Virginia Mountains - Vistas, History, & Wineries

[giradman]

Thanks - did not know that coin, but George Washington Carver another famous African American - I've always called him the Peanut Man - Dave

 

[giradman]

Appomattox - Lee Surrenders to Grant!

Below is a map that I posted several pages ago - so far I've discussed the Homestead, Natural Bridge, and Booker T. Washington National Monument - but there are still a handful of topics left to be added.

Appomattox Court House is a small restored village and another historic site, i.e. the place where Robert E. Lee Surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant to effectively end the American Civil War - the village is just east of Lynchburg, so could be easily combined w/ trips to some of the other attractions.

When Lee deserted Petersburg after months of siege (covered in another travelogue from earlier this year), he and his dwindling army headed west (see second map) - an opening description of the 'final' campaign is quoted below (Source). Appomattox Court House is a National Historic Park that has been beautifully restored - the brochure below shows the structures duplicating the appearance from 1865 (white arrow on the Wilmer McLean house where the surrender took place). McLean was just not lucky in the Civil War - see second quote below which always gives me a chuckle -

Pics of the Courthouse and several of the McLean house below, along w/ paintings of the Lee-Grant surrender procedure in the house and then surrender of the Confederate Army to now Brigadier General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (who we saw in action at Gettysburg on Little Round Top) - see last quote below concerning Chamberlain's gallant behavior. Dave

The Appomattox Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865 in Virginiathat concluded with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia to the Union Army (Army of the Potomac, Army of the James and Army of the Shenandoah) under the overall command of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. In the following eleven weeks after Lee's surrender, the American Civil War ended as other Confederate armies surrendered and Confederate government leaders were captured or fled the country.[1]

Wilmer McLean had a front row seat for the first land battle of the Civil War. A retired major in the state militia, the 47-year-old McLean considered himself too aged to return to active duty in the War of Northern Aggression. In July 1861, still loyal to his home “country” of Virginia, McLean allowed Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard to set up headquarters in McLean’s farmhouse at Yorkshire Plantation in Manassas. In the course of the Battle of First Manassas – Union troops hit McLean’s house with a shell. The artillery came down the chimney, destroying a kettle of stew intended for Beauregard and his men. The Confederates would win the First Battle of Bull Run. McLean, however, decided to get while the getting was good. During the war, McLean worked as a Confederate sugar broker, and most of his business was conducted in the southern part of the state. The presence of federal troops, combined with the desire to get his family out of harm’s way, convinced McLean to relocate more than 100 miles away. To the small community of Appomattox Court House. In what has to be the most ironic of of all historic American events, on April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at McLean's home there (Source).

Thus Chamberlain was responsible for one of the most poignant scenes of the American Civil War. As the Confederate soldiers marched down the road to surrender their arms and colors, Chamberlain, on his own initiative, ordered his men to come to attention and "carry arms" as a show of respect. Chamberlain described what happened next:

Gordon, at the head of the marching column, outdoes us in courtesy. He was riding with downcast eyes and more than pensive look; but at this clatter of arms he raises his eyes and instantly catching the significance, wheels his horse with that superb grace of which he is master, drops the point of his sword to his stirrup, gives a command, at which the great Confederate ensign following him is dipped and his decimated brigades, as they reach our right, respond to the 'carry.' All the while on our part not a sound of trumpet or drum, not a cheer, nor a word nor motion of man, but awful stillness as if it were the passing of the dead.

Chamberlain's salute to the Confederate soldiers was unpopular with many Unionists, but he defended his action in his memoirs, The Passing of the Armies. Many years later, Gordon, in his own memoirs, called Chamberlain "one of the knightliest soldiers of the Federal Army." Gordon never mentioned the anecdote until after he read Chamberlain's account, more than 40 years later (Source).

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[scifan57]

Yes - I've never seen one in person (or possibly at the Visitor's Center, but has been years since our last visit) - below are some images from the web. Dave
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I've got both the Booker T. Washington and the Carver/Washington half dollars in my collection. They're not too expensive unless you want extremely high graded examples.

