continue to Harpers Ferry, site of abolitionist John Brown's notorious raid on the U.S. arsenal. Harpers Ferry, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, is a great place for family outdoor activities like canoeing, rafting and hiking. At the Historical Park, visit the restored, pre-Civil War Lower Town, with its many living-history demonstrations. Plan to stay at the historic Hilltop House, a century-old stone inn on a bluff overlooking the Potomac and the Shenandoah. Mark Twain and Woodrow Wilson stayed there.

It's a 30-minute drive from Harpers Ferry to Manassas National Battlefield Park, where soldiers fought the Battles of Bull Run and where General "Stonewall" Jackson earned his nickname. Then head west to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and its four major battlefields: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. You'll need at least two days to take it all in, so plan to spend at least one night in a city hotel, inn or bed and breakfast (call the Fredericksburg Visitor Center for complete lodging information). While you're in the neighborhood, visit the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, where Monroe had his first law office, and the George Washington Birthplace National Monument, about 38 miles west.

From there, as the Union Army generals declared, it's on to Richmond, capital of the Confederacy. Stay at the Jefferson Hotel, a deluxe property that has played host to everyone from Theodore Roosevelt to Elvis Presley. Richmond is a trove of Civil War memorabilia (the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Monument Avenue and the Richmond National Battlefield) and also boasts sites like St. John's Episcopal Church, where Patrick Henry gave his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in 1775. A $15 block ticket gives access to more than 36 museums, houses, hotels and churches, available through the Richmond Visitors Center (children under seven are free).

Use Richmond as a base to visit the last two tour stops: the Petersburg National Battlefield, where months of fighting led to the fall of Richmond, and Appomattox Court House, where Lee ultimately surrendered to Grant. Both are easy and worthwhile day trips from town--and a fitting way to end your tour.