From my travels, November 27, 2019.

This post is a continuation of the trip I started with the Ten Crucial Days.

On the far side of the square in Princeton, there is a monument to Albert Einstein, who worked at the Institute for Advanced Study after fleeing Nazi Germany. I actually drove past the house that he lived in for the rest of his life. The road trip had now turned to the realm of technology history.

Skillman, NJ

About 20 minutes from Princeton is a very small town – in fact, that’s even generous. There is an intersection and a post office, as well as a large Johnson & Johnson complex nearby that lists its address as being in Skillman, NJ.

I honestly don’t know too much about how it came to be – there are some accounts in the family lore – but they must have some truth to them. I know that my family first came to this country through the New York / New Jersey area, so it makes sense that my family would have a connection here.

I stopped by the post office and got a selfie, as well as a few postmarked slips of paper inside as souvenirs. The lady working the desk was very kind when I told her of my family connection to this place. One day, I need to find a reason to bring my boys here.

Bell Labs – Murray Hill, NJ

This is one of those stops that the technology nerd in me had been dreaming about for some time. It’s hard to overstate just how important Bell Labs was. This was the “silicon valley” of its day. The modern world was basically invented in this building.

Prior to the breakup of the Bell System, a small portion of every phone bill in America went to fund technology research here. They basically just hired a ton a really smart people across an array of disciplines, and put them in a building together hoping that magic would happen that would be useful to the phone system. So many inventions – and Nobel prizes – came out of their efforts.

In recent years, it has gone through multiple owners, and the most recent, Nokia, has announced that they no longer need this building and will be leaving in a few years. I hope that something of it can be preserved. It’s an incredible feeling to be inside that structure.

The small museum here: the “Bell Labs Technology Showcase”, really gives a sense of the impact of all these brilliant people working together in the “Idea Factory“. I took a bunch of photos, with the highlights below.

From my travels, November 27, 2019.

Back in 2019, I was invited by my brother to spend Thanksgiving with his family in New York. Since I had the Wednesday before off of work, I thought I’d make a day of it and hit a few interesting historical sites along the way. I left the house around 8:30am and started north.

Battle of Paoli

I titled this post as being about the Ten Crucial Days, and Paoli is not part of that campaign, but it was along my route and I had wanted to visit for a while. A few months before, I had learned about how “Mad” Anthony Wayne had been inspired by the sneak attack tactics that the British had used against him at Paoli and repeated those at Stony Point.

Despite the fact that there are baseball diamonds and tennis courts on part of the property, the field of the Battle of Paoli is well preserved by a small park. There are numerous monuments to the action that took place here, as well as a good number of waysides that help the visitor to understand. There is even a re-creation of the fence line and disabled artillery piece that factored so heavily here. This is a place that deserves to be visited.

Old Barracks Museum / Trenton, NJ

Modern Trenton looks nothing like it did in the winter of 1776-1777. Only a few small pieces of that time remain. One of those is the Old Barracks Museum. Dating from 1758, this structure was built by the British to house troops during the French and Indian War. It is the only one that is left of five similar structures that were built across the colonies.

I took a tour – I was the only member of my “group” that day – and it was very informative. The tour guides dress in period clothing and even adopt something of a character. In addition to showing you through the different rooms of the structure, they emphasize its use as a hospital, and highlight the successful smallpox inoculation program that was carried out. There is also a good museum here with some exhibits about the Battle of Trenton.

The main part of the fighting in Trenton happened in two parts – both areas are not far from the barracks. There is a large monument at the top of the hill where the American artillery was placed, but that neighborhood is a little rough and run down. I feel like the monument has seen better days, sadly.

The second battle that took place here – the Battle of Assunpink Creek – took place toward the bottom of the hill. There’s a small park there, but it’s hard to get a sense of the action because of all the modern construction.

Battle of Princeton

A short distance north of Trenton is the town of Princeton. The Battle of Princeton was arguably the climax of the Ten Crucial Days.

