“On to Richmond!” That was the battle cry of every soldier in the Union Army in the
spring of 1862. To achieve that end,
Union General George B. McClellan
ferries a flotilla of 400 vessels carrying 112,000 troops (and the
accoutrements of war) from Washington D.C. to the landing at Fort Monroe. His intention? To march up Virginia’s Peninsula and capture the Confederate
capital of Richmond. But first, he must
tangle with the Confederate forces under Major General John Bankhead Magruder –
“Prince John”, whose army is initially just 11,000 troops strong.
We invite you to join us and our guide, renowned historian and
author John V. Quarstein on Sunday May
2nd as we retrace the steps of these remarkable Americans.
Our excursion will
include:
¨
Fort Monroe, where it all
began and where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned for two
years following the end of the war.
¨
Lee’s Mill, which formed part of Magruder's second line
of defense.
¨
Dam
#1 (or as the Union troops called it, "The
Battle of Burnt Chimneys") which resulted in 165 Union and 145 Confederate
casualties.
¨
Redoubts 1 & 2 - Battle of
Williamsburg, where such notable warriors as James Longstreet and “Fighting
Joe” Hooker led their troops in battle.
¨
Lee Hall Mansion, the only
large antebellum plantation house remaining on the lower Virginia
Peninsula. During the Peninsula
Campaign the home was used as headquarters for Major General Magruder and
General Joseph E. Johnston.
We will meet at the GRTC
location in front of Lowe's (1512 Koger Center Boulevard behind the
Chesterfield Towne Center) at 7:15 am and the bus will leave promptly at 7:30
am. With the cost only $27.00 per
person this is one battle field tour you won’t want to miss!
