Thursday was our last day in Washington - got to see the Capital, the Smithsonian Air and Space, Natural History and American Archives. We got to see the original Constitution, Decleration of Independance and The Bill of Rights. Awesome history shared and eexperienced that day, let me tell ya! We would have gotten into a couple of other places except the Cajuns were caught carrying weapons - Hard6 wasn't giving up his knife!!!!!
Then, Friday morning, we realized that it was our 8th day on the road and 7 nights spent in Virginia and we figured that if we stayed any longer, they were going to hit us with residence taxes. Of course out of those 7 days, 2 were spent in Washington and 1 day was just riding roller coasters.
Anyway, it was time to feel the wind again, so we figured we would see some things still left in Virginia and then the plan was to head northwest through Pennsylvania. Well, plans change - but more about that a little later.
Friday morning, we cleaned up the windshields, threw the bags back on and off we went. First stop was a couple of miles up the road to the Fredericksburg National Battlefield. It was the site of the most lopsided Confederate victory - it was the Union's version of Picket's charge.
History Lesson: The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the American Civil War. The Union Army suffered terrible casualties in futile frontal assaults on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city, bringing to an early end their campaign against the Confederate capital of Richmond.
Six Union divisions had been sent in, generally one brigade at a time, for a total of sixteen individual charges, all of which failed, costing them from 6,000 to 8,000 casualties. Watching the carnage from the center of his line, a position now known as Lee's Hill, General Lee was quoted as saying, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." The action on the heights also included the charge of the Irish Brigade, which lost 50% of its strength in the battle but advanced further up the heights than any other Union Brigade. Confederate losses at Marye's Heights totaled around 1,200. The falling of darkness and the pleas of Burnside's subordinates were enough to put an end to the attacks. Longstreet later wrote, "The charges had been desperate and bloody, but utterly hopeless." Thousands of Union soldiers spent the cold December night on the fields leading to the Heights, unable to move or assist the wounded because of Confederate fire.
If you ever saw the movie Gods and Generals, this was the stone wall that the Confederates were dug in behind.
This is a house in the middle of the battle that still shows the musket ball holes in the wall. This lady stayed inside the house during the entire battle tending to the wounded.
There was one young Confederate soldier (Richard Rowland Kirkland) who, after hearing the moans of the Union wounded, went out and gave them water with his canteen. When the Union realized what he was doing, they would not fire at him and let him continue throughout the battle. He was killed before the end of the war.
History Lesson: On December 13, 1862, Kirkland's unit had formed at the stone wall at the base of "Marye's Heights" near Fredericksburg, Virginia. In the action that followed, he and his unit inflicted heavy casualties on the Union attackers. On the night of December 13, walking wounded made their way to the field hospital while those who were disabled were forced to remain on the battlefield. The morning of December 14 revealed that over 8,000 Union soldiers had been shot in front of the stone wall at Marye's Heights. Many of those remaining on the battlefield were still alive, but suffering terribly from their wounds and a lack of water.
Soldiers from both sides were forced to listen to the painful cries of the wounded for hours, with neither side daring to venture out for fear of being shot by the enemy. At some point during the day, Kirkland approached Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw, also from Kershaw County, South Carolina, and informed him that he wished to help the wounded Union soldiers. By Kershaw's own account, at first he denied the request, but later he relented. However, when Kirkland asked if he could show a white handkerchief, General Kershaw stated he could not do that. Kirkland responded "All right, sir, I'll take my chances."
Kirkland gathered all the canteens he could carry, filled them with water, then ventured out onto the battlefield. He ventured back and forth several times taking the wounded Union soldiers water, warm clothing, and blankets. Soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies watched as he performed his task, but no one fired a shot. General Kershaw later stated that he observed Kirkland for more than an hour and a half. At first, it was thought that the Union would open fire, which would result in the Confederacy returning fire, resulting in Kirkland being caught in a crossfire. However, within a very short time, it became obvious to both sides as to what Kirkland was doing, and according to Kershaw cries for water erupted all over the battlefield from wounded soldiers. Kirkland did not stop until he had helped every wounded soldier on the Confederate's end of the battlefield. Sergeant Kirkland's actions remain a legend in Fredericksburg to this day.