The field itself is small, and there are a few waysides, but they barely mention the battle action. The museum was closed during my visit – perhaps that would have helped. The monuments here are mainly to Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer who was mortally-wounded here. I also took the opportunity to go up into town, where the impressive Princeton Battle Monument dominates the town square.

It was here in Princeton that my trip took a turn from “history nerd” to “regular nerd”. There was plenty of history still left to see on my journey north, but it would take a decidedly more modern and technological character from here on out. And that’s a story for the next post.

From my travels, August 1, 2019.

While on another road trip to visit Chattanooga – this time with more family members along, including my two boys – I decided that it would be nice to finally visit the site of the Battle of Cedar Creek. I could check it out for myself, and the boys could get another Junior Ranger badge. That’s fun for everyone!

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is a fairly new unit in the NPS – having only been established in late 2002. During our visit, it felt like a site that was still trying to figure itself out. For instance, the visitor contact station is at a strip mall in Middletown, VA. This is the only NPS site in the Shenandoah Valley, so I think they are trying to tell the whole story of both campaigns, with Cedar Creek as the climax of all that activity.

The visitor contact station had some cool museum stuff – including some interactive “try on” pieces for the boys. And you’ve got to love any battlefield with an electric map!

During our visit, I felt like the driving tour was a little rough, but thorough. The terrain here is gorgeous with rolling hills and valleys, and it isn’t too hard to imagine what it would have been like in the mid 19th century. It’s also pretty easy to see how the Confederates’ approach during their early morning attack would have been effectively covered by the lay of the land.

Back at the contact station, I helped the boys work through their Junior Ranger books and struck up a conversation with the ranger about all things Civil War – including my goal of seeing all the battlefields. Like most rangers I’ve encountered on these visits, he was a pleasure to speak with – I could have stayed there all day. Eventually, the boys had their books checked, got sworn in, and made a nice memory with their dad, and their “nene” and “baba”.

From my travels, May 30, 2019.

Chickamauga, Revisited

Since I was still in town – and largely done with the Atlanta Campaign – I decided to go back and really properly do Chickamauga since the only other time I had visited, I didn’t really know what I was doing. Luckily, my nephew was game.

We started, appropriately enough, at the visitors center. There is a great display of artillery out front, so I got to nerd out with my nephew about that. Around the side, they even have a mountain howitzer. Very cool! For the rest of the day, my nephew tried his hand at identifying the cannons – and he did pretty well!

After orienting ourselves, we did the standard auto tour. What really impressed me about the place was the old War Department tablets. There are similar monuments at Gettysburg – one for each corps, division, brigade, and battery. Here at Chickamauga, though, each unit has multiple tablets, at places where they fought or maneuvered. With enough time, you can follow the movements of individual units – with some markers even being hidden in the middle of the woods. It’s wild. I could spend a lot of time here.

One highlight of this visit was that I was able to get over my acrophobia enough to climb the Wilder Brigade Monument Tower. It honestly wasn’t that bad since the spiral staircase is enclosed. The view from the top was pretty cool.

The farthest “off the beaten path” we went, was to the far right of Maj. Gen. George Henry “The Rock of Chickamauga” Thomas’ line to find the monument to the 121st OH. My old high school buddy, Jim, had sent me a photo years ago of him shaking his fist at the marker. I really wanted to give a proper response. Being able to do that along with my nephew was a really special memory.

Missionary Ridge

After a quick stop for lunch, we headed north. I wanted to actually drive along Missionary Ridge and see what was left of the field. There’s not much – it’s mostly very expensive houses now. The route is utterly littered with War Department plaques, but I doubt anyone ever reads them. There is no where safe to pull off and park near the vast majority of these monuments and markers. You’d almost have to walk along the road to take them all in, and it’s a narrow road. I don’t think that would be very safe.

There are a few spots called “reservations” where there is about a block or so of “park.” While there weren’t very many of these to stop at, the views when you did were awesome. Not as good as Lookout Mountain, but better than your average Civil War battlefield.

I had a great visit to Chattanooga and Atlanta. It was time to get on the road back to Baltimore. But there were a few more spots to hit along the way.

