Virginia
is a paradise of history and gardens. Lush forests and gardens worthy of the
Garden of Eden are found in every direction. Even the congested northern part
of Virginia, so close to Washington, D.C., is covered in natural parks and
dense woods populated by critters and vermin.
I
often wondered how liberals have captured the most beautiful places in the
country and turned them into bastions of progressivism. There is little trace
of the former America-loving glory, save for the historical sites that draw
thousands of conservative visitors who come to pay their respects to the
forefathers who established America, fought for its existence and its freedom,
making it an exceptional place for two and half centuries.
My
brief journey started on the first highway going south. As the congested and
metropolitan northern part of Virginia faded into my rear-view mirror, the
landscape became hillier and rural. Corn, soy beans, and dairy producing farms
dotted the countryside, mixed with the occasional gentrified, multi-million dollar,
well-manicured horse farms with mansions on the hill. Acres and acres of land
with expertly mowed grass and few horses in sight were surrounded by white
picket fences. No actual agricultural activity was visible, nothing to spoil
the picturesque view, worthy of a town and country magazine cover. These were
the “penny loafer” farmers who use and rent horses for exercise and pleasure.
Closer to Charlottesville, beautiful vineyards with grapes ripening on the
vines, advertised wine tours.
South
of Fredericksburg, I encountered the first historical sign commemorating the
Campaign of 1781 of the Revolutionary War. The Marquise de Lafayette marched
through the Wilderness Run to meet with Brigadier General “Mad Anthony” Wayne.
They camped south of Wilderness Bridge on June 3, 1781 not far from Ellwood. He
reconnoitered the area the next day before marching south, across the Rapidan
river. During his Grand American Tour, Lafayette retraced his campaign and
visited the Wilderness twice. In November 1824 Lafayette attended a reception
at the Wilderness Tavern and in August 1825 had breakfast in Ellwood.
From
highway 3 turning left to VA 20 south, dubbed the Constitution Highway, several
markers and historical places from the Civil War stood out: the Wilderness
Battlefield in Orange County and Chancellorsville Battlefield. Tall grasses and
weeds slowed my steps across the field.
In
spite of the thick woods that offered good cover, Confederate Lieutenant
General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was wounded on May 2, 1863 by three musket
balls that destroyed his left arm. Treated at a field hospital at Wilderness
Tavern, five miles back, the general did not fare too well. Doctors had to amputate
his arm the next day. Transported 26 miles to Guinea station, Gen. Stonewall
Jackson never made it to the train to Richmond. He died of pneumonia on May 10,
1863 on a plantation. He is buried in Lexington, VA. As General Robert E. Lee
said, “He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm.” A granite
marker on the Ellwood plantation memorializes simply, “Arm of Stonewall
Jackson, May 3, 1863.” A boulder and a granite column remind visitors of the
Chancellorsville Battlefield where Stonewall was wounded. Another marker was
erected near the building where he had died. Although bugs are biting me
viciously, I walk gingerly on the hallow ground soaked with the blood of many soldiers.
There is no rain that can ever wash away their ultimate sacrifice.
Half
a mile west of Roger’s Farm on Middle Hill, Gen. Robert E. Lee kept his
headquarters from Dec. 1863-May 1864. His army guarded the south side of the
Rapidan River. In Culpeper County, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Major Gen.
Gorge G. Mead trained the Army of the Potomac for Spring Camp. I tried to
picture the encampment, the tents, and their daily lives.
Luisa
County formed in 1742 and named for the Queen of Denmark was residence to
Patrick Henry for several years. The cavalry battle of Trevilians was fought in
this county in 1864.
In
a thick corn field, a sign reminds travelers who care to stop, of Maury’s
School, a classical school led by Rev. Maury, rector of Fredericksville Parish
from 1754-1769. Thomas Jefferson was one his students. Maury’s grandson was Matthew
Fontaine Maury, “The Pathfinder of the Seas.”
Matthew
Fontaine Maury devised a system of recording data from naval vessels and
merchant marine ships which was adopted worldwide. He published in 1855 the
first textbook of modern oceanography in 1855, The Physical Geography of the Sea.
Close
to a rural airport there was a sign indicating the location of the Bloomsbury
estate of the pioneer James Taylor, ancestor of Presidents James Madison and
Zachary Taylor. James Taylor was a member of Spotswood’s Expedition over the
mountains in 1716.
General
Sumter, born in this region on August 4, 1734, was a member of the Virginia
militia during the French and Indian War, and served as a lieutenant colonel in
the Continental Army (1776-1778) during the Revolutionary War. He was
associated with the Civil War because Fort Sumter was named after him. As a
Brigadier General, he helped defeat the British in the Carolinas. He served as
a Congressman and as Senator.
A
stately road flanked by very old trees leads to Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of
James Monroe, fifth president of the United States. James Monroe and his wife
Elizabeth purchased in 1793 1,000 acres adjoining Thomas Jefferson’s
Monticello. The plantation was called Highland and eventually grew to 3,500
acres. Highland was the main residence for James Monroe and his family from
1799-1823; it was enlarged and renamed Ash Lawn-Highland by subsequent owners.
The estate is now owned by Monroe’s alma mater, the College of William and
Mary.
A
highly accomplished American, James Monroe is best known for the foreign
affairs “Monroe doctrine.” He was also Governor of Virginia for four one-year
terms, U.S. minister to England, France, Spain, U.S. senator, and secretary of
state and war.
Not
far from Monticello, the residence of Thomas Jefferson, our third president, is
the Montpelier estate of James Madison, our fourth president, and his wife Dolley.
President Madison and his wife were frequent visitors at the Monticello plantation.
Because their home was twenty miles from Monticello, they often spent the night
in one bedroom reserved especially for them in the Jefferson’s mansion.
Thomas
Jefferson and his beloved Monticello deserve a separate description. On the day
I retraced history and his genial imprint on America, a two-hour thunderstorm
prevented visitors from reaching the top of the hill. Fear of lightning strikes
and insurance policies forbade access to the estate and plantation.
Not
far from our capital is another historical wonder, Mount Vernon, the estate of
George Washington, our first president, an architectural jewel overlooking the
Potomac River. I wrote a column about my visit to Mount Vernon in the spring. (http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/45854)
I
walk through history often (http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/42829)
It
is a source of comfort, happiness, and pride to learn and discover new things
about my adopted country, retracing steps of great men and women.
I
am an American by choice and I never consider patriotism an inconvenience. I do
not take for granted our wonderful nation and the freedom and opportunities that
it provided me. I owe a debt of gratitude that I cannot possibly repay to all
Americans that came before me. I can try to make America a better place for our
children.
I
feel blessed and am in absolute awe that in an area of approximately 100
miles from my home, there is so much history of our country. Virginia’s soil was
literally soaked with the blood and sweat of so many famous and ordinary
Americans who have shaped who we are as a nation.
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