 

[scifan57]

Appomattox - Lee Surrenders to Grant!

Below is a map that I posted several pages ago - so far I've discussed the Homestead, Natural Bridge, and Booker T. Washington National Monument - but there are still a handful of topics left to be added.

Appomattox Court House is a small restored village and another historic site, i.e. the place where Robert E. Lee Surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant to effectively end the American Civil War - the village is just east of Lynchburg, so could be easily combined w/ trips to some of the other attractions.

When Lee deserted Petersburg after months of siege (covered in another travelogue from earlier this year), he and his dwindling army headed west (see second map) - an opening description of the 'final' campaign is quoted below (Source). Appomattox Court House is a National Historic Park that has been beautifully restored - the brochure below shows the structures duplicating the appearance from 1865 (white arrow on the Wilmer McLean house where the surrender took place). McLean was just not lucky in the Civil War - see second quote below which always gives me a chuckle -

Pics of the Courthouse and several of the McLean house below, along w/ paintings of the Lee-Grant surrender procedure in the house and then surrender of the Confederate Army to now Brigadier General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (who we saw in action at Gettysburg on Little Round Top) - see last quote below concerning Chamberlain's gallant behavior. Dave






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A most excellent post.
Here's a photo of McLean and his family on the front steps of his house.

 

[giradman]

I've got both the Booker T. Washington and the Carver/Washington half dollars in my collection. They're not too expensive unless you want extremely high graded examples.

NEAT! So, you're a 'coin collector'? Large number of items & any special areas of interest? My brother is an eBay retailer (along w/ his wife) - both 'specialize' in certain areas; two of his are coins and baseball cards.

For me, wife & I have been collecting art since 1970 (no room left in the house - probably should start a thread ) and optical media since 1984 (CDs, DVDs, & now BDs) - my wine cellar has virtually disappeared, down to just a 100 bottles or so, but still imbibing! Dave

 

[giradman]

A most excellent post.
Here's a photo of McLean and his family on the front steps of his house.
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Great pic - poor ole Wilmer! Tried to look for some old B&W photos of the two armies, especially the outside surrender but not much 'spectacular' available - did find the stereoscopic view of the McLean house which worked well for me (know you can also cross you eyes to view these dual images). Dave
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[scifan57]

NEAT! So, you're a 'coin collector'? Large number of items & any special areas of interest? My brother is an eBay retailer (along w/ his wife) - both 'specialize' in certain areas; two of his are coins and baseball cards.

For me, wife & I have been collecting art since 1970 (no room left in the house - probably should start a thread ) and optical media since 1984 (CDs, DVDs, & now BDs) - my wine cellar has virtually disappeared, down to just a 100 bottles or so, but still imbibing! Dave

I also collect classic cameras. My oldest is a 1928 Leica I.

 

[giradman]

I also collect classic cameras. My oldest is a 1928 Leica I.

I believe that you've mentioned that interest previously and may have shown a pic or two in that pictures thread?

My wife's maternal grandmother, who was a pioneering endocrinologist in New Jersey (NJ) (Rita Finkler), traveled a lot in the 1930-50s and had a bunch of cameras, mostly Leicas, in the basement of their house (her grandmother passed away in 1968) - I first 'met' the family in NJ in 1969 so missed her by a year; however, there were a number of old cameras and many, many photos and slides. Dave

 

[scifan57]

I believe that you've mentioned that interest previously and may have shown a pic or two in that pictures thread?

My wife's maternal grandmother, who was a pioneering endocrinologist in New Jersey (NJ) (Rita Finkler), traveled a lot in the 1930-50s and had a bunch of cameras, mostly Leicas, in the basement of their house (her grandmother passed away in 1968) - I first 'met' the family in NJ in 1969 so missed her by a year; however, there were a number of old cameras and many, many photos and slides. Dave

I started a classic cameras thread a couple of years ago but haven't posted to it for quite a while.

 

[giradman]

Shenandoah Valley - Part 1

The Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia is nestle between the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east (where the Skyline Drive and the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway are located) and the western mountains, including the Allegheny Mts (misspelled on my first map, sorry) - see the two maps below w/ the second showing the cities and towns in the valley along I-81; the valley extends southwest around Roanoke (known as 'up valley) to the northeast near Winchester (known as 'down valley' despite the geographic direction); the Shenandoah River runs the same course and empties into the Potomac River at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (discussed in one of my other travelogues).

We usually reach the Valley from our home via I-77 to I-88 (angled arrow on 2nd map) - this is one of my favorite drives because of the beauty - the pics below are 'mixed' and show the place from the valley floor w/ picturesque country roads, farms, and historic houses, while spectacular scenery can be seen from the many mountain roads, especially the two mentioned above in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As in my discussions of the Carolina & Georgia Mountains, there are abundant mountain activities, such as hiking and plenty of waterfalls to see; also the fall is a great time to travel in this area w/ the changing colors, as shown in a few of the images.

This is only Part 1 - just an introduction; Part 2 will be more historic and center on the importance of the Valley during the Civil War. Dave
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[scifan57]

Shenandoah Valley - Part 1

The Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia is nestle between the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east (where the Skyline Drive and the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway are located) and the western mountains, including the Allegheny Mts (misspelled on my first map, sorry) - see the two maps below w/ the second showing the cities and towns in the valley along I-81; the valley extends southwest around Roanoke (known as 'up valley) to the northeast near Winchester (known as 'down valley' despite the geographic direction); the Shenandoah River runs the same course and empties into the Potomac River at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (discussed in one of my other travelogues).

We usually reach the Valley from our home via I-77 to I-88 (angled arrow on 2nd map) - this is one of my favorite drives because of the beauty - the pics below are 'mixed' and show the place from the valley floor w/ picturesque country roads, farms, and historic houses, while spectacular scenery can be seen from the many mountain roads, especially the two mentioned above in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As in my discussions of the Carolina & Georgia Mountains, there are abundant mountain activities, such as hiking and plenty of waterfalls to see; also the fall is a great time to travel in this area w/ the changing colors, as shown in a few of the images.

This is only Part 1 - just an introduction; Part 2 will be more historic and center on the importance of the Valley during the Civil War. Dave
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Fall must be a wonderful time for a drive through the mountains, with all the fall colours.

 

[giradman]

Fall must be a wonderful time for a drive through the mountains, with all the fall colours.

In the fall & early winter, we've occasionally traveled to the North Carolina Mountains but a little reluctant to get trapped in a major snow storm - below are some of the fall colors in the vicinity - one of my favorite spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) is Linn Cove Viaduct (last part of the BRP completed), which runs around the base of Grandfather Mountain (near Blowing Rock, a quick get-away for us) - the fall colors there are just breath-taking, as you as see from two different perspectives of the structure.

But, we also love the winter w/ a small snowfall covering the trees but the roads clear! Below a couple of images around Blowing Rock, including the Moses Cone Memorial Park (I've covered this area in my NC mountain travelogue). And finally, the Biltmore Estate is decorated beautifully for Christmas which is probably one of their most popular seasons (maybe tops?) - we've been a few times (last w/ our son & DIL, who have never seen this property). The final images below of first the outside of the Biltmore House w/ snow and the inside w/ the 35 ft. Fraser Fir in the Dining Room - Dave
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[scifan57]

In the fall & early winter, we've occasionally traveled to the North Carolina Mountains but a little reluctant to get trapped in a major snow storm - below are some of the fall colors in the vicinity - one of my favorite spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) is Linn Cove Viaduct (last part of the BRP completed), which runs around the base of Grandfather Mountain (near Blowing Rock, a quick get-away for us) - the fall colors there are just breath-taking, as you as see from two different perspectives of the structure.

But, we also love the winter w/ a small snowfall covering the trees but the roads clear! Below a couple of images around Blowing Rock, including the Moses Cone Memorial Park (I've covered this area in my NC mountain travelogue). And finally, the Biltmore Estate is decorated beautifully for Christmas which is probably one of their most popular seasons (maybe tops?) - we've been a few times (last w/ our son & DIL, who have never seen this property). The final images below of first the outside of the Biltmore House w/ snow and the inside w/ the 35 ft. Fraser Fir in the Dining Room - Dave
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Those fall colours are just stunning! Most of the leaves on the trees where I live just turn yellow in the fall.