From my travels, May 29, 2019.

Once again, we were able to get going from Chattanooga pretty early in the morning. I was really looking forward to finishing off the Atlanta area battlefields, and was pretty sure we were going to be able to do it. The universe had other plans.

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain – Civil War Battlefield #120

We were able to arrive at the NPS site for the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain by about 10am. It was a Wednesday morning. The parking lot was absolutely PACKED. Was I here on the battle anniversary or something? No that wasn’t until June 27th – almost a month away. What was going on?

My nephew and I got parked in a massive overflow lot about a half-mile away. Even that was filling up fast. What is the deal here? Either way, we were all set to start our visit by checking out the museum in the visitors center.

As we approached the building, I noticed that they had posted hours: they opened at 9am, but there is a separate vestibule with restrooms that opens at 7:30am. That seems a little odd. When we got into the main information desk, I asked the ranger about it. As it turns out – or so he told me – Kennesaw Mountain gets more visitation than ANY other NPS Civil War battlefield. This is because it is set right in the midst of the Atlanta suburbs, and is overwhelmingly used by joggers who like to run up the mountain. I would come to find out just how many in a little while.

The museum was pretty good. Being the only NPS site along the Atlanta Campaign, they tell the story of the whole campaign here – not just Kennesaw Mountain’s part. After checking out all the exhibits, we made the hike back to the car to begin the auto tour. Stop 1 was the top of Kennesaw Mountain itself.

There’s a two lane road up the mountain, but it was absolutely choked with joggers – most of whom did not want to move to the side of the road, and several of whom gave me irritated looks as I drove past them – as if I was using the park the wrong way or something. It is the most bizarre experience I have ever had on a battlefield. At the top, we parked and walked a trail along the ridge. There are a few artillery pieces up there, and one can see the skyline of downtown Atlanta if it’s a clear enough day – it was for us.

We had to fight our way back down the mountain with the joggers, but once we moved on to the second stop and beyond, we barely saw another soul on the battlefield. I suppose it is nice that people visit, but it really seems to me like the vast majority of them are missing the point of the place.

And part of me feels like the NPS has largely caved to that user base here. It certainly could be that the visit started with a bad experience and that colored the rest of it for me, but I honestly found the auto tour to be somewhat hard to follow, and the stops to be not well-interpreted. The one exception was the Illinois Monument, which we hiked to along the route of the Union attack. That was a really nice moment. Apart from the initial stops, the place is oddly peaceful. It’s one of the strangest battlefields I’ve visited so far.

Battle of Kolb’s Farm – Civil War Battlefield #121

While the CWSAC considers the Battle of Kolb’s Farm to be a separate action, the site is included as the final stop on the Kennesaw Mountain auto tour route.

There are a few markers here, and the field seems to be mostly intact – though the modern road intersections are larger than they were in 1864. Sadly, the disappointment continued, as one of the NPS waysides here had Brig. Gen. John White Geary’s name misspelled on a battle map as “Greary”. It was fitting, I suppose.

Atlanta History Center

It was time to finally head into Atlanta. I had been looking forward to seeing the newly-restored Atlanta Cyclorama at the Atlanta History Center ever since I heard about it online. I’ve been to see the Gettysburg one several times, and being able to see the only other surviving cyclorama is pretty cool. The restoration looked great – complete with a diorama as it would have been presented back in the late 19th century.

The rest of the museum was great as well. They have a Civil War section that contains some cool weapons, along with the coat that Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon wore at Appomattox. At the time, they also had a large exhibit about the history of BBQ, which I’m sure my now-wife would have loved.

Battle of Peachtree Creek – Civil War Battlefield #122

As I mentioned in previous entries, the battlefields in modern metro Atlanta are all obliterated now by the sprawl of neighborhoods radiating from the city. Only small parcels here and there exist to memorialize these actions. The Battle of Peachtree Creek is an excellent example of this.

We visited Tanyard Creek Park, where a few markers exist in a variation of the “pocket park” from before. While the story is told on the tablets, the modern visitor simply can’t visualize what the fighting here was like. It’s a theme that will continue through the rest of our day.

