Ancestor Tracking 30 May 2001

30 May 2001            New Market, VA   to   Gettysburg, PA via  WV and  MD

After a sleep that made me glad I was in a warm sleeping bag in New Market, VA, I got up at 6:30 am and made hot water using the electrical supply from the camp site.  I remembered the first morning I was walking around in Harper’s Ferry and I saw a big RV leaving his site to depart.  Behind him was 25 ft of electrical cord.  He had forgotten to disconnect his power cord from the box.  I flagged him down and he was a bit embarrassed.   I was thinking when I plugged in today, that I don’t want to do that!  I used the next two hours to replace batteries and look for the elusive tire air pressure gauge.  Hmmmm it’s here somewhere.

Electrical cord through the window of my van

Sheep at the New Market campground

Leaving the nearly empty campground I drove back through the interesting little town of New Market.  I had meant to look in the “Old Books Store” but it wasn’t open when I passed.  I wanted to get to the New Market Historic Battlefield from the Civil War and Hall of Valor run by the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).  It was just west of the town.  A few of us early birds asked them to show the film at 9am as they opened, so they did.  It was a stirring and poignant film about the VMI Cadets and their brave participation in the battle against the Union General Sheridan, and his men. They marched from their boarding school in Lexington VA to New Market VA and about 10 boys were killed. 


New Market Battlefield from Hall of Valor site



Cannon at the New Market VA Battlefield

VMI owns many acres of the battlefield and a farmhouse that was on the site.  It was a beautiful crisp morning to walk the path of the cadets into the battle lines.  Victory that day on May 15, 1864, was to the Confederates, but it wasn’t long before the Union took the Shenandoah Valley.  There is an excellent exhibit in the modern Hall of Valor which describes the Civil War, and it is the first time I have been able to begin to put all the little battles, in place in my mind, so as to understand how each played a part in the saga of the entire war from 1861 to 1865.

View of Shenandoah River

I finally left Virginia.  After criss-crossing it a couple times, I’ve really enjoyed the best aspects of the state, but time to move north.  Back up I-81 Shenandoah Valley through a bit of West Virginia, then a bit of Maryland, then into Pennsylvania.  I can actually see the difference in the houses.  There are so many old houses in these Eastern states.  My goodness, in California they would probably all get on a historic register.  Of course my cousins in Britain would think a hundred year old house was quite modern.

I talked to the people at the PA Visitors’ Center at the border and got a bunch more pamphlets and maps.  Within the hour I was checking into the KOA at Gettysburg, PA.  Again this campground was not full.  I decided on a campground because all the motels seem to cost $75/night minimum.  Anyway, I got to use my coupon for a free night.  After 5 nights, at KOA, you get one free until 3 July, so I might as well take advantage of that.  But I did get a site with electricity.  Might as well, it doesn’t cost that much more.

Then off to the National Park Service Visitor’s Center at Gettysburg.  Overwhelmed might be a good term to describe the feeling of all the people, and all the choices of what to do to see everything at this battlefield.  I decided to see an orientation film, then see the “Electrical Map” that depicts the different battle lines from 1 to 3 July 1863.  Lee thought he had a good chance of gaining ground in the North, after their big win in Chancellorsville, VA.  But the three days of fighting and ending with the classic frontal assault “Pickett’s Charge” left thousands dead and forced Lee to retreat back to the South.  Four months later Abraham Lincoln came to dedicate the cemetery as a National Cemetery, and he delivered the two-minute speech which every school child should know – The Gettysburg Address. 


Lincoln's Gettysburg Address



At Gettysburg Peace Monument

View of the famous Gettysburg "Stone Wall"

The KOA campground here at Gettysburg was cozy and the shower hot, so all is well.  The family next to me offered the hot grill for me to use, but I’d already eaten, and nothing to cook anyway.
Tomorrow I'll see more of the Gettysburg Battlefield.



Ancestor Tracking -29 May 2001 Virginia

Today I decided to leave the KOA Campground at Fredericksburg, VA early, so by 8:30 I was on the road. But I couldn't resist checking out the geese all around. There was a misty type rain, and overcast.  I drove around Fort A.P. Hill.  Now I know it was named after a Confederate General.  I decided last night, that my visit in Virginia wouldn’t be complete without seeing the birthplaces of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.  So I drove east about 60 miles.  It is interesting that Washington, Madison, Monroe, and Robert E. Lee were all born on this, the Northern Neck of Virginia, which goes out into the Chesapeake Bay.  The area is very beautiful.

