WARREN BEATH

On the 16th we started the day at the Visitor’s Center in Fredericksburg, and a walking tour of Marye’s Heights. Then, we drove to Chancellorsville and the site of the wounding of Stonewall Jackson. We took a long walking tour from the Visitor’s Center to the ruins of the Chancellor House and along the earthworks that represented the lines of the opposing armies. This was a great hike. Then it was north, to Ellwood– where Jackson’s arm was buried– but it was closed, or there was no ranger there and the entrance was gated. We went to Saunder’s Field near Grant’s headquarters at the second battle of the wilderness, and followed the roads back to Spotsylvania– where we were staying.

The next day, the 17th, we picked up the driving tour of the Wilderness Campaign and Spotsylvania. Afterwards, we had a difficult time finding Guinea Station where Jackson had died– but we eventually made it, and toured the house and paused at the room where he succumbed to his wound, with his wife and his aides at his side. “Let us cross the river and rest in the shade of the trees”… His last words.

We drove up to Manassas, and went on another nice hike around the Henry House and the environs. I would have liked to have gone on longer hikes at all these locations– but there would not have been time to see everything.