That said, the park itself is lovely and peaceful with some trails. We walked down to Tanyard Creek and the rush of the water was calming. I’ve started to record the sound of the streams at all the battlefields that I visit, and I particularly enjoyed this one.

Battle of Utoy Creek – Civil War Battlefield #123

The landscape of the Battle of Utoy Creek is completely gone. We had no trouble finding the two markers that exist along Cascade Road, but they are entirely surrounded by neighborhoods that did not exist 150 years ago.

Battle of Ezra Church – Civil War Battlefield #124

The Battle of Ezra Church also has a small “pocket park” adjacent to the C.A. Scott Recreation Center, with several tablets attempting to explain the action to the modern visitor. Once again, though, nothing of the field remains as it was in 1864.

Battle of Atlanta – Civil War Battlefield #125

The action that the cyclorama was made to portray. And again, modern Atlanta has just wiped the field of the Battle of Atlanta right off the map. In addition to being packed with neighborhoods, modern I-20 bisects the battlefield and makes it impossible to visualize.

I visited the intersection of McPherson Ave. and Monument Ave. to see the monument to the death of Maj. Gen. James Birdseye McPherson.

Just For Fun…

As we were driving down toward the Atlanta History Center, we passed by what was at that time Sun Trust Park – now Truist Park – where the Atlanta Braves play. I had never been to any MLB stadium outside of my beloved Baltimore Orioles, nor had my nephew. On a whim, I checked whether they were in town, and when I saw that they were scheduled to play the rival Washington Nationals that night, I made the rather spontaneous decision to buy a couple of tickets.

We had a great time! And with former Orioles Kevin Gausman pitching, and Nick Markakis in left field for the Braves, it was almost like seeing my guys. Sadly, the home team was thrashed that night, 14-4.

After the game, we made the drive back to Chattanooga. There was one more day in town for me to revisit an old favorite, and see a couple of new places, too.

From my travels, May 28, 2019.

This was going to be an exciting day. My nephew and I were going to check a lot of battlefields off the list. We got up early (no small task for a teenager) and got on the road before 9:30am.

Battle of Ringgold Gap – Civil War Battlefield #109

Not too far down the road, we came to our first stop, the Battle of Ringgold Gap. While not considered part of the Atlanta Campaign, this was right along our route, and I’d never visited before.

The story here is that Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s men fought for over 5 hours as a rear guard after the Confederate army was forced off of Missionary Ridge outside of Chattanooga. The Union attack here was not well executed, and Grant made the call not to pursue beyond the gap, returning his troops to the defenses of Chattanooga.

We checked out another of the New York monuments – very much like the one at Wauhatchie the day before. It was a little off the beaten path, so that was pretty cool. The main visitor focus for this battlefield is on the small “pocket park” that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back during the Great Depression. It’s a parking area with a few markers and picnic tables right off of US-41.

The gap itself has clearly been widened over the years to make room for I-75, but you can see that even in its natural state it would have been quite substantial in late 1863.

First Battle of Dalton – Civil War Battlefield #110

Fighting at the First Battle of Dalton took place in Mill Creek Gap. This is another location that is marked by a CCC “pocket park” just in front of the Georgia State Patrol Station on US-41.

There’s a trail near the parking area that leads a little farther up the ridge to the site of Fort Fisk – perhaps named for some distant relative of his? The surprise of seeing that sign definitely put a smile on his face. A nice memory to be sure.

Second Battle of Dalton – Civil War Battlefield #111

The field of the Second Battle of Dalton seems to have been obliterated by modern development. I had a hard time finding any markers for it, and even a couple of the visitors centers and museums in town were unable to direct me to anything concrete.

That said, my nephew and I got to spend a little time driving around the town, and it seems like a pretty nice place.

Battle of Rocky Face Ridge – Civil War Battlefield #112

I know that a park has since been established north of Dalton to help preserve some of the history of the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge, but that did not exist at the time of my visit. My nephew and I took a look at the southern portion of the field, in Dug Gap.