Geese at the Campground, Frederisksburg, VA

Pigs at George Washington's farm

Originally tobacco plantations, these estates were very large and wooded.  The views of the Potomac River were beautiful.  Washinton’s birthplace was called “Wakefield” and Lee’s was called “Strattford Hall.”  

View from Washington's house to Chesapeake Bay

Inside George Washington's recreated birthplace

I love this view of the cattle in the river by R.E. Lee's home- it reminds me of the Hudson River Art Movement Style

The Potomac River - now and then

I decided against driving further east to the little village of Hague.  It was tempting to do so because that is my maiden name, but I decided I had better get on back to Fredericksburg because I still wanted to see George Washington’s boyhood home “Ferry Farm” north of the Rappahannock River.     No building survives from George Washington’s day at Ferry Farm in the 1730’s but the foundations of the original house was there.  They had a beautiful view of the river and Fredericksburg on the opposite bank. That's where Washington was supposed to have thrown the dollar across the river and chopped down the cherry tree.  The Union Army used the Ferry at the farm to get troops over the river during several battles of the Civil War a century later.

The foundations of Washington's boyhood home across from Fredericksburg

Continuing west I drove through Culpepper of Minute Man fame, and crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah Mountains. I drove through Luray again, and continued up the Massanutte Mountain to get to New Market, VA.  I wanted to see where the VMI (Virginia Military Institute) military students had bravely fought.  This time I decided to try a campground that wasn’t KOA.  Rancho Campground only cost $17 and included electrical and water hook up.  Just for fun I decided to plug in my thermoelectric cooler container in the van.  I had stopped at a grocery store and bought some food I could keep cool.  I watched TV for 20 minutes, to see if tomorrow the battery will be OK.  I decided I’d better look at a map other than Virginia, and get up north.  I think I’ll go to Gettysburg, PA tomorrow, then Hershey, PA (I could use some chocolate samples), then go up to Scranton, PA and over towards Massachusetts by 8 June when I have my Time Share week there.

Foxglove flowers in Washington's home garden



Ancestor Tracking - 28 May 2001 - Richmond VA - Memorial Day

            Another “emergency” call was sent out on my cell phone.  Very handy these cell phones!   This time to AAA to come and jump my van battery.  Yes, I know I have my own jump "Power Center".  But I thought I’d give AAA a try.  Perhaps not a good idea.  Here I was, sitting at the Best Western parking lot at Richmond – capitol of Virginia, and it took 70 minutes to get a tow truck to me.  Then the guy brought over his little Jump "Power Box" and wha-la  my engine started.  Well, I just wanted to see how HE did it!  Anyway, next time, I’ll do it myself.  My battery had run down because I came out to leave, turned on the key, and then started writing down my mileage, then I started looking up my civil war ancestors, to be sure I knew their units, then I did this and that, and finally, after an hour I was all set to go --  but the van battery wasn’t.
         Well, it was a rainy morning anyway, so I might as well spend it in the dry van – ha!  But I finally got onto I-295 and headed south towards Petersburg, VA.  I had seen the amazing siege lines last year, so this time I wanted to see “City Point’ where Marshall Akins had noted he had been sent to. 

Map--- Richmond / Petersburg and City Point Virginia

City Point was the critical supply point for the Union Army siege of Petersburg.  It was supposedly the busiest port in the world for the six months or so of the siege.  It was also the Command HQ of General Grant.  

City Point Harbor during Civil War

  To finish the story, The siege of Petersburg worked, causing the Confederates to leave, and that caused the evacuation of Richmond, the confederate capitol.  Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen U.S. Grant at Appomattox a few weeks later.  

Epps Mansion - site of Grant's HQ at City Point

I left Richmond and drove downstream along the James River to Flowerdew Hundred Plantation, but it was closed by 3:45pm.  That is where Marshall Akins in Gen Hancock’s II Corps was ferried across the river from Wilcox Landing in June 1864, and later the other Corps walked across a temporarily and hastily constructed pontoon bridge – a marvel of its day. And to the City Point unit of the Petersburg National Battlefield.  I was surprised at the lack of tourists anywhere I went today.   There were just two others at City Point to hear the Ranger talk about the Epps Mansion, a house that the US Army took over in 1864-1865 for their headquarters.  General Grant's quarters were in a nearby log cabin. 

