Blogs from Appomattox, Virginia, United States, North America

Morning came early on the 9th. Not sure how many other crazy history geeks were going to converge in the fields of this small Virginia hamlet, I wanted to get to the park early for the first activity of the morning. The real time Battle of Appomattox Court House demonstration was starting at 7:30 am. The weather cooperated in setting the mood with historically accurate dampness, chill and a clinging morning fog. After taking the nearly empty shuttle bus from the remote parking lot to the Historic Villiage, I wandered through the awakening Union camps of living historians. Reveille sounded, and cook fires burned. I was introduced to"bacon toast", a piece of bread fried in a skillet of bacon fat which was offered to me with the question, "Do you like bacon?" as if there could ... read more

Another day of grey skies and unseasonable cool weather greeted me this morning as I made my way to the battlefield. I had been so rigidly scheduled the day before, that I hadn’t had the time to visit the visitor’s center, the book store or even to eat lunch. Not to worry, this last happens to me quite frequently while on a battlefield. By the time I register I am hungry, it is late afternoon and usually far away from life support, I decide it is easier to skip lunch altogether and just eat dinner. In this instance it was a good thing I hadn’t been hungry the previous day as the two food trucks serving as the site’s only food vendors both sold out of all of their edibles. After the surrender had been signed, ... read more

June 1st Wednesday Appomattox Court House to Fredericksburg. Virginia Morning: Up early this morning according to plan. I will head over to the MacDonald's and then out to the Surrender site outside of town. I need to get out there and tour it before it gets too hot. It is ran by the National Park service and has a walking tour. There is a parking lot and pedestrian traffic only allowed in the park. From the parking lot to the visitor center is about 150 yards. From the McLean house , where the surrender document was signed, to the surrender triangle where the Confederates actually laid down their arms and surrendered is about 3 football fields distance which in cool weather is fine but may be a different matter at 92 degrees and 94% humidity and ... read more