There is a small parking area there and a few markers and waysides to give the visitor a little bit of the story. From there, we walked on a short trail up to the ridge and saw some of the rock formations and cliffs. It was a very peaceful spot.

Battle of Resaca – Civil War Battlefield #113

We hit the first of our disappointments for the day at the next stop: the Battle of Resaca. There is a nice park here preserving part of the Union section of the battlefield, but it is only open Friday – Sunday. Of course, we were visiting on a Tuesday.

We were able to park just outside the gate, and see a couple of markers that were nearby, but neither of us wanted to press our luck exploring any farther. One thing that I really liked was the reproduction chevaux de frise that stand right next to the gate. At least there won’t be any cavalry attacks here!

Battle of Adairsville – Civil War Battlefield #114

There isn’t much going on at the site of the Battle of Adairsville. In truth – none of the battles of this campaign produced the kind of fighting and casualties that one would expect from major Civil War battles. This campaign was really a master class in maneuver given by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman.

We were able to find a few, kind of rough-looking, roadside markers near a cemetery in town, but that was about it.

Battle of Allatoona – Civil War Battlefield #115

There have been a lot of changes to the field of the Battle of Allatoona since 1864. The most obvious one hits you as soon as you park your car and see the huge earthen dam that holds back the artificially-created Lake Allatoona. That means that a part of this field is now underwater. The day we were there featured plenty of activity going on, with people walking along the trails and taking out their boats.

Like so many of the battlefields we are seeing on this trip, the reason it came to be was all about the railroad. The Western and Atlantic Railroad cut right through a gap here, and that narrow channel through the mountain still exists. The railroad has been converted to a walking path, and about half way down the trail, there is a set of stairs leading up the side to the star fort which commanded the approaches here.

Apart from the remains of the fort, there are several waysides and even a few monuments – the coolest of which are stone markers that commemorate the different States that supplied men for this fight. I couldn’t resist having my nephew pose with the North Carolina one, since that is where he grew up. Sadly, there was no Maryland monument.

Battle of New Hope Church – Civil War Battlefield #116

The church from the Battle of New Hope Church still exists, and while there is another of the “pocket parks” here, I get the sense that the congregation takes a certain amount of pride in the field. There are worm fences and even some earthworks here, and they were in pretty good shape.

As we get closer to Atlanta, less and less land is preserved in the sprawl of the modern metropolis. Only small little landmarks are left in the wake of countless new neighborhoods. That’s the story here as well.

Battle of Dallas – Civil War Battlefield #117

I’ll be honest – I was very confused by the Battle of Dallas. And it isn’t like this is my first time on a battlefield. There are plenty of markers scattered around town, but the places that they seem to label as being part of the defensive lines don’t seem all that defensible to me. Maybe the terrain has changed in the last 150+ years with the massive growth of Atlanta?

This feels like the kind of place that I would need to study a lot, and come back with some period maps to try to get my head around it. I just wasn’t able to grasp it on the field.

I will add: the best wayside that I found was over behind the Chamber of Commerce building.

Battle of Pickett’s Mill – Civil War Battlefield #118

The Battle of Pickett’s Mill has been partially preserved as a Georgia State Park, but like Resaca, it wasn’t open on the day I can through. It’s a shame, because it seems like it may be pretty solidly interpreted. For now, my nephew and I had to settle for the marker in the small parking spot out front.

Battle of Marietta – Civil War Battlefield #119

I was initially confused by the Battle of Marietta. It turns out that this was really a series of smaller actions that occurred around the area rather than one concerted fight. We visited the site of Gilgal Church, which had some cool reconstructed earthworks.

11 battlefields was a fine number for one day. As it was starting to get late, we decided to head back to Chattanooga and resume closer to Atlanta in the morning. There would be a few surprises coming for us – mostly pleasant ones.

From my travels, May 27, 2019.

I arrived in Chattanooga by mid-morning, and met up with my nephew and brother-in-law. They joined me for the rest of the day of battlefield exploration.

