HOMERs
Trip to Fredericksburg, Virginia
June 15 & 16, 2009
Trip
Director, Jerry D., made plans for the group to see the
Civil War Battlefields
in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the
Marine Corps Museum, in Quantico, Virginia.
The itinerary included
an over-night stop in Fredericksburg and a dinner in
a local "establishment."
Those
attending were Marty, Rich, George, and Tom; Jerry, Bobby D., Larry & Ray.
For
those who were unable to attend, we hope you enjoy Bobby D's photos.
Ray
was pleased to arrange for his nephew Ryan, a history teacher and
part-time
National Park Ranger at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania
County Battlefields
Memorial Park, to be our guide.
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Day One At the park's visitor center we watched a short video concerning the battle and the military men who were involved. After the video we met Ryan Longfellow, Ray's nephew, who has worked in this National Battlefield Park for more than five years as a certified Park Ranger and Visitor's Guide. | ||||
 Near the visitor center |  The Stone Wall |  First stop; Chatham Estate | ||
 Chatham Vineyard |  Ryan tells us the history of the house and the logistical importance of the estate. |  Chatham Vineyard | ||
 The Entrance Gate |  Stone path to the front door |
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 A few of the Homers examine a Civil War Pontoon Boat/Bridge |  Launch site of the pontoon boats |  Homers at Chatham | ||
 Chatham garden | This information is from
the park's The magnificent Georgian mansion, its outbuildings and dependencies, and the historic ground which surrounds it represent a small preserve in which the entire scope of Virginia heritage can be understood and appreciated. Today Chatham is part of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Five of the ten rooms contain exhibits and the rest of the building as well as the outbuildings are park offices. |  Garden Wall at Chatham Estate | ||
 Lily blooms |  The grapes are still young at this time of the year. |  Statuary adorns the Chatham garden | ||
 | Across
the Rappahanock River is the bridgehead for the advance of the Union Army on the
Rebel stronghold at Fredericksburg. |  | ||
 |  Ryan telling the story of the Union Army's advance toward Fredericksburg. |  | ||
 | Down
River at the Park's Rocky Lane area, we see the Washington Ferry site |  | ||
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 Memorial in the cemetery | National
Cemetery at the Park  Nearly 1500 graves dot the fields |  Stone wall along the sunken road | ||
 Ryan told us about how the wall was reconstructed using stone quarried from an identical vein of rock. |  A photograph of the stone wall during the battle. This photo helped the Park restore the wall to exact dimensions. |  Stone wall and rail fence | ||
 Memorial sculpture to a fallen soldier. |  Information board for Brompton House |  Original wall information board | ||
 College President's home on the grounds of the battlefield. |  Magnolia blossom |  Battlefield were lives were lost | ||
 Innis House |  Rest period |  Bullet holes ... walls at Innis House. | ||
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 | Fine
dining begins at the tap . . . |  | ||
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 | Day Two Ryan moved the tour to the south end of the battlefield. |  | ||
 It was a steep walk up Lee's Hill |  Studying the map. Boy, are we glad there will be no test. |  Rich, our newest HOMER | ||
 Artillery 101 - it takes at least five men to man a cannon. |  |  Artillery 102 - be careful where you stand. | ||
 Artillery 103 - four kinds of charges |  Fire! |  Tom, looking north . . . | ||
 Wait for it. The shot will land there. |  |  Maxey Gregg | ||
 Battlefield at peace. |  The road ends . . . | |||
Marine
Corps Museum | ||||
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Safe
return to New Jersey | ||||
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