Question of the Week: 2/27-3/5/23
If you had to spend one year of the American Civil War in a state capital city, which would you choose and why?
(States that existed or were created during war years)
If you had to spend one year of the American Civil War in a state capital city, which would you choose and why?
(States that existed or were created during war years)
Great question! If I could split a year I’d pick Nashville, just to observe Bedford Forrest and George Thomas in action in 1862 and 1864.
Chattanooga, and Lookout Mountain.
Richmond, Virginia during the final year of the war, May 1864-May 1865. From the Overland Campaign to Petersburg to Appomattox.
The State capital that I would like to spend one year in, if I could, during the Civil War would be Richmond, Virginia, I would like to spend either 1861 or 1862 in Richmond. That would be before the inflation grew and the commodities were scarce. It would still be exciting to witness the Confederate government in action and the preparations for war around the city. As tragic as it may sound, I would even like to witness Chimborozo hospital in action in 1862 or the Tredegar Iron works in operation.
I’d say Frankfort, 1861 or 1862 – or possibly the 12-month period from mid-October 1861 to mid-October 1862.
The most action outside of Washington, DC during the war would obviously be in Richmond Virginia. The politics, military headquarters and hospitals, the foundries and war production industries and most of all the prisoner of war camps. It must have been an ugly city.
Richmond, Virginia but only if I could a hearty supply of food with me. Year? How about 1865. I want to see Richmon fall.
I’m going to cheat a bit and pick a territorial capital: Santa Fe, NM. You’d get a front seat to Union preparations during the 1862 campaign, followed by the Confederate occupation and retreat. And I could stock up on the issues of the Santa Fe Gazette that are missing from the Library of Congress.
1861-Washington DC
1862-Richmond
1863-Chattanooga
1864-Atlanta
1865-Richmond
Unless somebody can correct me, I believe neither Chattanooga nor Atlanta were state capitals during the war.
I think I’d go with Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — from the summer of 1862 to the summer of 1863. And I’d love to sneak into the Union Governor’s conference in Altoona, PA in September 1862 go with PA Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin while I was there.
I have a problem–neither Chicago nor New York City are the capitals of their respective states, but boy I’d be all over those messes! YUM!
San Francisco in 1862. Safe and sound far away from the war.
Annapolis might have been worth spending some time in throughout 1862. It’s the closest of all state capitols to Washington, DC.
Harrisburg in 1863, simply to eyewitness the reaction to Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania