Battery B, 4th U.S. Light Artillery - Civil War Military Parks Addresses

Tour the Civil War

Civil War Sites Operated by

Arkansas

The Battle of Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge National Military Park is a 4,300 acre Civil War Battlefield that preserves the site of the March 1862 battle that saved Missouri for the Union. On March 7-8^th, 1862, over 26,000 troops locked horns on this site. Major General Earl Van Dorn led 16,000 Confederates against 10,500 Union soldiers, under the command of Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis. Van Dorn's troops consisted of regular Confederate troops commanded by Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch, and Missouri State guardsmen commanded by Major General Sterling Price. The Confederate force also included some 800 Cherokee Indians fighting for the Confederacy. The Union army consisted of men from Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. Half of these Federals were German immigrants recruited near St. Louis. The park also includes a two and one half mile segment of the Trail of Tears. The Elkhorn Tavern, site of bitter fighting on both days, is a NPS reconstruction on the site of the original. The park represents what might be the most well preserved Civil War battlefield in the country.
Where:
Pea Ridge National Military Park
P.O. Box 700
Pea Ridge, AR 72751
(501) 451-8122

Fort Hindman. Confederate troops tried to maintain tactical control of the confluence of the two rivers, and in 1862 they constructed an earthen fortification known as Fort Hindman. In January, 1863, Union troops destroyed the fort and adjacent river port town, ensuring control of the Arkansas River.
Where:
Arkansas Post National Memorial
1741 Old Post Road
Gillett, AR 72055
(870) 548-2207

Fort Smith. Fort Smith, on the Arkansas River at the state's western border, embraces the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Commemorating a significant phase of America's westward expansion, it stands today as a reminder of 80 turbulent years in the history of Federal Indian Policy. The Fort changed hands twice during the war. In July 1864, Confederates mounted a six-day attack, but the U.S. Army retained control.
Where:
Fort Smith National Historic Site
P.O. Box 1406
Fort Smith, AR 72902
(501) 783-3961

California

Fortress Alcatraz. San Francisco's first defenses, eleven cannons, were mounted on Alcatraz in 1854. By the early 1860's Alcatraz had 111 cannons. Ironically, while built to guard against a foreign invasion, Alcatraz's most important period militarily was during the Civil War, 1861-1865. Since it was the only completed fort in the bay, it was vital in protecting San Francisco from Confederate raiders. Early in the war ten thousand rifles were moved to Alcatraz from the State armory, to prevent their being used by southern sympathizers, The crew of a Confederate privateer were among the island's first prisoners.
Where:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area Headquarters
Fort Mason, Building 201
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 705-1042 or (415) 556-0560

Fort Point. Fort Point was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1853 and 1861 to prevent entrance of a hostile fleet into San Francisco Bay. The fort was designed to mount 126 massive cannon. Rushed to completion at the beginning of the Civil War, Fort Point was first garrisoned in February of 1861 by Battery I, 3^rd U.S. Field Artillery. The fort was occupied throughout the Civil War, but the advent of faster, more powerful rifled cannon made brick forts such as Fort Point obsolete. In 1886 the troops were withdrawn, and the last cannon were removed about 1900. The fort was then used for storage and training purposes for many years.
Where:
Fort Point National Historic Site
P.O. Box 29333
Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129-0333
(415) 556-1693

Florida

Fort Jefferson. Possession of Florida passed from Spain to the United States in 1821. Fort Jefferson was soon planned to be the largest of the coastal forts that guarded the nation’s commerce and harbors, and the southernmost anchor in the system, defending against invasion and protecting shipping between the mouth of the Mississippi River and the Atlantic. In 1846, it began to rise on Garden Key. The fort was established as a military prison in 1861. Union deserters were brought here, and then Dr. Samuel Mudd, implicated in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln because he treated assassin John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg. The Fort was closed in 1874. Garden Key remained for a time a coaling station for American vessels; the USS Maine refueled here in 1898 before crossing the Florida Straits to Havana where it exploded and sank in circumstances that contributed to America’s decision to expel Spain from Cuba. In 1908 the Dry Tortugas was made a wildlife refuge, and in 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared it a national monument. It was not until 1992 that the Dry Tortugas became a National Park.
Where:
Dry Tortugas National Park
P.O. Box 6208
Key West, FL 33041
(305) 242-7700

Georgia

Andersonville Prison. Andersonville National Historic Site is unique in the National Park Service as the only park to serve as a memorial to all Americans ever held as prisoners of war. The 475 acre park, consisting of the national cemetery and prison site, exemplifies the grim life suffered by prisoners of war, North and South, during the Civil War. The historic site was established in 1970.
Where:
Andersonville National Historic Site
Route 1, Box 800
Andersonville, GA 31711
(912) 924-0343

The Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. The Confederates forced a Union retreat toward Chattanooga. Once in Tennessee, Union reinforcements held off the Confederate advance.
Where:
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
P.O. Box 2128
3370 LaFayette Road
Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742
(706) 866-9241

Fort Pulaski. Here on April 11^th, 1862, defense strategy changed worldwide when Union rifled cannon first overcame a masonry fortification after only 30 hours of bombardment. Named for Revolutionary War hero, Count Casimir Pulaski, Fort Pulaski took some 18 years to build and was the first military assignment for a young Second Lieutenant fresh from West Point - Robert E. Lee. This remarkably intact example of 19^th century military architecture, with its estimated 25 million brick and 7.5 foot thick walls, is preserved for future generations by the National Park Service as a reminder of the elusiveness of invincibility.
Where:
Fort Pulaski National Monument
P.O. Box 30757
U.S. Highway 80 East
Savannah, GA 31410-0757
(912) 786-5787

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. General William Tecumseh Sherman's force of 110,000 Union troops outflanked 65,000 Confederate troops, opening Sherman's march to Atlanta.
Where:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 427-4686

Illinois

Lincoln's Home. At the park's center stands the two-story home of Abraham Lincoln, the only home he ever owned. The home was constructed in 1839 as a one story cottage and the Lincoln's lived in the house from 1844 until his election to the Presidency in 1861. The home, which has been restored to its 1860s appearance, reveals Lincoln as husband, father, politician, and President-elect. It stands in the midst of a four-block historic neighborhood which the National Park Service is restoring so that the neighborhood, like the house, will appear much as Lincoln would have remembered it.
Where:
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
413 South Eighth Street
Springfield, IL 62701-1905
(217) 492-4241, ext. 221 for the Visitor Center.

Indiana

Lincoln's Boyhood Home. On this southern Indiana farm, Abraham Lincoln spent fourteen of the most formative years of his life and grew from youth into manhood. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried here.
Where:
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
P.O. Box 1816
Lincoln City, IN 47552
(812) 937-4541

Kansas

Fort Scott. Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861. In the same year, the Civil War broke out and a new wave of conflict engulfed the area. The United States Army returned to Fort Scott and established a major military complex. This complex included a supply base, a training ground, an army hospital, and a military prison and was surrounded by approximately 40 miles of fortifications. The town served as a logistical center for troops operating in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and the Indian Territory (now the State of Oklahoma). Fort Scott was also a refugee center for the many people left homeless in this region during the war. Many of these refugees were later organized into military units. The 1^stand 2^nd Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiments, which were among the first African-American troops from a Northern state, were mustered in at Fort Scott. Also present in the region were three regiments of Indian Home Guards, the largest concentration of American Indians to serve in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
Where:
Fort Scott National Historic Site
P.O. Box 918
Fort Scott, KS 66701-1471
(316) 223-0310

Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace. In the fall of 1808, Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln settled on the 348 acre Sinking Spring Farm. Two months later on February 12^th, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin near the Sinking Spring. Here the Lincoln's lived and farmed before moving to land a few miles away at Knob Creek. The area was established by Congress on July 17^th, 1916. An early 19^th century Kentucky cabin, symbolic of the one in which Lincoln was born, is preserved in a memorial building at the site of his birth. The park contains 116.5 acres or approximately one-third of the original farm.
Where:
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
2995 Lincoln Farm Road
Hodgenville, KY 42748
(502) 358-3137

Cumberland Gap. Carved by wind and water, Cumberland Gap forms a major break in the formidable Appalachian Mountain chain. First used by large game animals in their migratory journeys, followed by Native Americans, the Cumberland Gap was the first and best avenue for the settlement of the interior of this nation. In the late 1700's more than 200,00 men, women, and children crossed the Gap into the unknown land of Kentucky. This important gap was a vital transportation route for the Confederacy that the Union wanted closed.
Where:
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
US 25E South
P.O. Box 1848
Middlesboro, KY 40965
(606)248-2817

Massachusetts

Civil War Boston. Located in the heart of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood, the site includes 15 pre-Civil War structures relating to the history of Boston's 19^th century African-American community, including: the African Meeting House, the oldest standing African-American church in the United States. The sites are linked by the 1.6 mile (2.5 km) Black Heritage Trail®. Augustus Saint-Gaudens', memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the African-American 54^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, stands on the trail.
Where:
Boston African-American National Historic Site
14 Beacon St., Suite 506
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 742-5415

Springfield Armory. The first National Armory, established in 1794 and closed in 1968, the Springfield Armory technology profoundly affected the lives of soldiers and civilians. Armory arms decided battle tactics. They were essential in all major conflicts in U.S. History. Armory inventions revolutionized the manufacture of consumer products like keys, shoes, baseball bats and furniture. Housed in the original Main Arsenal, the museum maintains one of the most extensive and unique firearms collections in the world. Special exhibits, events and film. Public and school programs. Springfield Armory National Historic Site encompasses approximately 55 acres and several buildings of the original armory complex. The central attraction is the Arsenal building, #13, constructed in the 1840's. The weapons collection housed in the Main arsenal was started about 1870 by Col. J.G. Benton as a technical "library" for armory personnel. It is now regarded as the Nation's largest collection of small arms.
Where:
Springfield Armory National Historic Site
One Armory Square
Springfield, MA 01105-1299
(413) 734-8551

Maryland

The Battle of Antietam. On September 17^th, 1862, the bloodiest single day in American history, 10,300 Confederate soldiers and 12,400 Union soldiers died here. Neither side claimed victory despite a Confederate retreat. This battle marks the end of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North and led to Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Of Special Interest is Antietam National Battlefield's "Adopt a Cannon" Program.
Where:
Antietam National Battlefield
P.O. Box 158
Sharpsburg, MD 21782
(301) 432-5124

Clara Barton Home. Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo served as her home, headquarters for the American Red Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies. From this house, she organized and directed American Red Cross relief efforts for victims of natural disasters and war. Clara Barton National Historic Site was established in the National Park Service in 1975 and is administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Where:
Clara Barton National Historic Site
5801 Oxford Road
Glen Echo, MD 20812
(301) 492-6245

Fort McHenry. During the Civil War, it was occupied by Union forces who used it as a prison camp for the detention of Confederate soldiers, southern sympathizers, and political prisoners.
Where:
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
East Fort Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21230-5393
(410) 962-4290

The Battle of Monocacy. Known as the "Battle That Saved Washington", the battle of Monocacy on July 9^th, 1864 between 18,000 Confederate forces under General Jubal Early, and 5,800 Union forces under General Lew Wallace, marked the last campaign of the Confederacy to carry the war into the north. One of the objectives of this campaign was to capture Washington, D.C. Although this battle was a military victory for the Confederates, it was also a defeat. Time spent for battle cost the Confederates a day's delay in marching on the federal capital. General Lew Wallace's defense along the Monocacy bought critical time to allow Washington to be reinforced. Early's raid would be thwarted and the fighting would be taken to the south for the rest of the war.
Where:
Monocacy National Battlefield
4801 Urbana Pike
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 662-3515

Mississippi

The Battle of Brices Cross Roads. The Confederate cavalry was employed with extraordinary skill here during the battle of June 10^th, 1864. The site commemorates a battle initiated by Union forces to keep Confederate troops from disrupting Union supply routes.
Where:
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
Superintendent, Natchez Trace Parkway
RR 1, NT-143
Tupelo, MS 38801

Natchez. Natchez National Historical Park celebrates the history of Natchez, Mississippi and interprets the pivotal role the city played in the settlement of the old southwest, the Cotton Kingdom, and the Antebellum South. The park is made up of three units. Fort Rosalie is the location of an 18^th Century fortification built by the French and occupied by the British, Spanish and Americans. The William Johnson House was a house and business owned by William Johnson, a free black man, whose diary tells the story of everyday life in antebellum Natchez. Melrose was the estate of the John T. McMurran who rose from being a middle class lawyer to a position of wealth and power in antebellum Natchez. Melrose is the only unit currently open to the public.
Where:
Natchez National Historical Park
P.O. Box 1208
Natchez, MS 39121
(601) 442-7047

Tupelo National Battlefield. On July 13-14, 1864, Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest tried to cut the railroad supplying the Union's march on Atlanta. The Battle of Tupelo, which was a part of a larger strategy by Federal Major General William Tecumseh Sherman to protect the railroad that was his supply line, broke out on July 14, 1864, when Federal troops under General A.J. Smith battled Confederates under General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Both sides also battled the heat that ultimately forced the Federal retreat.
Where:
Tupelo National Battlefield
2680 Natchez Trace Parkway
Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 680-4025

The Siege of Vicksburg. The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It included battles in west-central Mississippi at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River and 47 days of Union siege operations against Confederate forces defending the city of Vicksburg. Located high on the bluffs, Vicksburg was a fortress guarding the Mississippi River. It was known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy." Its surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana, divided the South, and gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River.
Where:
Vicksburg National Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS 39180
(601) 636-0583

Missouri

Ulysses S. Grant Home (Grant's Farm). The park commemorates the life, military career, and Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, as well as his wife Julia Dent Grant. The site, also known as White Haven, consists of 9.65 acres holding five historic structures (main house, stone building, barn, chicken house, and ice house).
Where:
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
7400 Grant Road
St. Louis, MO 63123-1801
(314) 842-3298

The Battle of Wilson's Creek. The battle fought here on August 10^th, 1861, was the first major Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi River, involving about 5,000 Union troops and 10,000 Confederates. It was a Confederate victory, though not a decisive one; as participants, both Union and Confederate, would meet again in a few months. It was also here where the first Union general, Nathaniel Lyon, met his death. With the exception of the vegetation, the 1,750 acre battlefield has changed little from its historic setting, enabling the visitor to experience the battlefield in near pristine condition.
Where:
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
6424 W. Farm Road 182
Republic, MO 65738
(417) 732-2662

New Mexico

The Battle of Glorieta Pass. Pecos preserves 10,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, two Spanish Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass.
Where:
Pecos National Historical Park
P.O. Box 418
Pecos, NM 87552
(505) 757-6032

New York

Grant's Tomb. General Grant National Memorial, popularly known as Grant's Tomb, is the final resting place of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant. Designed by architect John Duncan, the granite and marble tomb was completed in 1897 and is the largest mausoleum in North America.
Where:
General Grant National Memorial
Riverside Drive and 122^nd Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 666-1640

Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg. Located 50 miles northwest of Baltimore, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of the largest Civil War battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere. The Battle of Gettysburg opened on July 1, 1863 and closed two days later with the climactic "Pickett's Charge". It resulted in a Union victory for the Army of the Potomac and successfully turned back the second invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Over 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured making it the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It was also a major turning point in the war. Historians have referred to the Battle of Gettysburg as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy." It was the last major effort by Lee to take the fighting out of Virginia and into northern states. The Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg contains more than 7,000 interments including over 3,500 from the Civil War. It was here that President Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
Where:
Gettysburg National Military Park
P.O. Box 1080
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1080
(717) 334-1124

South Carolina

Fort Moultrie. Fort Moultrie's history covers 171 years of seacoast defense, including the first decisive victory in the American Revolution and firing onto Fort Sumter during the first battle of the Civil War. The third Fort Moultrie, built in 1809, stands today. By touring the fort, visitors can see how coastal defenses have evolved.
Where:
Fort Moultrie National Monument
1214 Middle St.
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
(803) 883-3123

Fort Sumter. The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12-13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union commander, Major Anderson, surrendered the fort to the Confederate General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22 month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was reduced to brick rubble.
Where:
Fort Sumter National Monument
1214 Middle Street
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
(803) 883-3123

Tennessee

Andrew Johnson. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site honors the life and work of the nation's 17^th President and preserves his two homes, tailor shop, and grave site. Andrew Johnson's life exemplifies many struggles faced by Americans today. He worked his way from tailor to President. He stood strong for his ideals and beliefs. His presidency, from 1865 to 1869, illustrates the United States Constitution at work following Lincoln's assassination and during attempts to reunify a nation that had been torn by civil war. His work helped shape the future of the United States and his influences continue today
Where:
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
P.O. Box 1088
Greeneville, TN 37744-1088
(423) 638-3551