Then we took off for another sacred spot. This was the house that Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died in. He had been shot at Chencellorsville by his own troops, dropped twice, had his arm amputated and was brought to this building near Spotsylvania. His arm surgery was healing but he died of pneumonia.
This is the actual bed that he died in. The Park Ranger said that she is told to tell people he died of pneumonia, but it may have been reactions to the drugs his doctor gave him.
This was the actual clock in the room that he would have been watching.
So, we got to see his grave in Lexington, his stuffed horse, the jacket he was wearing when he was shot (with the bullet hole still intact) and the bed that he passed away on in the house that it happened.
Then we shot up to Spotsylvania battlefield.
History Lesson: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. It was fought in the Rapidan-Rappahannock river area of central Virginia, a region where more than 100,000 men on both sides fell between 1862 and 1864.
The battle was fought May 8–21, 1864, along a trench line some four miles (6.5 km) long, with the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee making its second attempt to halt the spring offensive of the Union Army of the Potomac under the command of Lt. Gen. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. Taking place less than a week after the bloody, inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, it pitted 52,000 Confederate soldiers against a Union army numbering 100,000.
Because of the severity of the crisis, Lee felt compelled to personally lead soldiers in the counterattack. His men realized the danger this would pose to him, however, and refused to advance until Lee removed himself to a safer position in the rear. The several "Lee to the rear" episodes later became famous, and were an intense example of the personal bond that Lee's soldiers felt for him. The battle in the Mule Shoe lasted for an entire day and night, as the Confederates slowly won back most of the ground they had lost, inflicting heavy losses on the II Corps and on the reinforcing VI Corps in the process. The fighting was characterized by an intensity of firepower never previously seen in Civil War battles, as the entire landscape was flattened, all the foliage destroyed. Both sides, fighting from back and forth over the same corpse-strewn trenches, engaged in hand-to-hand fighting somewhat reminiscent of battles fought during ancient times, and there were many descriptions of the field as a morass of corpses, piled so high that wounded men buried underneath them were pressed down into the mud, where they drowned. The angle between the Union II and VI Corps became known as the "Bloody Angle of Spotsylvania", where perhaps some of the most savage fighting of the whole Civil War took place.
This was the Confederate Trenches at the "Bloody Angle".
We worked our way back to Fredericksburg by lunch and had a late breakfast at Granny's Getaway - awesome downhome, local owned place - in fact, they were shutting down starting the next day for a week because the waitress was going on vacation!
Well, while we were eating a late breakfast out came a map and we felt that since the weekend was upon us,. let's change plans and get the I-95 corridor run out of the way. It was after 1 pm when we left out of Fredericksburg, Va (with a new route planned) and we ran 301 out of Virginia into Maryland. We were trying to make some time, so I apologize to Eric and Big Al - brothers, it was a spur of the moment change and we were trying to get as far north as we could that day. Sorry - of course, we still have to get home.
Then we got to cross over into.....
We finally stopped in Newark, Delaware for the evening at a very nice Days Inn with a Michael's Pub and Resteraunt next door with an awesome BUFFET!!!!
So, this morning we packed up and got out a little later than usual and sail up I-95 to Philladelphia. On a Saturday, the traffic in Philly was not as bad as you would have thought. We didn't hit REAL traffic until the New Jersey/New York and bubby when we hit it - it was like nothing two Cajun boys had ever seen. 60 miles of a parking lot moving 2 miles an hour......More about that later.
Anyway, we rolled into Philly past the Eagles stadium and downtown, parked, and got to see some AWESOME HISTORY!!! First we got to see a bell with a BIG OL' CRACK IN IT! Something called the Liberty Bell.
History Lesson: The Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the most prominent symbols of the American Revolutionary War. It is a familiar symbol of independence within the United States and has been described as an icon of liberty and justice. According to tradition, its most famous ringing occurred on July 8, 1776, to summon citizens of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell had also been rung to announce the opening of the First Continental Congress in 1774 and after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. The Liberty Bell was known as the "Independence Bell" or the "Old Yankee's Bell" until 1837, when it was adopted by the American Anti-Slavery Society as a symbol of the abolitionist movement
We walked over and saw Benjamin Franklin's grave and tossed a penny each on it.
