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The Gettysburg Address, by Mort Kunstler.
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Pickett’s Charge at the Angle and Copse of Trees—the Confederates’ farthest advance before retreating, referred to as the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy.” From the Philippoteaux Cyclorama, 1884, at Gettysburg National Military Park. |
We will retrace the path of Pickett’s Charge, accompanied by our battlefield guide. |
A Journey in American History by Matterhorn Travel
Prices | Departure Dates | Hotels | Terms and Conditions
The Civil War was, and remains today, the central event of American history. Our Declaration of Independence of 1776 (“AII men are created equal . . .”), and our Constitution of 1789 (“to form a more perfect union. . .”) were really ratified only after four years of civil war – an ordeal by fire that cost the lives of more than 600,000 American soldiers of North and South, who were killed in action or died of disease. An additional 300,000 Americans were wounded. These terrible casualties were higher than the combined total of American casualties in all of our wars – including both world wars and Vietnam. More Americans were killed at Antietam – the bloodiest single day of the Civil War – than at Omaha Beach.
The ebb and flow of the military campaigns are fascinating; yet, our trip is more than a retracing of battles.
What were the causes of the war? Who were those Americans, for whom their state was more important than the United States, and who were willing to sacrifice their lives and property for the “Southern Way of Life.” And what was the Southern Way of Life?
Who were those soldiers whose hearts were, in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, “touched by fire?” How were they trained? Until the turning point at Gettysburg, why did the Confederate generals in the East think harder, fight harder, and campaign better than the Union generals? And, finally, why did the North win?
Historians have devoted careers to these topics. Our groups will be accompanied by a professional historian, who will lead seven education sessions and be available for informal discussions during the trip.
For the first time since 1861–65, the United States is at war in our homeland. In overcoming the challenges facing us today, we can learn from, and be inspired by, the skill, the courage, and the endurance displayed by the generation that brought us through the Civil War.
The trip is more than a retracing of battles. Education sessions are included to enhance our understanding of the Civil War. Our approach will consider both the “worm’s eye view” of the soldiers, and the high command environment of President Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and their senior generals.
Most of our historians are graduates of West Point or have taught at West Point; all have advanced degrees.
Our trip promises to be among our most memorable, and we hope that you will join us.
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Hotel accommodations for seven nights
Sightseeing
Travel between cities via deluxe, air-conditioned motorcoach with tour manager Round trip transfers, Dulles Airport to hotel Hotel Porterage Note: Air travel is not included. Matterhorn would be happy to make your flight arrangements from your home city to Washington Dulles Airport. Please phone 800-638-9150 for flight assistance. Tour members arriving by car may leave the car, for the week, at our hotel near Manassas. There is no charge for this parking. |
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“My loyalty to Virginia ought to take precedence over that which is due to the federal government. If Virginia stands by the old Union, so will I. But, if she secedes, then I will still follow my native state with my sword, and need be with my life.”
Robert E. Lee—February, 1861
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Abraham Lincoln—June 16, 1858
“. . . no State, upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the Union, – resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and acts of violence, within any State or States, against the authority of the United States, are
insurrectionary . . .”
Abraham Lincoln—First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861
“Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came”
Abraham Lincoln—Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
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Confederate troops ready to depart for Manassas. First Manassas was the first time in history that troops were transported into battle by train. |
Our program will begin at 1:00 this afternoon with a visit to the battlefield at Manassas.
Neither the North nor the South was prepared for war. Both sides thought that a war would be short. Union leaders believed that the Confederacy would quickly succumb to the greater resources and larger manpower of the North. Confederate leaders doubted that the northern population would be willing to fight to preserve the Union.
The first battle of Manassas,
July 21, 1861, also known as
Bull Run in the North, reflects these miscalculations. Following the proud but
green Union Army,
many citizens left Washington with picnic baskets to watch what they expected to be a
colorful show.
The reality was different; nearly 900 soldiers on both sides were killed during ten hours of heavy fighting. Confederate troops, better led than their Union opponents, won a decisive victory. The Union Army retreated to Washington. First Manassas marked the end of innocence and illusions for both sides.
By the time of Second Manassas, August 28 to 30, 1862, both armies had gained combat experience, but the result was the same – a Confederate victory. Although the Confederacy was now at the height of its power, Yankee resolve remained firm. Much fighting lay ahead.
Our historian will retrace these battles at Manassas with us and explain the reasons for the
Confederate victories.
“Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit.
Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl your own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army
may thus destroy a large one, and repeated victory will make you invincible.”
Stonewall Jackson
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| Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, 1862. Painting by Dale Gallon. |
One-third of the Civil War battles took place in Virginia. The beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the richest agricultural region in Virginia, was the bread basket for Lee’s Army. It was also the most pervasive region of combat. Official records show 326 incidents of armed conflict – on average one conflict every four or five days.
The Valley campaigns are forever linked with the tactical brilliance of Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, a VMI professor turned soldier, who in 1862 defeated three Union armies in a single month. Jackson’s Valley Campaign is one of the most studied campaigns of military history. The campaign demonstrates how a numerically inferior force can defeat larger forces by fast movement, surprise attack, and intelligent use of the terrain. Today’s American Army brings its officers to the Shenandoah Valley to study the tactics of Stonewall Jackson.
Only in October 1864, after the Battle of Cedar Creek, did the northern army gain control of the Shenandoah Valley. Union General Philip Sheridan then brought total warfare to the Valley, a concept that General William Tecumseh Sherman introduced in Mississippi and would bring to Georgia in November and December during his “March to the Sea.” Sheridan’s campaign became known to valley residents as “The Burning.”
Our historian will retrace with us some major battles of this region, as well as Jackson’s huge victory at Harpers Ferry.
“All through the conflict, up and down Marched Uncle Tom and Old John Brown.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes—June, 1882
The Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac at Harpers Ferry. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Harpers Ferry with its rivers and mountains is one of the loveliest places in the eastern U.S.
This idyllic spot was the scene of John Brown’s raid at the federal arsenal, October 17, 1859 — a failed, misguided act that hastened the outbreak of war. Although Brown was hanged for treason on December 2, the raid hardened radical sentiment in both the North and South. Northerners glorified Brown as a martyr in the cause of human freedom. Southerners saw the raid as part of a northern conspiracy to promote slave insurrections in the southern states. Compromise and conciliation between the sections became less likely.
We’ll visit Harpers Ferry and reflect on the drama of this lovely place.
Next we will continue to Antietam.
The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day battle in American history. More men were killed or wounded at Antietam – 23,100 – than at Pearl Harbor or at
D-Day in Normandy.
Although neither side gained a decisive victory, Lee’s failure to carry the war effort effectively into the North caused Great Britain to postpone recognition of the Confederate government. The battle also gave President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which, on January 1, 1863, declared free all slaves in the United States still in rebellion against the United States. Now the war had a dual purpose: to preserve the Union and end slavery.
We will walk on this battlefield and reflect on the extraordinary importance and tragedy of
September 17, 1862.
We’ll continue to Gettysburg, arriving in the late afternoon.
“He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword.”
Julia Ward Howe—The Battle Hymn of the Republic, 1861
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| 20th Maine Regiment bayonet charge at Little Round Top, led by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. We will stand at Little Round Top. Painting by Mort Kunstler. |
The Lord’s terrible swift sword was also very much in evidence at Gettysburg.
The Battle of Gettysburg, lasting three days, July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. More than 50,000 Americans of both sides
were casualties.
This epic battle was also the major turning point of the War. Called by historians the “High Water Mark” of the Confederacy, Gettysburg was the second and last attempt of Robert E. Lee to move the fighting out of Virginia and into the northern states. Lee’s first attempt at Antietam had failed. Although nearly two years of fierce fighting still lay ahead, after Gettysburg the prospects of a Union victory changed from if to when.
Today our historian and guide will cover the events leading up to the battle and retrace with us on the battlefield the fighting of July 1 and July 2.
We will stand at Little Round Top, where the 20th Maine Regiment, led by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, repulsed several Confederate assaults and preserved the Union position at Cemetery Ridge. This action was described by author Jeff Shaara in his epic narrative The Killer Angels.
Dinner this evening will be at a “publick house” built in 1815 and situated on the field of the first day’s battle.
Accompanied by our historian and battlefield guide, we will walk on the field of Pickett’s Charge this morning, from beginning to end. Pickett’s Charge was – and remains today – one of the most famous attacks in American military history.
As noted by historian James McPherson, “Pickett’s Charge represented the Confederate war effort in microcosm: unsurpassed valor, apparent initial success, and ultimate disaster.” Of the 14,000 Confederates who attacked, only about half returned. Pickett’s own division lost two-thirds of its men. General Lee withdrew his army back to Virginia and was no longer able to launch a major offensive.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve
that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Abraham Lincoln—Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Some four months after the battle, President Lincoln came to Gettysburg to speak at the dedication of the cemetery. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which school children memorize, stands as one of the great speeches of American history. We will visit the site where Lincoln spoke.