General Grant's Cabin

 I felt it was only fitting having just retired from the US Army,  to stand back at the City Point National Cemetery and watch the Memorial Day Ceremony where a few people were gathered - old veterans no doubt.  I felt like I belonged to this ceremony.  There were little US flags placed at each grave.

City Point Veterans' Cemetery on Memorial Day 2001

So where did Marshall Akins come in?  He was sent to City Point Hospital when he became ill after the force march from Chancellorsville, Bethel Church, Cold Harbor and crossing the James River to Petersburg.   I especially wanted to see the site where this hospital was located. The area is a National monument where Rangers give information and it is kept up nicely.

City Point Hospital, Virginia on the Bay of Appomattox River

   I imagined my cousin, Marshall Akins, a patient at this Hospital, exhausted yet pushing on in the forced march, yet never fully recovered from early illnesses in Alabama.

I drove back up I-295 to Cold Harbor, stopping for gas, and my only food of the day, an ice cream sandwich and banana.  Ahhh ice cream, the staff of life!  I wanted to return to Cold Harbor because I had studied the maps I bought there yesterday and knew where Marshall Akins was situated during the week or so of the battle.  In fact his Corps made the only real advance of the face-off, but they were repulsed without back-up.

Marshall Akin was in the 36th Wisconsin  - with Hancock's unit on right

Cold Harbor Visitor's Center at the battlefield

I took photos of the fields.  Further up the road had been an earlier battle near Bethel Church, the Ranger had pointed out yesterday on a map that there was a monument to the 36^th Wisconsin Regiment on a road up there.  So I found the monument and photographed it.  It had been erected by one of the soldiers, years later in honor of those of his regiment who had died, were wounded, or were captured at that spot on 1 June 1864.

Monument to the 36th Wisconsin at Bethel Church - and my Vagabond Van

Those 36th Wis Inf wounded on 1 June 1864 

    The day was fast coming to an end so I was back on the cell phone and I called KOA Campground at Fredericksburg and reserved a tent spot for the night.  Cost $25.61.  It seem like a lot for just a space and the use of the bathroom, but cheaper than a motel. 

Ancestor Tracking - Richmond VA - 27 May 2001

I ventured into Richmond since it was Sunday and there wasn't much traffic.  I might have to change my opinion of Richmond, now that I am able to drive through it not be scared to death of the traffic.  I went to the Richmond Civil War  Visitor's Center for the Richmond National Battlefield Park System.  It was downtown near Robert E. Lee's home.  It was in what used to be the Tredegar Iron Works, an important factory producing iron products for the Civil War and railroads.  It was interesting in that I think there is a Tredegar Mines or Iron Works in Wales, land of my Rees ancestors.  It was also interesting because it has been carefully restored to be the home of the Visitor's  Center.   


  

Tredegar Iron Works

The visitor's center is located on the James River (the same that I walked over in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are locks there and an impressive canal that was once 200 miles long. Now it provides a pleasant River trail - or even an opportunity to rent little motor boats for a fun ride.

James River canal at Richmond VA

I visited the Chimborazo Medical Museum where the main visitor's center used to be. The models showed it was a cantonment type hospital, much like Landstuhl Army Medical Center (whereI served  in Germany a few years ago), and many other of the Army Hospitals of only 20 years ago. That is, it was composed of radiating or staggered wards….the hospital was not one great big building, so as not to be totally damaged in a shelling, etc

Then I followed the route of the Seven Days' Battles of General McClellan's attempt to invade Richmond in 1862. These included the battles of Beaver Dam Creek, Cold Harbor, Gaines Mill, Glendale, Malvern Hill, none of which I had heard of before, but nonetheless very bloody and important battles. The confusing part was Cold Harbor which saw fighting both in 1862 and 1864. The battle I was interested in occurred in 1864 on Grant's march to Petersburg:

