Beyond Gettysburg

Friends,

Typically Civil War Addicts have been to some pretty cool sites off the beaten path.  That is the subject of today's post.  Not satisfied with merely visiting the same sites as all of the other tourists, Civil War Addicts seek out new places to see.  I have been to many Civil War battlefields in my day.  Some of the best ones are not National Battlefield Parks, but rather State Parks or State Historic sites.  And I've been to some interesting non battlefield places too.  Here is but a small sampling.

Port Hudson, Louisiana, Nov. 2009

Original Centenary College site, Jackson, Louisiana

And there are several others with no pictures readily available.  They include Sabine Pass, New Market, Perryville, Prairie Grove, and the Myrtles Plantation.  Though if I had to pick one non-national park as my favorite site, it would have to be New Market, Virginia.  I haven't been there since I was a teenager, but I've never forgotten it.  So assuming it hasn't changed in the past 20 years, it still holds that honor.

So I leave you with this question, dear readers.  What is your favorite non-national park site?  (It can be either a battlefield or non-battlefield site.)

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a Civil War Addict.

(Photo credits go to my wife.  They can be used with proper attribution to this page.)

EDIT:  I can't believe that I forgot to mention that last week I hit the FOUR THOUSAND view mark!  Not bad for the first two and a half months.  Thank all of you so much.  Let's see how fast we can hit five thousand!  (And no, that doesn't count my own views.)

Shiloh Photo Tour Posted

Friends,

I have posted our photo tour of Shiloh over on my homepage.  Click here for the direct link.  Note that my wife said that there are some things she wants to "clean up" with the layout of the page and what not, but the photos won't change.  Take a look.  She really does take amazing pictures. On our numerous battlefield trips, she supplies the pictures and I supply the panache.

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a Civil War Addict.

Reflections on Shiloh and Life

Every Civil War Addict has their own favorite battlefield.  Shiloh is mine.  I first visited Shiloh as a teenager and was struck by the quiet beauty of the place.  When I closed my eyes, I could hear the echo of the cannons.  At that time I was unaware of the ancestors I had who fought there, but that should have been obvious to me given the almost visceral connection I felt from the moment I entered the park.

In March of 2012 my wife and I visited Shiloh together.  She too had ancestors who fought there.  At one point in the battle, her ancestors in the 9th Illinois were directly opposite a regiment with my ancestors.  This was not an easy trip for us to make financially.  The college had limited the number of classes that we adjuncts were allowed to teach and I had to take off (without pay) from my part time police job.  We almost didn't make it, but still, Shiloh beckoned.

On this expedition we spent a day and a half at the park.  I hoped that making the journey despite the potential hardships might help give me some sense of direction as to where I wanted my love of history to take me.  I left with enough memories to last a lifetime.  God blessed me with a wife who enjoys history as much as I do.  We even visited Civil War battlefields on our honeymoon.  Not many guys can say that.

I am sitting beside her hospital bed as I type this post.  We are awaiting tests and test results.  I have faith that things will turn out okay.  They have to.  After all, Shiloh still beckons.

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a Civil War addict.