The American Civil War

The Eastern Theater

During the four years the American Civil War raged more than 622,000 soldiers died of disease and battle wounds, a number representing two percent of the population of the United States at that time. This American Civil War Battlefield Tour covers the highlights of the eastern theater of the Civil War where much of the heaviest fighting occurred. In this region, six of the ten bloodiest battles of the Civil War were fought and we will focus on visits to those American Civil War battlefields from our bases at two historic towns of the ACW era – Fredericksburg, Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Our American Civil War battlefield tour visits civil war museums, restored period houses, interpretive Visitor Centers and the wonderfully preserved scenes of many of the most famous battles of the American Civil War: Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg the Wilderness and Spotsylvania.

“Well, it is all over now. The battle is lost, and many of us are prisoners, many are dead, many wounded, bleeding and dying. Your Soldier lives and mourns and but for you, my darling, he would rather, a million times rather, be back there with his dead, to sleep for all time in an unknown grave.”

Maj Gen George Pickett

Day 1.

Arrival at Dulles International, Northern Virginia. Transfer to Hotel in Alexandria. Evening Civil War Eastern Theater orientation program.

Day 2.

We leave our Alexandria hotel and our American Civil War battlefield tour follows the route of the newly formed federal army west to the crucial rail junction at Manassas where two great battles of the American Civil War were fought. Following a stop at the park's visitor centre we will tour the battlefields of the first large battle of the Civil War – known as Bull Run in the north and Manassas in the south. It was here that a little known southern general, Thomas Jackson earned his immortal sobriquet, "Stonewall." In the afternoon we will explore the Civil War battlefield of August 1862, known as Second Manassas. This was one of the largest battles of the ACW to that point and precipitated the south's first invasion of the north. After our visit we will drive south to Fredericksburg, our headquarters for the next three nights.

"That man will fight us every day and every hour till the end of the war".

Lt Gen James Longstreet

Day 3.

The area around the historic colonial city of Fredericksburg, Virginia was a scene of contention throughout much of the American Civil War. In its vicinity four major Civil War battles were fought and over 100,000 casualties were sustained by the two armies. At the Battle of Fredericksburg fought in December 1862 we see Marye's Heights and the stonewall against which the Union army hurled itself in a series of fateful charges. After a quick lunch our American Civil War battlefield tour drives ten miles to the west to explore the field of Chancellorsville (May, 1863), considered by many to have been Robert E. Lee's greatest military victory.

Day 4.

The two contending Civil War armies returned to the Fredericksburg area again in the spring of 1864 as General Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign was launched in what would be a continuous ten-month struggle which ultimately destroyed Lee's army. Over the first three weeks of May combat in the tangled Wilderness and again a few miles south around Spotsylvania Court House resulted in two of the top five bloodiest actions of the American Civil War. Our Civil War tour explores those two Civil War battlefields today, spending the morning in the Wilderness including a visit to the burial site of Stonewall Jackson's arm! In the afternoon the remains of the trench lines representing the bloody struggle at Spotsylvania will be our focus.

Day 5.

Check out of our Fredericksburg hotel to change our American Civil War base of operations to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. En route we will pass through Brandy Station – site of the largest cavalry battle fought in North America. We will go over a portion of the scenic Skyline Drive and then up through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia – a natural invasion route and the site of many American Civil War battles in 1862 and 1864. Brief stops will be made at some of the Civil War sites associated with the Valley Campaigns of 1862 and 1864 including Cedar Creek where southern military power in the Shenandoah was finally destroyed and Winchester which had three significant battles fought in it and changed hands some 72 times during the course of the Civil War. Our tour continues on to Gettysburg to check in to our hotel for three nights.

Day 6.

This day is devoted to exploring the battlefield sites associated with the Maryland Campaign of 1862 which culminated in the bloodiest single day of the American Civil War – the battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg. Starting with the finding of Special Orders #191 (on the site of the 1864 Battle of Monocacy) we will follow Union General George McClellan's army as it tries to force the strategic South Mountain passes. Then it is on to Sharpsburg along the Antietam creek. One of the best preserved battle sites of the civil war, our battlefield tour visits some of the scenes of the fiercest action including the Dunkard Church, Miller's and Otto's Cornfields, the Sunken Lane and Burnside's Bridge.

Day 7.

One of the crucial turning points of the American Civil War and great battles in world history took place at the small Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. We will start at the brand new state-of-the-art Civil War Visitor Center to view the brilliantly restored Cyclorama painting and one of the finest military museums in the world. We will then tour the Gettysburg battlefield's highlights making stops at historic sites such as Oak Hill, Cemetery Hill. Little Round Top, the Wheatfield and Devil's Den and the famous Angle. A highlight of the day will be the opportunity to walk the route of the infantry assault known as Pickett's Charge. The impact of the battle on Gettysburg's inhabitants will be explored with a tour of Gettysburg's historic district and an opportunity to visit the Shriver House - restored to its Civil War battle-era appearance.

Day 8.

Check out of our hotel and make a tour stop at the newly restored David Will's House in downtown Gettysburg where Abraham Lincoln finished polishing up his famous Gettysburg Address which was delivered in the nearby National Cemetery. Following some free time and lunch we will depart for Dulles and the return flight.

Day 9.

Arrive London.