The End of the Line for Lee (But Not For Me!)

We left Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia, traversing on narrow, uneven, winding rural roads. I was white knuckled sitting next to Mom in the Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon. Ironically, it was not because of Mom’s driving skills, but instead from watching the rear tire of our 5^th wheel Suite Retreat get caught in the non-existent shoulder while Dad was driving through a series of S-turns with oncoming traffic. Dad was able to straighten out, but it looked like the RV was going to tip right over! Though we arrived safely at Paradise Lake Family Campground in Spout Spring, Virginia, I discovered we had quite a shake up inside the rig from the incident. Thankfully, we experienced no permanent damage.

 

Our theater seats, freezer, and TV all shifted, and contents of some cupboards spilled out.

Paradise Lake Family Campground is an older, but well-maintained gated facility. For $62/night, we had a full hook up pull-through site that was easy to access and large enough for Big Boomer (our medium duty truck) and the Jeep to fit with Suite Retreat on our assigned site. While my parents sat on the patio deck behind the office taking in the lovely views of Paradise Lake, I enjoyed the nearby game room/arcade. The Campground offers free WI-FI, laundry area, and seasonal pool, too. Plus, it is a convenient location to access our next Civil War site, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

 

Me playing Ms. Pac-man.

 

Here is an abridged Civil War history lesson about Appomattox from your cotton-brained and simplistic stuffed Rambling RV Rat.

 

After Richmond (the Capital of the Confederacy) was abandoned, Confederate General Lee was in retreat, trying to join General Joseph Johnston’s forces in North Carolina. However, the Union was hot on his heels. On April 6, 1865, Lee’s calvary, to their credit, kept Union forces at bay near Farmville by burning the High Bridge behind them. However, on April 7, the Union successfully cut off 3 Corps of Lee’s forces at the Battle of Saylor’s (also known as Sailor’s) Creek. Nearly 1/4 of Lee’s army (7,700 men) were taken as prisoners. The situation was bleak for the Confederacy. On April 8, Union General George Custer captured and burned several Confederate supply trains at Appomattox Station, striking the final blow to Confederate forces.

 

On April 9, 1865, General Lee and his Confederate troops surrendered at Appomattox Court House, a small rural town with a population of 100. Lee’s aide, Lt. Colonel Charles Marshall, chose the parlor of the McLean House as the surrender site. It took more than 2 days thereafter for the Confederate soldiers to relinquish all their arms.

 

The McClean House, site of Lee's surrender.

The parlor of the McClean House, where the terms of surrender were signed.  Robert T. Lincoln, brother of Abe, was among those present. So, he gave the President a first-hand account of the proceedings.

One of the bedrooms within the McLean House.

Slave quarters on the McLean property...

...offered slave families stark accommodations.

President Lincoln wanted no more bloodshed. He did not want the South humiliated, but instead treated with respect and courtesy. Therefore, after pledging not to take up arms, all Confederate soldiers were paroled and sent home to their families.  They were allowed to keep their horses, and they even were given rations from the Union to facilitate their travels.  (Sadly, after Lincoln's assassination, his successor Andrew Johnson tried to renege on the surrender terms.  He wanted Confederate soldiers tried for treason.  It was General Grant who intervened and insisted the government honor the surrender agreement).

 

Presses were set up in Clover Hill Tavern to print the parole forms for the Confederates.

We toured the Historical Park and its structures, hiking trails, and Confederate Cemetery, which contains the gravesites of 18 Confederates (10 of which are not identified) and one unknown Union soldier.

Confederate cannons fired their final shots at Appomattox from outside this home of the Peers family.

The restored Court House now serves as the Visitor Center for the Historical Park.

Meeks General Store sold everything from gunpowder to cheese!  Next door was the Law office of John Woodson, who practiced from this location from 1856 to his death in 1864.

We viewed the Raine family gravesite as we hiked along Grant's Approach Trail. The Raines were the builders and original occupants of the McLean House where Lee surrendered.

Interestingly, the only battlefield monument within the Historical Park commemorates the efforts of the North Carolinians, who fired the last organized volley of the Confederates during the Appomattox Campaign.

A picturesque vista from the Stage Road Trail.

The Confederate Cemetery contains the grave of one unidentified Union soldier.

Since my Mom’s ancestor made and sold stringed musical instruments (banjos, mandolins, guitars), I was fascinated to learn that the banjo originated in West Africa as a crude, gourd instrument. When slaves came to America, they made banjos out of wood and hides in addition to gourds. Local musician Joel Sweeney was taught by slaves to play the banjo, and he further refined the instrument to today’s 5-string version.

The Cabin of Sam Sweeney, Joel's brother and fellow banjo player.

I expanded my Civil War knowledge and earned myself a Junior Ranger badge at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.

Me showing my parole form and latest Junior Ranger badge to my gal pal Mademoiselle Rochelle.  

We also explored today’s small town of Appomattox, which encompasses 2 square miles and is comprised of approximately 1,800 residents. Its Visitor Information Center now stands at the Southside Railroad depot where the Battle of Appomattox Station occurred.

 

On another day we took a ride to Bedford, Virginia, to visit the National D-Day Memorial. The Memorial commemorates June 6, 1944, when Allied Forces landed on the beachfronts of Normandy, France during World War II to end the occupation of France by Nazi Germany.

 

Using the code name “Operation Overlord" and with Dwight Eisenhower as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, D-Day was the largest air, land, and sea invasion in history. It involved 5,000+ ships, 11,000+ aircraft, and 150,000 troops from the United States and its Allies.

 

I learned D-Day was planned for December 5 based on tides, moon, etc. However, the worst storm in 50 years delayed it until the following day. To keep logistics secret, a map was produced as a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces assembled by Chad Toy Company.

 

Though the mission was successful in liberating France, 2,500+ Americans along with almost 2,000 members of our Allies’ forces were killed that day.

 

Among those fatalities were "The Bedford Boys", 20 young soldiers from the town of Bedford, Virginia. As a means of earning $1 during the Great Depression, these young men joined the National Guard. All served together in the same Company A, and for most, D-Day represented their first combat experience. The town of Bedford holds the sad distinction of having the highest per capita D-Day loss.

 

Our guided tour was terrific ($15/person), and the Memorial is truly spectacular. Situated on 55 acres with the Peaks of Otter (within the Blue Ridge Mountains) in the backdrop, the Memorial is meticulously detailed, rich in symbolism, and poignant.

The back of the monument with the Peaks of Otter in the background.

The figures within the sculpture depict fidelity, valor, and sacrifice.

The realism conveyed at the Memorial evokes many emotions.

 The busts represent the leaders of the Allies, while Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the center pavilion as Supreme Commander. 

The pavilion roof contains a mosaic map detailing the invasion plan. 

Gold Star Families' Monument.

We popped into the nearby Bedford Visitor Center, which offers full hook-up sites for $25 on a first-come-first-served basis. RVs must arrive before 4:30 p.m. when the Visitor Center closes, but it is a good option to facilitate a visit to this wonderful National D-Day Memorial.

 

Well, Appomattox Court House may have been the end of the line for Lee, but it certainly isn’t for me!  We are taking off tomorrow for more adventures!   Talk to you again soon!