Biltmore in the winter looks better than in the summer.

 

[giradman]

Those fall colours are just stunning! Most of the leaves on the trees where I live just turn yellow in the fall.

Biltmore in the winter looks better than in the summer.

The colors are indeed wonderfully variable in the fall along the Blue Ridge Parkway due mainly to the wide variety of deciduous trees on these mountains which of course vary w/ their elevation. In fact, the adjacent
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the most biodiversity for its size in a temperate climate (guess that the Amazon region would lead the world?) - see first quote below.

The Biltmore House is the most visited place in North Carolina (second quote below) w/ over a million annual visitors recently - according to our recent guides the Winter holiday season is the most popular. Susan & I usually go as the summer comes on (typically 10 degrees cooler from the Piedmont area where we live - but not this year - really HOT on our 2015 mountain trips) - BUT, I must say that those snowy pics are beautiful - we need to get to Blowing Rock this year so may do the trip later into December to view some winter scenery. Dave

A Wondrous Diversity of Life

Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. No other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the park's amazing diversity of plants, animals, and invertebrates. Over 17,000 species have been documented in the park, and scientists believe an additional 30,000-80,000 species may live here.
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Why such a wondrous diversity? Mountains, glaciers, and weather are the big reasons. The park is dominated by plant-covered, gently contoured mountains that formed perhaps 200-300 million years ago. In fact, the Smokies are among the oldest mountain ranges in the world! Elevations in the park range from approximately 850 to 6,643 feet. This range in altitude mimics the latitudinal changes you would experience driving north or south across the eastern United States, say from Georgia to Maine.
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Plants and animals common in the southern United States thrive in the lowlands of the Smokies while species common in the northern states find suitable habitat at the higher elevations. The north-south orientation of the Appalachian chain allowed the Smokies to become a refuge for many species of plants and animals that were displaced from their northern homes by glaciers in the last ice age around 10,000 years ago.

Biltmore Estate and Biltmore House in 2013 reclaimed the #1 spot among all visitor attractions in North Carolina. The 8,000-acre estate, which has held the top place in nine of the last 10 years, had more than 1.2 million visitors last year, according to a survey by Carolina Publishing Associates in Matthews, N.C., of attendance at historical sites, zoos and museums in the state. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, which in 2012 bumped Biltmore out of the top spot, finished second in the new survey, with attendance of just over 1 million. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro finished third with around 740,000 visitors ([ur=[URL]http://www.amazingasheville.net/biltmore.html]Source[/url][/URL]).

 

[giradman]

Shenandoah Valley - Civil War - Part 2

The Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War was an important and strategic part of western Virginia supplying food of all sorts (sometimes called the 'Bread Basket' of Virginia), railroad connections, and a north-south corridor for Southern Armies to threaten Washington, D.C. Control of the Valley, especially the northern end around the town of Winchester was a crucial military goal for both North and South throughout the war - quoted below several paragraphs expanding on this vital mountain real estate (Source).

The Shenandoah Valley Campaigns are numerous and involve both minor skirmishes and major battles - check the links for more details - books have been written on the entire valley involvement during the war to individual conflicts - below are several maps showing the sites of the more important conflicts, along w/ a pic of just one of the many books written. Many officers on both sides made substantial contributions to control of the Valley, Stonewall Jackson in his early campaigns and then Philip Sheridan toward the end of the war (several pics below including his famous ride to rally his men!). Several better know battle locations were New Market (see 2nd quote below w/ link), where VMI cadets from Lexington (an upcoming post) participated; and Winchester in northern Virginia which changed Union & Confederate hands about 70 times! (see 3rd quote below w/ link) - numerous battles were fought there as the road plaques & battle maps indicate.