The trauma of war affects civilians, as well as soldiers. We will visit Schriver House, a museum dedicated to the civilian experience and how one family struggled to survive the Civil War.
Dinner this evening will be at the Dobbin House, the oldest building in Gettysburg (1797) and a stopping point for escaped slaves seeking refuge in the North via the Underground Railroad.
“It is well that war is so terrible, else men would learn to love it too much.”
Robert E. Lee—Fredericksburg, 1862
This morning we will return south to Virginia and visit Fredericksburg – a region of four major battles.
Fredericksburg, December 1862
Chancellorsville, May 1863
The Wilderness, May 1864
Spottsylvania Court House, May 1864
Richmond, the soul and Capital of the Confederacy, and a major industrial and supply center, was the main target of the northern army. The direct route from Washington to Richmond passes through Fredericksburg. Hence the town’s strategic importance.
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| Clara Barton. |
It was here that Clara Barton, later to found the American Red Cross, won fame and gratitude for her heroic nursing of the wounded of both sides. We’ll visit Chatham Plantation, where the “holy angel” from Massachusetts worked at her makeshift “hospital.”
Barton had already helped the wounded at the Battles of Antietam and Second Manassas. Later, she would serve at the Wilderness and Spottsylvania; she was then appointed supervisor of nurses for the Union Army of the James. She organized hospitals and nurses and administered day-to-day activities in the invalid camps that received the wounded from Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and other battles near Richmond.
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville were Confederate victories, although Stonewall Jackson was killed at Chancellorsville. The reinforcing Texas brigade ensured victory for Lee at the Wilderness, while Spottsylvania, probably the most vicious hand-to-hand battle of the war, was indecisive.
After visiting Fredericksburg, we’ll continue to Chancellorsville, where our historian will analyze the battle, show us where Stonewall Jackson was killed, and describe the significant aftermath of the battle.
“Oh, I wish I was in the land of Cotton—Old times there are not
forgotten. Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land
Then I wish I was in Dixie. Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I’ll take my stand: To live and die in Dixie!
Away! Away! Away down south in Dixie.”
Daniel Emmett—
Dixie, 1859
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| Berkeley Plantation on the James River. President Lincoln came to Berkeley twice to meet with General George McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac. The President relieved McClellan of his command because of the General’s failure to engage the Confederate Army. The entire Army of the Potomac, 140,000 troops, camped at Berkeley Plantation during July/August, 1862. |
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| Many slave cabins, like the Great House on the plantation, were depleted of their adult males during the war. More than 100,000 black men from Confederate states ran away to join the Union Army. |
Today we will look at the antebellum South and the Confederacy.
Who were these Americans, for whom their state was more important than the United States, and who were willing to sacrifice their lives and property for the “Southern Way of Life?” And what was the southern way of life?
Scholars have written volumes about this complicated topic. We will look at the Old South in hopes of under-standing more this evening than we knew this morning.
Our first visit will be to the Museum of the Confederacy, which the Chicago Tribune called “perhaps the finest Civil War museum in the country.” Exhibits include a chronological history of the Confederacy and the Civil War, along with an exploration of the life of Robert E. Lee.
Next, we will journey south to Petersburg to visit the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier at Pamplin Historical Park. The Museum tells the story of the nearly 3,000,000 Americans – northerners and southerners, whites and blacks, immigrants and native born – who fought in the Civil War. Why did they fight? How were they trained? What happened to them in battle and afterwards?
Tudor Hall Plantation is also included. The grounds feature a working kitchen and two slave quarters, one of which presents a multi-media exhibit on slavery in the years before the Civil War. Tudor Hall stands as a living example of Southern plantation life in the Civil War era. Talk with costumed interpreters as they go about the daily routine of plantation life.
The historical plantations along the James River exemplify the social and political life of the Old South.
The final campaign began at Petersburg and Richmond. The Battle at Cold Harbor, near Richmond, changed the course of the Richmond campaign from a war of maneuver to a war of siege. In the longest siege in American history, June, 1864, to April, 1865, Union forces under General Grant put pressure on Richmond/Petersburg from the North and East. The siege was trench warfare —a precursor of World War I fifty years later. Only the considerable skill, courage and endurance of Lee’s army kept the Union forces out of the Confederate capital. But on April 2 the northern army broke through and cut off the Confederate supply lines from the South, forcing Lee to evacuate Richmond and Petersburg and retreat to the west. Grant pursued relentlessly, and virtually surrounded Lee’s army at Appomattox Court House. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865.
