17 March, 2012

BRCWRT SPRING TOUR SERIES:

STAFFORD CIVIL WAR PARK
&
WHITE OAK CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

Plan for the Stafford Civil War Park. Public access facilities are under construction.

The BRCWRT will conduct an early-spring two-part tour. In the morning session, we will tour a remarkable Civil War preservation project in Stafford county. The project is spearheadded by the Friends of Stafford Civil War Sites (FSCWS) whose co-founder is D.P. Newton, the owner and curator of the White Oak Museum. The tour will cover the site of fortifications and winter encampments of the Union Army 11th Corps. Over 130,000 Union soldiers sheltered in Stafford county during the winter and spring of 1862 and 1863, a period aptly described by many historians and even soldiers of the time as the "Valley Forge" of the Civil War. Our guide will be Glenn Trimmer, director of FSCWS.

Here is what we will see:

Three Class A Artillery batteries with visible remains of the Army of the Potomac’s 11th Corps 1st &  3rd Divisions encampment sites, (a mix of visible dug-in hut sites and tents), existing rifle pits on the perimeter. One fort has a block house.

Remains of an 1837 three-tier bridge over Accokeek Creek, a major crossing point for the 11th Corps.

Multiple-sections of corduroy roads built by Union soldiers and engineers. Reportedly the best example existing today.

A late-1700 sandstone quarry, although not Civil War era, would have certainly been visited by soldiers.

In the afternoon after a brown-bag or fast food lunch, we will visit the nearby White Oak Civil War Museum. This museum has an astonishingly extensive display of Civil War artifacts that were found mostly in the surrounding area. See the White Oak Museum web site. A May 2011 article in Fredericksburg.com had this statement referring to musuem owner D.P Newton. "John Hennessy, chief historian of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, says he gasped when he saw what Newton and volunteers had assembled in Stafford."

Date: 17 March 2012 

Assembly Time & Location in Stafford: 9:00-9:15 A.M. at 400 Mount Hope Church Rd, Stafford, VA 22554. (Map)
Driving directions from I-95 south: Take Stafford Exit 140. At the light turn left onto Courthouse Rd east. Proceed 3.5 miles to right turn onto Andrew Chapel Rd (VA-629). Travel for 0.9 miles to the VRE railroad trestle. Go under the railroad trestle and make an immediate right onto Brooke Rd. Proceed 0.4 miles to a right turn onto Mount Hope Church Rd. Go 1.2 miles to the end. Park around the cul-de-sac.

Rendezvous Information for Car Poolers: 
Participants wishing to form car pools from Fairfax should meet in front of the McDonald's restaurant at University Mall, located at the intersection of Ox Rd (VA Rte 123) and Braddock Rd (Rte 620). Meet at 7:45 A.M. for an 8:00 A.M. departure. (Map) Driving time 50-60 min.

Comfort Considerations: There are no restroom facilities at the project site. You will pass a McDonald's restaurant on Courthouse Rd just after exiting I-95.

Degree of Exertion: We will be walking approximately 2 miles.

Tour Duration:  9:15 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

Lunch: Brown bag lunch or nearby fast food. Directions will be given on the morning of the tour.

Afternoon Activity: We will visit the White Oak Civil War Museum at 985 White Oak Rd, Falmouth, VA 22412 (Map)
Driving directions from Stafford Park site: Follow Mount Hope Church Rd 1.2 mi to a right turn onto Brooke Rd. After 5.3 miles, Brooke Rd turns left. Stay on Brooke Rd for another 0.6 mi to a right turn onto Ringgold Rd. Proceed 0.7 mi to a left turn onto White Oak Rd. The museum is about 2 mi on the right. (15 minutes)

Cost: $15 tax-deductible donation for the Stafford project site. Cash or checks made payable to FSCWS, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, will be collected at the project site before the tour. Admission fee at the White Oak Museum is $4 adults, $2 seniors payable at the museum.

Sign Up:  Please sign up for the tour using the link to the left on this page.  There will also be a signup sheet passed around at the February and March general meetings.

Inclement Weather: Participants will be notified by e-mail of any weather-related changes to these orders no later than 7:00 A.M. on the date of the tour.   For confirmation, check the round table web site home page or call Saundra Cox 703-675-0702.