Fort Donelson. On February 16^th, 1862 the Union Army in Tennessee, under the command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, won its first major victory of the Civil War. The proposed terms of "Unconditional Surrender" were accepted by the defeated Confederates. The capture of Fort Donelson and approximately 13,000 Confederate soldiers delivered a devastating blow to the Confederacy, and the defeat set the stage for the Union's invasion of the deep south. The victory propelled Brigadier General Grant into national prominence, favoritism of Abraham Lincoln and eventual command of the Union Army.
Where:
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
P.O. Box 434
Dover, TN 37058-0434
(615) 232-5348

The Battle of Shiloh. The scene of the first major battle in the Western theater of the Civil War. The two-day battle, April 6-7, 1862, involved about 65,000 Union and 44,000 Confederate troops. This battle resulted in nearly 24,000 killed, wounded, and missing. It proved to be a decisive victory for the federal forces when they advanced on and seized control of the Confederate railway system at Corinth, Mississippi. The battlefield contains about 4,000 acres and has within its boundaries the Shiloh National Cemetery along with the well preserved prehistoric Indian mounds that are listed as a historic landmark.
Where:
Shiloh National Military Park
P.O. Box 67
Shiloh, TN 38376
(901) 689-5275

The Battle of Stones River. A fierce battle took place at Stones River between December 31^st, 1862 and January 2^nd, 1863. General Bragg's Confederates withdrew after the battle, allowing General Rosecrans and the Union army to control middle Tennessee. Although the battle was tactically indecisive, it provided a much-needed boost to the North after the defeat at Fredericksburg. Lincoln later wrote to General Rosecrans, "I can never forget [...] you gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over."
Where:
Stones River National Battlefield
3501 Old Nashville Highway
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 893-9501

Virginia

Appomattox Court House. Walk the old county lanes where Robert E. Lee, Commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses Grant, General-in-Chief of all United States forces, on April 9, 1865. Imagine the events that signaled the end of the Southern States' attempt to create a separate nation.
Where:
Appomattox Court House National Historic Park
P.O. Box 218
Appomattox, VA 24522-0218
(804) 352-8987

Arlington House. Today, the house that Robert E. Lee lived in for 30 years and that is uniquely associated with the families of Washington, Custis and Lee is a memorial to Lee, who gained the respect of Northerners and Southerners through his service in the Civil War.
Where:
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
c/o National Park Service
George Washington Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Park
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 557-0613

Fort Marcy. A fortification around Washington, DC. The "Iron Brigade" was originated at this fort in the summer of 1861 and was among the troops that performed garrison duty here during the war.
Where:
George Washington Memorial Parkway
c/o Turkey Run Park
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 285-2600

The Battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. The Union army is beaten after boldly attacking both Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. At The Wilderness and Spotsylvania, Grant and Lee began their classic battles that would end with Lee's surrender.
Where:
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County National Military Park
120 Chatham Lane
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
(703) 373-4461

The Battles of Manassas (Bull Run). The battles were fought here July 21, 1861 and August 28-30, 1862. The 1861 battle was the first test of Northern and Southern military prowess. Here Confederate Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson acquired his nickname "Stonewall." The 1862 battle was the soon to be called "Iron Brigade's" baptism of fire.
Where:
Manassas National Battlefield Park
6511 Sudley Road
Manassas, VA 22110
(703) 361-1339

The Siege of Petersburg. Petersburg, Virginia, became the setting for the longest siege in American history when General Ulysses S. Grant failed to capture Richmond in the spring of 1864. Grant settled in to subdue the Confederacy by surrounding Petersburg and cutting off General Robert E. Lee's supply lines into Petersburg and Richmond. On April 2, 1865, nine-and-one-half months after the siege began, Lee evacuated Petersburg.
Where:
Petersburg National Battlefield
P.O. Box 549
Petersburg, VA 23804
(804) 732-3531

The Battle's for Richmond. Between 1861 and 1865, Union armies repeatedly set out to capture Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, and end the Civil War. Three of those campaigns came within a few miles of the city. The park commemorates eleven different sites associated with those campaigns including the battlefields at Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and Cold Harbor.
Where:
Richmond National Battlefield Park
3215 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 226-1981