Well, I have a couple of posts left about two towns/cities in the Valley, i.e. Roanoke & Lexington, the latter my favorite town along I-81 - Dave

During the American Civil War (1861-65), Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley saw a series of military clashes as Union and Confederate forces attempted to gain control of the area. In the spring of 1862, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson led his men more than 650 miles on a campaign that threatened Washington, D.C., and diverted Union forces from a planned assault on Richmond, Virginia. In 1864, Union General Philip Sheridan embarked on a campaign aimed at depriving the Confederate Army of vital natural resources and supplies. Sheridan won a series of battles that wrested control of the valley away from the Confederates, though sporadic fighting continued until the end of the war.

Shenandoah Valley campaigns, (July 1861–March 1865), in the American Civil War, important military campaigns in a four-year struggle for control of the strategic Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, running roughly north and south between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains. The South used the transportation advantages of the valley so effectively that it often became the “valley of humiliation” for the North. For most of the war, Confederate armies were able to move north through the valley and toward Washington, D.C., whereas Union armies advancing south found themselves pushed farther away from Richmond, the Confederate capital. When a Southern army crossed the Potomac at its confluence with the Shenandoah River, it cut across the Baltimore and OhioRailroad and was only 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Washington. Hence the presence of a Confederate army in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley was often considered a sufficient menace to justify calling back Union troops from campaigns elsewhere to ensure the security of the capital. Late in the war, Union forces finally took undisputed control of the region.

New Market was the opening phase of the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. A small Federal army of about 10,000 troops under Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel was ordered to move south from Martinsburg, in what is now West Virginia, up (the Shenandoah River flows from south to north, thus, one moving south is going “up” the Valley) the Shenandoah Valley to Staunton, Virginia, a vital rail link between the Confederate capital of Richmond and the Valley. At Staunton Sigel was expected to meet up with another Federal column coming from the southwestern part of Virginia, and together to move against either Lynchburg or Charlottesville. Sigel’s assignment was in large part a diversionary one designed to attract Confederate attention away from the main Union army in Virginia, the Army of the Potomac, and also to deprive the Confederacy of the supplies coming from the Shenandoah Valley.

Sigel was opposed by an even smaller Confederate force of about 4,500 men under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, which included about 250 young cadets from the Virginia Military Institute.

The two armies met on a rainy Sunday, May 15, at New Market, a small crossroads town in the central Shenandoah Valley. In a day-long battle, Breckinridge’s Confederates defeated Sigel’s forces, largely due to mismanagement by the Federal commander. During the battle’s climatic stage, the VMI cadets earned themselves a place in history by capturing a Federal cannon in the final charge. Sigel retreated to the vicinity of Winchester and was replaced several days later, and operations in the Valley would escalate shortly after Sigel’s removal (Source).

When war broke out, Winchester's location and function as a rural market center ensured that it would be coveted by both sides in the conflict. Possessing Winchester would be crucial to controlling the Shenandoah Valley's abundant agricultural resources. Further, possession of Winchester had broad strategic implications. A Confederate army in Winchester would be north of Washington, D.C., and could threaten the capital or open the way to an invasion of Maryland or Pennsylvania. A Union army in Winchester, meanwhile, could jeopardize Confederate general Robert E. Lee's extended left flank and his ability to protect the Confederate capital at Richmond. One historian aptly described Winchester as "the key that locked the door to Richmond." As much as Winchester was a prized target, it proved especially difficult to keep. The town was surrounded by low hills that easily masked approaching armies, and neither side was successful in holding it against an approaching foe.

Winchester was relevant to several significant military operations during the course of the war. The town was the site of an important Confederate victory on May 25, 1862. This First Battle of Winchester was part of Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, which served to distract Union troops from reinforcing George B. McClellan outside Richmond. The Second Battle of Winchester, on June 13–15, 1863, helped to secure the Shenandoah Valley for Lee's army as it mounted its second invasion of the North. The Third Battle of Winchester, on September 19, 1864, was a defeat for Confederate forces under Jubal A. Early and part of Philip Sheridan's notorious reclamation of the Shenandoah Valley (Source).

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