We got to see inside the very first Supreme Court.
Then we took the 30 minute tour of Independance hall, ya'll - A MUST DO!!!!
Inside we got to see the room where the Decleration of Independance and the Constituion was signed. Don't get any better than this! So, we have seen the house and grave where the man that drafted the Decleration lived and was buried (outside Charlottesville, Va), we have seen the original document (in Washington, DC) and have seen where it was signed (Philladelpia, Penn). Yep, that is Magical History there my friends!
Well, we were fixing to leave out of Philly but ya just can't leave Philly without at least trying a Philly Cheesesteak.
We went to Philladelphia Bourse ....
And two Cajun boys ate us a Philly Cheese Steak "samich" - a mite tastey I must add!!!!
Philly was an AWESOME PLACE!!!! The change in archetecture between our homes and here is amazing!!!!! we dug just riding the neighborhoods to get back to the superslab.
History Lesson: Independence Hall is a U.S. national landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Known primarily as the location where the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted, the building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House for the Province of Pennsylvania. It became the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783. The United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were both signed at Independence Hall.
Independence Hall is a red brick building, built between 1732 and 1753, designed in the Georgian style by Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton, and built by Woolley. Its highest point is 135 feet (41 meters) above the ground. Its construction was commissioned by the Pennsylvania colonial legislature and it was initially inhabited by the colonial government of Pennsylvania as their State House. Two smaller buildings adjoin Independence Hall: Old City Hall to the east, and Congress Hall to the west. These three buildings are together on a city block known as Independence Square, along with Philosophical Hall, the original home of the American Philosophical Society.
Independence Hall is pictured on the back of the U.S. $100 bill, as well as the bicentennial Kennedy half dollar. The Assembly Room is pictured on the reverse of the U.S. two dollar bill, from the original painting by John Trumbull entitled Declaration of Independence.
We just checked it out - consider this the Cajun version of Snoope's - Yep, it be true!!!!
Ummmmmm, trust me that is Hard6's - all I could tell you is what is on the back of a $20 (the White House by the way - Hey, we seen that too!!!).
Well, we rode out of there and through New Jersey (not what I expected at all! I bet New Jersey has some awesome roads if you get off the superslab - much more hills than I was expecting). Great roads until you got near New York.
Rode over into New York....
And saw a real pretty lady.....
And Ellis Island
Today sure made us proud to be what we are......
Then it was time was leave out and we were wondering on meeting up with Ossvalk or riding on.....BROTHER, WE GOT INTO A MOVING PARKING LOT that was moving for 60+ miles that was moving at a speed that you had to walk your bike, my temp gauge stayed on (we had to even pull over for about 20 minutes running the fan, circulating the water, running the fan, etc to get the light off). How anyone up here can keep a clutch amazes me. This was like being in a parade for 3 hours. Everytime the traffic started to move, you would top a hill and the same mess layed before you. This went on all the way from New Jersy to Conn. At one place, they were taking a merging highway, so we had 5 lanes, and turned them into 1 lane on a bridge. UNREAL TRAFFIC! Take Dallas and multiply it by 10 (during rush hour) and you may have an idea. WHEW! It took us probably 3 hours to get through New York.
Rolled in Conn and traffic cleared but man, they sure don't follow the speed limit here! We have seen crazy driving here! Crotch rockets running in between lanes, buses running at 85-90 in a 55 zone, cars switching 4 lanes over to catch an exit at the last minute with no turn signals, crotch rockets popping wheelies at 70 - man, you will be run over anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon (so far) if you try and keep it 5 mph over the speed limit. We have been running 10-15 over in the middle lane and passed on both sides like we were standing still.
Conn, so far has been BEAUTIFUL, but ya better plan on lightning by dusk, because I have seen at least a half dozen deer grazing on the side of the highway. I took one exit and there was a huge doe grazing 10 feet from me on the exit ramp.
We checked in in just enough time to restock our essentials.
Anyway, we are in Milford, Conn tonight and leaving out tomorrow on more of the history tour and we hear they got some kind of big mudbug up here or something!!!!!
