"What I found was that no 150-year-old field tells the story of that era. The truth of what happened can only be found in the writings of those who lived at that time."
Combining the two is the best.
About 22 years ago I went with a high school buddy and a few others to Gettysburg. One of the guys on that original trip was an instructor at the War College. We spent two days walking the battlefield with the leaders (including my friend) reading from letters, books and battle reports written by participants. We stayed at a crummy motel (since torn down) on the edge of Pickett's Charge and my friend and I trespassed on the charge field at midnight to drink a toast to the ghosts.
Since then we've done a battlefield every year with groups ranging from 12 to 45. Among the battlefields we've visited are Sharpsburg, First Manassas, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Spottsylvania, Wilderness, First and Second Winchester, Petersburg, Appomattox Courthouse, Sayler's Creek, Harper's Ferry, all of the Valley Campaign stops, all of the Seven Day's stops that haven't been paved over, starting with Fort Monroe (I agree with an earlier poster that some of these are simply haunting; even ones with houses encroaching), Cold Harbor, North Anna, Mine Run, Brandy Station, and others I can't remember.
The folks who lead this thing scout out locations the summer before we go and we spend three days now. We used to go wherever we felt like going but now have started following the natural progression of Lee's army. Sharpsburg again this year.
We often get to see things other don't, such as touring the house where Jeb Staurt was nearly captured after the Battle of Cedar Mountain. I found the approximate spot where my great-great grandfather (2nd Rockbridge Artillery) fought during Spotsylvania and the approximate spot where he was captured when the Union broke through the Petersburg lines. The great-great grandfather of another regular with the group was wounded on Little Round Top and then laid there basically paralyzed for two days. He survbived and later learned that the terrible thunderstorm he thought he heard was Pickett's Charge.
i,too, was on a school-trip LONG AGO.
free dixie,sw