Question of the Week: 9 March

QuestionOfTheWeek-header

This week will witness the Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads, a battlefield that is truly off the beaten path. What is your favorite “off the beaten path” battlefield and why?



9 Responses to Question of the Week: 9 March

  1. Elthams Landing – 1) it is near where I grew up so I explored the woods and trails to match terrain to what was mentioned in the ORs and other sources of information; 2) First larger engagement of the Texas Brigade particularly for the 1st Texas Co. A, which was raised in Jefferson Texas near where I live now! 3) Battlefield preservation is a passion of mine – and this was the one battlefield in which some of my efforts combined with the efforts of many other folks, directly led to some land being set asside for a pull-off and the installation of historical markers.

  2. I have two: Monterrey Pass in Pa. , and Glorieta Pass in NMex. The first because of it’s pristine appearance and it’s importance to the Gettysburg campaign and the latter because I study the life of John Chivington..

  3. Arkansas Post. Although an NPS unit, the site is all back-roads to get to the back-roads leading to the park. And to really “walk” the entire battlefield, one must take a liking to Lilly Pads.

  4. Munfordville and just about any site associated with the movements of the Stones River (Hartsville, Triume, Stewart’s Creek, etc) and Tullahoma operations (Guy’s Gap, Hoover’s Gap, Shelbyville/Duck River, Crampton’s Creek, Tullahoma, Elk River, University Place). Their beauty, peace, and evocativeness offer an interesting contrast.

  5. The battle of Pacheco Pass, in Arizona. This is the closest battlefield to me, and I have visited it several times. Two of the men killed there are buried in San Francisco’s Presidio Cemetery. I found their graves, left flowers, and did copies of the gravestones.

  6. I really like Allatoona Pass here in Georgia. It can be considered “off the beaten path,” because Sherman beat a path away from Johnston’s strong position there in May 1864! Then in October, Hood’s army heading north fought a battle against the Union garrison there guarding the railroad. It is almost a haunting place with the deep railroad cut and ravines which sheltered fearful Mississippians. The location of the signal tree is marked, to which Sherman sent encouraging words all the way from Kennesaw Mountain. Also, there is a house just across the road that was used as a hospital after the battle. At the 150th it was open to the public and is like a Civil War shrine inside: complete with bloodstains on an upstairs floor and Minie ball holes in a wall facing the battlefield (from which little Confederate flags now hang).

    The History Press published a great book on the battle by Brad Butkovich, part of its Sesquicentennial Series. His account contains many interesting and poignant details of this small but fierce battle.

  7. Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands (now the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia) where the CSS Shenandoah captured and burned four Yankee whalers in the first week of April 1965 while Richmond went up in flames and their country was dying. How more off the beaten track can you get?

  8. I’ve always enjoyed Spring Hill, TN. It’s still a very small town and easy to visualize the events…or should I say “non-events”?…occurring there on November 29, 1864. I also had the opportunity to visit the dining area of the house (while it was under-going renovation) where Van Dorn was shot. His blood stains were very visible in the exposed sub-flooring. One of those moments that has the effect of stopping me in my tracks!

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