Appomattox Court House joined Valley Forge, Yorktown, and Gettysburg as sacred ground in American history. The Old South was, in the words of Margaret Mitchell, “Gone With The Wind.” The United States
was reborn.
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| Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The surrender of General Lee to General Grant, April 9, 1865. Painting by L.M.D. Guillaume. |
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
After visiting Appomattox, we will return to Richmond for our
farewell dinner.
This morning we will be transferred to Dulles Airport, concluding our journey through the Civil War. Arrival at Dulles will be about 11:00 AM.
Inclusive Cost
$2495 Per Person, Double Occupancy
Single Room Supplement $495
May 20 to May 27
June 3 to June 10
September 30 to October 7
October 14 to October 21
Manassas Area |
Hyatt, Hilton |
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Gettysburg |
Wyndham, Marriott Courtyard |
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Richmond |
Wyndham (Glen Allen), Marriott |
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Your holiday is operated by Matterhorn Travel. Please note the all-inclusive nature of our trips. There are no hidden optional costs. We include all features for a complete holiday – breakfasts, dinners every evening, and full sightseeing. |
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Deposits and Final Payments
An initial deposit of $400 per person must be sent with the reservation(s). Final payment is due two months before departure.
Responsibility
These tours are under the operation and management of Matterhorn Travel Service, Inc., 3419 Hidden River View, Annapolis, Maryland 21403. The Tour Operator shall be responsible for supplying the services and accommodations as outlined in this brochure, except to the extent that such services and accommodations cannot be supplied due to delays or other causes beyond its control, in which case the operator will use its best efforts to supply comparable services and accommodations. The Tour Operator reserves the right at its discretion to change the sequence or alter any part of the itinerary or hotel accommodations, without prior notice for any reason; but in the event of substantial reduction in the services rendered, a proportionate refund will be made to tour participants upon written request to the Tour Operator. If there is a major change in the itinerary, participants will be notified before departure and offered an opportunity to cancel with full refund.
In the absence of negligence by the Tour Operator, the Tour Operator accepts no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delays or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather strikes, or other causes. All such losses or expenses will be borne by the passenger. The tour member waives any claim against the Tour Operator for any damage to or loss of property or injury or death of persons due to any act of negligence of any hotels, or any other persons rendering any of the services or accommodations included in the ground portion of the itinerary. The Tour Operator shall not be responsible for any delays, substitution of equipment or any act of omission whatsoever by the carrier, its agents, servants and employees, and tour member hereby waives any claim arising therefrom. Tour participants agree that the Tour Operator has no responsibility or liability of any nature whatsoever for loss, damage or injury to property or person resulting from air transportation. The air carrier provides insurance for the protection of passengers and performance within the provisions of its tariffs. The Tour Operator reserves the right to decline, accept or remove any tour member as a participant of these tours at any time. If any tour member is removed from the tour, a proportionate refund for unused services will be made.
Cancellations/Refunds
Refunds cannot be made to any passenger who does not complete the tour. In the event of cancellation by the Tour Operator, Tour Operator's liability shall be limited to a refund of all payments made by the tour participants to Tour Operator.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to the Tour Operator. If cancellation in writing is received by the Tour Operator more than two months before tour departure, an administration charge of $90 per person will be retained. For cancellations received within two months of departure, the following cancellation charges apply:
Two months to one month before departure: 30% of the tour price
One month to one week before departure: 60% of the tour price
Less than one week before departure: No refund
Insurance
Trip accident, health and baggage insurance is recommended. Cancellation insurance is also available and is particularly recommended. Details will be furnished upon request.
Airport Transfers
Airport transfers are provided only for passengers arriving and departing Washington Dulles Airport.
Special Note
Prices quoted are based on supplier costs as of September 15, 2011. Prices are subject to change prior to departure. Participants will be notified in writing at least two months before departure if there is any increase in tour price required by such cost increases. There is no credit for unused services. Forwarding of participants’ deposit(s) indicates acceptance of these terms and conditions.
This program is valid from May 1 to October 31, 2012.
To obtain a printer friendly (pdf) version of this itinerary, please click here.