    The Akin connection to Cold Harbor--

136 years ago, a relative, Marshall Akins had been at Cold Harbor. According to the history: "The 36th Wis, one of Fox's fighting regiments, was organized at Madison,Wisconsin, from March 1 to 22, 1864, and mustered out July 12, 1865. It was commanded by Col. Frank A. Haskell, who was killed in action at Cold Harbor June 3, 1864, [after the Brigade Commander, Col McKeene, was killed]. Haskell was succeeded by LTC John A. Savage, who died of wounds received in action before Petersburg July 4, 1864.  LTC Clement E. Warner then took command, till mustered-out. The 36th was under fire for the first time at Spotsylvania, May 19, 1864, and became, during its service so reduced by death, wounds and disease, that it carried only 11 officers and 170 men into the fight at Ream's Station in which action it lost 134 men taken prisoners. It belonged to Gibbon's Division, Second Corps, and lost 157 killed, and 185 from disease, etc."      I found the above description of his regiment's history on an internet site, and at the Cold Harbor Visitor's Center I bought the battle maps that showed exactly where his Brigade was placed on each day of the Cold Harbor battle.

  

I knew Union soldier, Marshall Akin's son, Howard Akins, when I was a child.  He was my mother's cousin.  When he died in 1954 I received a box of his papers (see below), I guess, because I was the only one interested in them.  They were his father's Civil War papers, among other things.  His father, Marshall Akins was in the 36th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry when he was 19 years old. I wanted to see where he had fought at Cold Harbor and Petersburg.  I had read that he had been there from his application for pension written years after the war.    None of the photos were identified.  I can only assume that one of them was Marshall Akins.  The treasure box is below:

 These two tin-types were later found in a photo album of Marshall Akins
 

 On June 3rd 1864 in just one hour 6,000 Union men died.  In the two weeks of the Cold Harbor battle there were 16,000 casualties.  This battle changed the course of the War in the east from a war of maneuver to one of siege.  This was actually Marshall Akin's second enlistment.  In 1861 he enlisted with the 86th Pennsylvania  Volunteers at age 16.  He lasted only four months due to illness.   After that he moved to Wisconsin with his family and later enlisted there.   I saw the Cold Harbor battle ground today.   The Cold Harbor land is so different now, but the trenches are still there.  It must have been a terrible place to be in 1864. I walked the trails at Cold Harbor Battleground and viewed the same trenches. 

The trenches at Cold Harbor

As Grant went south to Petersburg there were various battles along the way as Lee tried to stop him.   I followed this trail in the van.  Finally at the James River there is a series of fortifications - earthworks - that are well preserved and offer interesting walks around them. I found another black snake.  This one was crawling around on the top of one of the Earthworks. 

I see on a map there is a monument to the 36th Wis on a road just north near the battle of Bethesda Church, I'll have to check that out tomorrow.   By now it was almost 7 pm and my thoughts were turning to the Western Sizzlin’ Restaurant.  So I headed back to eat and to call it a day.  It had been an exhausting day of beautiful weather and poignant thoughts.



Ancestor Tracking - Charlottesville to Richmond, VA - 26 May 2001

From Donna's Vagabond Journal of 26 May 2001:
Raining all night at the Charlottesville KOA campground, but I was nice and dry. Got up at 8:30 am and noticed the four tent sites next to me were either vacant or the occupants were in the process of leaving. I wonder if they are going to a dry motel, or further into the Shenandoah Mountains?   The camp bathroom was humming with activity, so rather than be seen heating coffee water in the bathroom, I was prompted to use my own resources to get hot water. I tested my Power Supply Battery to heat up water in my hot pot, but it took 400 watts, so just tried my hot coil, and at 100 watts it worked perfectly. Since I slept later than expected, I didn't pull out of the camp until about 11am.

I drove north in the direction of Orange, VA. On the way I stopped to view the Barbour Mansion Ruins, home of James Barbour an early governor of Virginia that burned in 1884. It was designed by Thomas Jefferson, and now has a popular vineyard and winery. Further on Hwy 20  I finally came to Montpelier, home of the 5th President of the US, James Madison and his wife Dolly. It is out of the way, and not highly publicized, but definitely an enjoyable estate to walk around. With a "AcoustiGuide" tape player you can hear about all the places you walk through.

Barbour Mansion Ruins

Montpelier

James Madison & model of Montpelier

View from the house to Montpelier grounds

Ready for dinner with James Madison and friends at Montpelier

The big house is full of history:  from the early 1800's through it's expansion when James Madison inherited it, with the entertaining done by Dolly Madison, and after Madison's death, with the sale of the estate and later purchase by a black sheep of the wealthy DuPont family of Delaware. If you go there be prepared to spend several hours enjoying the historic plantation.  The graves of James and Dolly Madison are on the grounds of Montpelier.