Battle of Davis’ Crossroads – Civil War Battlefield #107

Our first stop was the farthest outside of town – well into northwest Georgia, in fact: the Battle of Davis’ Crossroads. It took quite a while to drive out to that fairly rural area from Chattanooga.

The fighting here was a prelude to Chickamauga, with the Confederates attempting to bottle up the Union forces in the mountain cove to the south. The Federals avoided the trap, and held off the Confederates, with neither side gaining a clear victory.

At the crossroads itself these days, there isn’t much more than a small restaurant – the Pigeon Mountain Grill. We back-tracked a bit to a small pull-off about a mile east of the crossroads where there were a few wayside markers from the American Battlefield Trust. They were in ROUGH shape and almost unreadable during our visit.

My nephew brought along his drone and put it up a few times to get an aerial perspective of the field – something that I’d never attempted before. Sadly, his GoPro was not cooperating and we didn’t get any usable footage.

Battle of Wauhatchie – Civil War Battlefield #108

We packed up the equipment and made our way back toward town. Our next stop at the site of the Battle of Wauhatchie is one I’d been looking forward to seeing for quite a long time. The Federal troops who fought here were from the XI and XII Corps and had been part of the Army of the Potomac just a few months before. George Sears Greene, hero of Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg was still commanding his brigade here. Finally, some familiar faces!

This was a surprise night attack against the Confederate defenses of Lookout Mountain that succeeded in driving the rebels away and clearing a path for resupplying the encircled Union forces in the city of Chattanooga. The establishment of this “cracker line” meant that the Confederate hopes of re-taking the city were over.

Our first stop was the parking lot behind the nearby Walmart. I had read that this spot had the best view of the whole field, and boy was that true. The entire valley below was the battlefield, with Greene’s men holding a position at center-right.

After taking in the spectacular views of Lookout Mountain from this side, we drove over toward the mountain, behind the McDonald’s and Hardee’s, and took the quick hike up to where the XI Corps New York Monument was – there were plenty of familiar names on that one, from Carl Schurz to Wlodzimierz Krzyzanowski. That was a really cool experience actually – checking out a monument that almost no one goes to just steps from I-24.

Once we were back at the car, we headed toward the southern end of the field, where Greene’s brigade had fought. There was a small monument to them there in the front yard of a light industrial building.

Lookout Mountain and Point Park

On my first trip to Chattanooga, I never actually got up onto Lookout Mountain. I had heard that the view from Point Park in particular is the greatest of the Civil War-related views. I really wanted to get up there, and luckily the guys were enthusiastic, too.

This is where the NPS memorializes the Battle of Lookout Mountain – or the “Battle Above the Clouds”. We took in the sights near the entrance – including the wide open vista of the city of Chattanooga – and all I can say is that it was absolutely incredible. The photos I took don’t do it justice at all.

We continued down the northern slope and got to the site of the Ochs Memorial Museum, and Roper’s Rock. Everyone who visited here during the Civil War wanted to get their photo taken, and I was no exception of course.

A little farther down, my nephew indulged my nerdiness and got a photo of me near the spot where Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant also posed with his staff back in 1863. The angle isn’t quite right, but you can see some of the same rock formations.

My first trip to Lookout Mountain was absolutely incredible. Truly a bucket list kind of thing. I’m lucky to have been able to share the experience.

Chattanooga National Cemetery

Since it was Memorial Day, there was no better way to commemorate the occasion than with a stop at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. I’m happy to report that it was quite crowded there when we arrived around 4:30pm. I’m so used to seeing people use the holiday as an excuse to go to the beach, and it was somewhat uplifting to see so many others paying their respects to our departed veterans.

The main focal point of the cemetery – at least from a Civil War perspective – is the graves of several of Andrews’ Raiders. These men captured a Confederate locomotive, The General, and attempted to tear up the Western and Atlantic Railroad as they drove from Atlanta toward Chattanooga. The mission ended with many of the men being captured and executed by the rebels as spies. There was even an old Disney movie made about the event.

