In the spirit of America’s love affair with inventing holidays to stimulate the greeting card industry, we now find ourselves in the midst of its latest concoction—The Sesquicentennial.
For those not familiar with the term—especially in the DC Metro area—please take a step back and strike yourselves squarely in the head with a bag of dead batteries. The Sesquicentennial in this case is, of course, the 150-year anniversary of the U. S. Civil War. It appears that at some point a lull in upcoming greeting card sales was detected and some bright spark somewhere decided to forego the usual annual, decade, century, or millennium anniversary milestones to sneak one in the middle.
This celebration is particularly curious when considering that, despite the booze-addled jubilation occurring during Civil War reenactment frenzies, the reality of the whole bloody mess was so horrible that some description of spectacular mind-erasing binge consumption should be embraced in an attempt to try and forget it happened to begin with… much less sell greeting cards over it.
This celebration is particularly curious when considering that, despite the booze-addled jubilation occurring during Civil War reenactment frenzies, the reality of the whole bloody mess was so horrible that some description of spectacular mind-erasing binge consumption should be embraced in an attempt to try and forget it happened to begin with… much less sell greeting cards over it.
In any event, the Sesquicentennial has arrived and all the kicking and screaming in the world isn’t going to change that fact. And, in the spirit of common sense—i.e. playing well with other children—the logical place to start the exploration of an extravaganza of this magnitude is… well… at the beginning. In this case, the beginning is manifested in the form of Harper’s Ferry, WV—the apparent lightning rod that got everything rolling 150-years ago courtesy of John Brown, unplugged.
While a focus on Harper’s Ferry may appear to be coloring outside of the lines if one is focused on Northern Virginia as a destination, it was actually part of Northern Virginia at the commencement of the Civil War—prior to West Virginia getting itself snapped off—and is certainly worth at least a mention, if not a visit.
Located a stone’s throw from the intersection of three states—West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland—the town itself is a crossroads, of sorts, as well. Situated in the midst of the stunning Shenandoah Valley—just where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers crash into each other—both the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal converge on the spot. Avid hikers appear from nowhere for food, Starbucks, and new shoes as the Appalachian Trail makes its appearance, and—of course—it is figuratively the point between peace and war bridged by the fuse lit whilst abolitionist John Brown ran amok two years before the official start of the Civil War in 1861.
Getting there is a short subject. Situated only 48 miles from DC proper, the Northern Virginia visitor need only get themselves to Leesburg where it is only about 25 miles further on. Be warned, however, that while the journey will take the traveler through beauteous, antique-store-dotted countryside and is well worth the price of admission alone… one should ensure that driving directions are solid and clear prior to departure. More than one ill-prepared traveler has found themselves asking Daryl and his other brother Daryl for directions while banjos drone on in the distance. In other words, things could turn into more of an adventure than one bargained for.
Harper’s Ferry itself is primarily a historical site enjoying all the protections afforded to a full-tilt National Park. A tiny hamlet of only about 300 residents, it features a variety of weather-dependent outdoor recreational activities, a number of weather-defiant museums and exhibits, miles of walking tours through historic districts, and no shortage of opportunities to explore battlefields—complete with Civil War era fortifications, trench lines, and ruins. Of course, there is also all the requisite lodging, dining, and shopping one would expect—but more on that later.
More to the point of this missive, however, Harper’s Ferry is also chock-full of history. Caught in a vicious tug-o-war, the town changed hands no less than 8 times during the Civil War. It was also the site of the strategically significant Battle of Harper’s Ferry that, ultimately, led to the mother of all bad ideas, the Battle of Antietam. It was also home to the single largest capture of Union troops during the Civil War… among many, many other historic bits and pieces.
Whether your aim is to find an excuse to hunker down and get serious about the countryside, explore charming, picturesque towns, or do the Civil War Sesquicentennial by the numbers, a journey to Harper’s Ferry won’t disappoint. The town will feature many Civil War-focused events over the upcoming 4 years and is worth the trip, even if approaching it from a DIY perspective.
For more information on Harper’s Ferry National Park events and programming, go to the source: http://www.nps.gov/hafe. For additional information from the Harpers Ferry Historical Association give http://harpersferryhistory.org a whirl. Both sites are comprehensive, well constructed, and very informative.
For the latest, follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/@DeathXDrowning
© 2011 Death by Drowning
Located a stone’s throw from the intersection of three states—West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland—the town itself is a crossroads, of sorts, as well. Situated in the midst of the stunning Shenandoah Valley—just where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers crash into each other—both the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal converge on the spot. Avid hikers appear from nowhere for food, Starbucks, and new shoes as the Appalachian Trail makes its appearance, and—of course—it is figuratively the point between peace and war bridged by the fuse lit whilst abolitionist John Brown ran amok two years before the official start of the Civil War in 1861.
Getting there is a short subject. Situated only 48 miles from DC proper, the Northern Virginia visitor need only get themselves to Leesburg where it is only about 25 miles further on. Be warned, however, that while the journey will take the traveler through beauteous, antique-store-dotted countryside and is well worth the price of admission alone… one should ensure that driving directions are solid and clear prior to departure. More than one ill-prepared traveler has found themselves asking Daryl and his other brother Daryl for directions while banjos drone on in the distance. In other words, things could turn into more of an adventure than one bargained for.
Harper’s Ferry itself is primarily a historical site enjoying all the protections afforded to a full-tilt National Park. A tiny hamlet of only about 300 residents, it features a variety of weather-dependent outdoor recreational activities, a number of weather-defiant museums and exhibits, miles of walking tours through historic districts, and no shortage of opportunities to explore battlefields—complete with Civil War era fortifications, trench lines, and ruins. Of course, there is also all the requisite lodging, dining, and shopping one would expect—but more on that later.
More to the point of this missive, however, Harper’s Ferry is also chock-full of history. Caught in a vicious tug-o-war, the town changed hands no less than 8 times during the Civil War. It was also the site of the strategically significant Battle of Harper’s Ferry that, ultimately, led to the mother of all bad ideas, the Battle of Antietam. It was also home to the single largest capture of Union troops during the Civil War… among many, many other historic bits and pieces.
Whether your aim is to find an excuse to hunker down and get serious about the countryside, explore charming, picturesque towns, or do the Civil War Sesquicentennial by the numbers, a journey to Harper’s Ferry won’t disappoint. The town will feature many Civil War-focused events over the upcoming 4 years and is worth the trip, even if approaching it from a DIY perspective.
For more information on Harper’s Ferry National Park events and programming, go to the source: http://www.nps.gov/hafe. For additional information from the Harpers Ferry Historical Association give http://harpersferryhistory.org a whirl. Both sites are comprehensive, well constructed, and very informative.
For the latest, follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/@DeathXDrowning
© 2011 Death by Drowning
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