Graves of James and Dolly Madison

The two lane highways of Virginia, while picturesque, are narrow enough to make me hold my breath when oncoming trucks pass by. I headed back southeast and in an hour arrived at Richmond, VA. I reluctantly came to this city, but with the 3-day Memorial Day weekend, I figured a lot of the people had left the city and gone to the mountains, so I would get a motel room, use the internet, and be able to visit some of the Civil War battle sites that I had missed before. I got a room at Best Western for two nights, got a sandwich at Arby's and settled in for some serious internet exchange.  Although I had ancestors in Virginia, I wasn't sure just where they had lived.

Ancestor Tracking - around Charlottesville, VA - 25 May 2001

25 May 2001 Charlottesville, VA area  - KOA Campground

I slept late and well, then took off to find the Walton’s Mountain of the Walton’s TV show. Unfortunately I turned out of the campground in the wrong direction because I was thinking the campground was on the south side of the road – it wasn’t. So despite my very detailed map, I couldn’t find the right highway. I stopped at a rock quarry to ask directions, but the guy had to run and answer a phone. Finally I took out my GPS and it knew exactly where I was, and it agreed with the maps, despite my thinking the maps were wrong- sure. Heading in the right direction I drove through some really beautiful land. Very hilly and green, lots of trees. Beautiful, old, backwoods type area. I took some very rural roads, holding my breath each time I approached another vehicle on the narrow, nearly one-lane road. I haven’t gotten comfortable with the van width yet.

Walton  Mt Museum at Schuyler

 The home of Earl Hamner, the original “John-Boy Walton” of the TV show was raised in Schuyler, VA.  I was surprised his house was actually in the tiny town, and not up by itself on the way to Walton’s Mountain.  The town had prospered due to a soapstone quarry and works in the town.  Earl’s father worked there.  There were several old churches.  “Ike Godsey’s” store, has now burned down.  The school is now made into a community center and museum for the Waltons.  Several rooms are made up to appear as the Walton’s home on TV looked. 

"Ike Godsey's Store"

"Walton's Living Room"

I watched a video and was amazed at how similar all the Walton kids looked like the real Hamner kids.  Earl Hamner helped with the original casting, and even chose Richard Thomas to play himself.  Ate next door at the Schuyler Family Restaurant, and enjoyed the lunch and down-home service.

Real and TV "John Boy" Walton / Hamner

The real Walton / Hamner home

Heading back to Charlottesville I took the tiny Rockfish River Road – quiet and isolated, each turn a picture of peacefulness.. The rain came again as I was getting back into Thomas Jefferson’s neighborhood. Reminded me of two years ago during Hurricane Dennis (?) how I slogged through the downpour to visit Monticello. Today I would visit Ashlawn-Highlands, the home of James Monroe, 5th President of the US, and good friend of Jefferson. Last time I only got as far as the parking lot, then due to a ticking clock, pulled back out to be able to get back to Ft Bragg, NC in time for work at the hospital. Well, no work schedule for me today.

Rockfish Road

Ash Highlands - home of James Monroe

A very modest home for ex-president Monroe back in the early 1800’s. He wasn’t of the new aristocracy as were Washington and Jefferson. The home, slave quarters, and overseer’s house were nicely kept, and maintained by the College of William & Mary. Next on the agenda, driving past Monticello, was a stop at Michie’s Tavern. Built in the late 1700’s as a home, it became a tavern and lodging place for travelers. The tour was different in that it wasn’t a regular home, and included a well, an outhouse or “necessary”, a spring house, curing shed, and grist mill. There is also no lack of souvenirs for the tourists to buy, but I was able to resist these, as my van won’t hold much.

Michie's Tavern

Room at historic Michie's Tavern

Back at the campground, there was a bustling of activity, as the Memorial Day Weekend has begun. All spots were filled except a couple tent sites. It’s kind of nice to see the kids playing and all the activity. I was happy in my van. It was still raining lightly. For dinner I finished the potato salad left from Walton’s Mt, and the remainder of the asparagus, plus some triscuits (my daughter’s favorite) with Apple Chutney (OK I couldn’t resist buying that). Used the van battery for a half hour of news on the TV and 45 minutes of reading lights. The test will be if the van battery starts in the morning. ??