The next day would have the real fun start: my nephew and I would re-trace the route of the Atlanta Campaign!

Even before I moved to Delaware, I had my eye on a visit to what I had heard was an excellent mid-19th century, Third System fort that sits on a small island in the middle of the Delaware River, appropriately named Fort Delaware. Back on May 25, 2019, my boys and I made our first trip over to Pea Patch Island to take in the sites of this wonderful old defensive structure. We have since returned a few more times – it’s a really nice experience.

Today, the island and fort are contained within Fort Delaware State Park, and park staff engage in living history presentations on the island as if it was 1864. Most everyone on the island is “in-character” demonstrating various aspects of life in a coastal fortification turned prison during the Civil War.

Since the fort is located on an island, the only access is by ferry boat from Delaware City. It also operates seasonally, shutting down visitor access between October and April. We bought our timed tickets in advance online, but I think it is also possible to get walk-up tickets from the gift shop. After a quick stop at the restroom, we were ready to board the Delafort for the 10-minute ride over to the park.

Once the ferry docks on the island, a tram takes visitors across the marshy part of the island over toward the historical fort. An audio presentation during the ride talks about some of the history of the island, as well as describing some of the wildlife that can be seen in the marsh as you go by. Eventually, as you make the transition to dry land, the massive fort comes into view.

Built with the intention of defending Wilmington and Philadelphia from naval attack, the fort was completed in 1859 – just in time to be garrisoned at the outbreak of the Civil War. Like many of the Third System forts, Fort Delaware went through a series of Endicott conversions in the late 1890s to install larger caliber guns in huge concrete emplacements. The remains of the Endicott batteries can be seen on the south side of the island near the modern restrooms, and immediately to the right as you enter the fort. These days, the concrete structures serve mainly as bat habitats.

Every time we have gone, the interpretation of life at the fort has been wonderful. The staff does an excellent job of making the place feel alive as you tour through the various areas within the fort. Favorites for us have been the laundry, mess hall, and blacksmith shop.

But this was a fort after all, so the real draw is the artillery! Sadly, there isn’t much here in the way of guns, and I believe that what they do have are reproductions. They do a LOT of artillery demonstrations here and it’s generally not safe to do those with weapons that are over 150 years old at this point. A favorite memory for me is from our first visit, when the boys were able to man one of the guns themselves and participate in a firing drill.

As cool as the guns and casemates are, none of the fort’s defenses were ever tested by an enemy in any era. The main Civil War story here is of the island’s use as a prison camp. Thousands of captured Confederates were confined here. Many died, and there were even a few daring escapes that took place. At the height of it, there were dozens of prison barracks built outside of the fort walls for enlisted men. Captured officers were generally kept within the fort itself. The park has rebuilt one of the barracks from a set of original plans to give visitors a feel for what the conditions would have been like, but it doesn’t do justice to the scale of the prison population that was kept here.

As a fort nerd, I really enjoy going to Fort Delaware. Between the ferry ride and the in-character interpretation of the place, each visit is a true experience. And the fort is in terrific shape – so many of the Third System forts have been messed with over the years – with some becoming almost unrecognizable after going through Endicott conversions. Seeing one that is still at its original height and with many of the interior structures still intact is a real treat. I can’t wait to plan my next visit in the spring.

July 22, 2023 was a very happy day for our family. My boys and I are blessed beyond measure.

I had heard about a special program for kids happening at Brandywine Battlefield Park, the site of the largest battle of the American Revolution, so I decided to take the boys up for the afternoon. It was a really great hands-on experience. My dad tagged along, too, since he had never visited the site.

We took a tour of both historic houses there, and the boys were engaged enough to ask questions and participate. After the tours, we formed up with some other kids in the field outside the visitors center to learn how new recruits during the American Revolution were trained. One of the museum guides in period dress taught the kids how to line up, and then walked them through the procedure for loading a mock wooden musket, and finally led them in an attack that ended with a charge! The boys had a great time getting to connect with the history in a very tangible way.

The British didn’t know what they were in for that day.