The Battles for the Shenandoah Valley. Shenandoah National Park lies astride a beautiful section of the Blue Ridge, which forms the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains between Pennsylvania and Georgia. In the valley to the west is the Shenandoah River, from which some feel the Park gets its name, and between the north and south forks of the river is Massanutten, a 40-mile-long mountain. To the east is the rolling Piedmont country. Providing vistas of the spectacular landscape is Skyline Drive, a winding road that runs along the crest of this portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the length of the Park. Includes some Civil War battlefields.
Where:
Shenandoah National Park
3655 East U.S. 211
Luray, VA 22835-9036
(540) 999-3500

The Battle of Yorktown. Colonial National Historical Park administers two of the most historically significant sites in English North America: the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War at Yorktown in 1781, literally the beginning and end of English colonial America. Situated on the Virginia Peninsula, these sites are connected by the 23 mile scenic Colonial Parkway. Colonial National Historical Park also includes the Cape Henry Memorial, which marks the approximate site of the first landing of the Jamestown colonists in April of 1607 and overlooks the site of the decisive Battle of the Capes fought in September of 1781 preceding the siege of Yorktown. Besides the significant cultural resources, Colonial National Historical Park has a variety of natural resources including extensive wetlands, forest, fields, shorelines and streams, as well as rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals. Includes the Civil War battle of Yorktown.
Where:
Colonial National Historical Park
P.O. Box 210
Yorktown, VA 23690-0210
(757) 898-3400

Washington

San Juan Island. On June 15, 1859, an American farmer named Lyman Cutlar shot and killed a Hudson's Bay Company pig rooting in his San Juan Island potato patch. By so doing he nearly started a war between the United States and Great Britain. Cutlar's act drew the ire of the Hudson's Bay Company, which then compelled U.S. Army Department of Oregon commander Brigadier General William S. Harney to dispatch a company of the 9^th U.S. Infantry, under Captain George E. Pickett, to San Juan on July 27. British Columbia Governor James Douglas responded by sending a warship under Royal Navy Captain Geoffrey Phipps Hornby to dislodge Pickett, but to avoid an armed clash if possible. The two sides faced off on the Cattle Point peninsula for more than two months with the opposing forces growing to nearly 500 U.S. soldiers, plus artillery, and three British warships. When the home governments learned of the crisis, leaders on both sides took positive steps to maintain the peace.
Where:
San Juan Island National Historical Park
P.O. Box 429
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360) 378-2240 or (360) 378-2902

Washington, DC

Ford's Theater. On the night of April 14^th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. The President died in the early hours of April 15^th in the small back bedroom of a boarding house across the street. The theater in which Lincoln was shot and the house where he died are preserved today as Ford's Theater National Historic Site.
Where:
Ford's Theater National Historic Site
511 10^th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202)426-6924

Battery Kemble, Fort DeRussy, Fort Stevens, Fort Slocum, Fort Slocum, and Fort Totten. Fort DeRussy was built on a high hill with the purpose of providing cross fire upon the approaches to Fort Stevens on the 7^th Street Pike (now Georgia Avenue) and, together with Fort Kearney and Fort Reno to the west, controlling the country roads between Rockville Pike and Rock Creek Valley. It was built in 1861 by the 4^th New York Volunteer Heavy Artillery and named after its commander, Colonel Gustavus A. DeRussy.
Where:
Rock Creek Park
3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW
Washington, DC 20008-1207
(202) 282-1063

Frederick Douglass Home. From 1877 to 1895, this was the home of Frederick Douglass, the Nation's leading 19^thCentury African American spokesman. Visitors to the site will learn more about his efforts to abolish slavery and his struggle for Human Rights, Equal Rights and Civil Rights for all oppressed people. Among Frederick Douglass' other achievements, he was U.S. minister to Haiti in 1889. Authorized September 5, 1962, as Frederick Douglass Home; redesignated February 12, 1988.
Where:
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
1411 W Street SE
Washington, DC 20020-4813
(202) 426-5961

West Virginia

Harpers Ferry. Throughout its history, Harpers Ferry has been the backdrop for remarkable and unparalleled events. Here, in one setting, several themes in the American story converge: Native Americans, industry and transportation, African-Americans, John Brown, the Civil War, and the natural environment. This is where some say the Civil War really started.
Where:
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
P.O. Box 65
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6298