Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Credit : Craig Fildes via Flickr
NATIONAL
BATTLEFIELD SITES
BY JENNY PETERS
American military history aficionados will find much to see around Washington , D . C ., for many key battlefields are just short meanders from the heart of the nation ’ s capital . Within a two-hour drive , visitors will find fascinating national parks dedicated to the memory of battles that took place during the Revolutionary War , the War of 1812 and the Civil War ( that deadliest conflict in America ’ s history ). And of course , the British burned the city itself ( including the White House , the Capitol building and the Library of Congress ) in the midst of the War of 1812 , so taking a tour of D . C . is actually a battlefield visit , too .
ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK , MARYLAND
Known as the bloodiest one-day conflict of the Civil War , the battle of Antietam was fought about 1.5 hours northwest of the nation ’ s capital in Maryland . Considered one of America ’ s best-preserved battlefields , Antietam offers ten walking trails that allow visitors to experience the places up and close , where the Union and Confederate armies clashed . Find historic monuments and landmarks on the quarter mile Antietam Remembered Trail ; and be sure to walk the Bloody Lane Trail ( 1.6 miles ) and see the Tidball Trail overlook for a broad view of the battlefield . The U . S . National Parks Service offers trail guides , podcasts , interpretative talks and tours from park rangers , along with driving tours of the battlefield .
BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PARK , PENNSYLVANIA
Revolutionary War buffs will need to travel north for about two hours from D . C . to see Brandywine Battlefield , where the largest fight during the War for Independence took place . September 11 , 1777 , 30,000 men ( 15,000 colonists versus 15,000 British ) fought the battle to protect nearby Philadelphia , with General George Washington leading the fight against British General William Howe . Despite having Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette at his side , Washington lost this key battle and retreated toward Philadelphia . This massive battle covered over ten square miles that are now private lands , but Washington ’ s headquarters ( the Benjamin Ring home ) is open for tours from March to December and self-driving maps lead visitors across the much-changed battle landscape .
FREDERICKSBURG AND SPOTSYLVANIA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK , VIRGINIA
Drive about an hour south of D . C . into Virginia to find this massive national military park ( over 8,000 acres ) that preserves the place where four key Civil War battles were fought . Visit the battlefields of Fredericksburg , Chancellorsville , Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse , where over the course of more than two years , Confederate generals Robert E . Lee and Thomas “ Stonewall ” Jackson fought Union troops led by generals Grant , Meade , Burnside and
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 62 SPRING 2018