On Father's Day weekend, with the wife out of town for work, and Claire at her grandparents, I took a 1 ½ day trip to Petersburg to see the area's Civil War sites. I left from Durham at 6:00 a.m. sharp and reached Petersburg a quick 2 hours and fifteen minutes later. Because of the rainy weather, I pushed on to Richmond to start my day there. I made a short stop at the new Richmond Battlefield Visitor's Center, where I bought a few maps and books and saw the small indoor display. The new center is at the former site of the Tredegar Iron Works, the main manufacturer of weaponry for the Confederate army. There are many buildings and other objects to see, but I didn't have time. My main targets in Richmond were the Museum of the Confederacy and The White House of the Confederacy. These two adjoining buildings are an easy three to five minute drive from I-95. Parking is right next door at the Medical College of Virginia's parking deck. You can have your ticket validated at the museum. The anchor and partial drive shaft of the USS Virginia (Merrimack) iron clad sit outside the museum. I paid $12 to see the museum and the house (separately they cost $9). The museum is tremendous, and I would consider it a must see for any one very interested in the Civil War. As the name suggests, this place concentrates solely on the Confederacy. A local organization established the museum here back in the 1890's to house "things Confederate." Some items relate to the common soldier, but the major strength of this museum is its stunning collection of artifacts relating to Confederate leaders such as Robert E. Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson, and J.E.B. Stuart. The museum is housed on three floors. A special exhibit on the life of General Lee was running on the entire top floor. On display were his uniforms, camp equipment, personal artifacts, photos, letters, official documents, death mask, and sword worn at Appomattox. The Lee-related items alone numbered in the hundreds. The final room explained the cult of Lee that developed in the South (where he is still highly revered) during and after the war. Some of the more interesting items were souvenirs containing hairs from Lee and his horse, Traveler. In addition, the museum had gathered buttons and other objects Lee sent to admirers, much as a modern athlete responds to fan mail. The museum also contains an impressive collection of Confederate flags. Southern units commonly added the names of their battles to the flags. Knowing the history of the individual battles, I get the chills just thinking of the hardships the men in these regiments must have endured. As much as I enjoyed the artifacts, the tour of the White House was perhaps even better. A guide spent well over an hour with us as we saw the living quarters and official rooms Jefferson Davis inhabited. The White House is very well maintained and includes a wealth of original items, including paintings, furniture, and children's toys. The guide provided a lot of information about the former president and also about his wife, Verena, fascinating in her own right. These are two of the best Civil War sites in the country and absolute must sees for history buffs. |
The Confederate White House and Museum of the Confederacy |
On Father's Day weekend, with the wife out of town for work, and Claire at her grandparents, I took a 1 ½ day trip to Petersburg to see the area's Civil War sites. I left from Durham at 6:00 a.m. sharp and reached Petersburg a quick 2 hours and fifteen minutes later. Because of the rainy weather, I pushed on to Richmond to start my day there. I made a short stop at the new Richmond Battlefield Visitor's Center, where I bought a few maps and books and saw the small indoor display. The new center is at the former site of the Tredegar Iron Works, the main manufacturer of weaponry for the Confederate army. There are many buildings and other objects to see, but I didn't have time. My main targets in Richmond were the Museum of the Confederacy and The White House of the Confederacy. These two adjoining buildings are an easy three to five minute drive from I-95. Parking is right next door at the Medical College of Virginia's parking deck. You can have your ticket validated at the museum. The anchor and partial drive shaft of the USS Virginia (Merrimack) iron clad sit outside the museum. I paid $12 to see the museum and the house (separately they cost $9). The museum is tremendous, and I would consider it a must see for any one very interested in the Civil War. As the name suggests, this place concentrates solely on the Confederacy. A local organization established the museum here back in the 1890's to house "things Confederate." Some items relate to the common soldier, but the major strength of this museum is its stunning collection of artifacts relating to Confederate leaders such as Robert E. Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson, and J.E.B. Stuart. The museum is housed on three floors. A special exhibit on the life of General Lee was running on the entire top floor. On display were his uniforms, camp equipment, personal artifacts, photos, letters, official documents, death mask, and sword worn at Appomattox. The Lee-related items alone numbered in the hundreds. The final room explained the cult of Lee that developed in the South (where he is still highly revered) during and after the war. Some of the more interesting items were souvenirs containing hairs from Lee and his horse, Traveler. In addition, the museum had gathered buttons and other objects Lee sent to admirers, much as a modern athlete responds to fan mail. The museum also contains an impressive collection of Confederate flags. Southern units commonly added the names of their battles to the flags. Knowing the history of the individual battles, I get the chills just thinking of the hardships the men in these regiments must have endured. As much as I enjoyed the artifacts, the tour of the White House was perhaps even better. A guide spent well over an hour with us as we saw the living quarters and official rooms Jefferson Davis inhabited. The White House is very well maintained and includes a wealth of original items, including paintings, furniture, and children's toys. The guide provided a lot of information about the former president and also about his wife, Verena, fascinating in her own right. These are two of the best Civil War sites in the country and absolute must sees for history buffs. |
This page was last updated on: April 1, 2005
Text and photos copyright 1984-2002 Dan Woodlief |
The One-eyed Traveler |
