History on the road: From Annapolis to Gettysburg

Maryland State Capitol, as seen from an Annapolis alley

Maryland is never far away when visiting Chincoteague Island. Leave the road connecting the peninsula to the barrier islands, and you reenter Maryland in a few miles. For four miles above Chesapeake Bay, Delmarva and the rest of Maryland couldn’t feel farther apart.

Nancy took us across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I deferred after our last trip over the bridge, a windy, stormy white-knuckle drive I happily put behind me. She had blue skies but still faced high winds and the claustrophobic feel of driving on a three-lane bridge with two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane. We differ on this, but I’ll take the bridge-tunnel at the other end of Delmarva any day.

We didn’t have to drive far from the bridge to reach Annapolis. I had visited only once, back in 1999 with an old college friend with whom I since lost touch. The streets felt just as narrower, the blocks every bit as historic. Newer construction in Annapolis doesn’t stand out because most new buildings have architecture in line with the historic structures.

Most historic structures appear in fine condition, especially the Maryland Capitol. The oldest state capitol still in legislative use, its understated dome towers above the Annapolis skyline, in part because the streets slope down to the waterfront. Driving into town, the capitol is an easy landmark is the It briefly served as a U.S. Capitol in 1783-84. In the Old Senate chamber, George Washington resigned his commission from the Continental Army. The capitol grounds are tiny by most standards but no less dignified. Thick with vegetation, statues and mature trees, the statehouse didn’t waste a square foot.

With Gettysburg our destination, we had just a little time to spend in Annapolis. We could have spent hours or days. The main reason behind our Annapolis stop was lunch, and we began walking the narrow blocks for something quick. Despite my urge to skip seafood once we left Chincoteague, the gravity of lobster rolls could not be escaped.

 We could have spent days in Annapolis, but it received an hour and change. We had a date with Gettysburg.

After a brief fight through Baltimore rush hour, we entered Pennsylvania and the distant green mountains that framed the hills around Gettysburg.

Pennsylvania Memorial, Lincoln statue on the left

Gettysburg had blocks of old buildings and an interesting downtown look, but it was undeniably a tourist town. One only needed to glance at all the ghost tour offerings and chain restaurants to unravel that mystery. Still, the town had a 19th century charm; tourist destination it might be, at least it had drawn vacationers since the town’s recovery after the Civil War.

A closer view

The less said about the motor court we picked, the better. Sitting just outside of Gettysburg, I won’t even repeat its name. We slept, we tolerated its complete lack of updates and we left quickly when an hour before checkout, the cleaning staff asked when we would go. A few minutes later, the owner called the room and acted like he dialed the wrong number. Poor form all around.

Anyway, let’s return to Gettysburg. Almost immediately we trekked into battlefield. The pattern of every southern battlefield repeated – markers for state divisions and artillery lines, plagues to denote where key troop movements and clashes occurred. I am not a deep Civil War buff. I prefer to understand how geography shapes battles.

 The distant mountains hinted as to how the Confederate and Union forces stumbled upon each other here in July 1865. It was rolling land between the mountains, perfect for conflict.

General Robert E. Lee was in the middle of an aggressive push, hoping to take a major Northern city, which could be held as ransom to end the war. Considering Gettysburg sits only short distances from Washington D.C., Baltimore and Harrisburg, it isn’t hard to guess possible targets (Pittsburgh was also on the short list).

Of course that never happened. After the Union army turned back Lee at Gettysburg, the Confederate forces never venture this far into Union territory again (unless we count the St. Alban’s Raid in Vermont in October 1864, which failed to open up a second front late in the war).

View from the Pennsylvania Memorial balcony

Monuments are a dime a dozen at national battlefields and military parks, where every state gets its due. At Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Monument is a monument unlike any other Classical and elegant, the dome, open monument has a number of statues at its corners, including one of Abraham Lincoln. It sits alone in a field and regardless of the monument’s context, its beauty would draw in anyone.

While taking pictures I noticed some weird panels behind Lincoln’s head that made photos of the statue look awkward. Walking under the monument dome, we found the column behind Lincoln housed a staircase. The spiral stairs rose to a balcony around the dome that overlooked the battlefield.

For all the people flitting around the monuments, the balcony was relatively placid. From this lookout, the Minnesota monument acquitted itself well, while the geography of the battlefield came into better perspective. If we spent most of the golden hour at the Pennsylvania Monument, the Gettysburg National Cemetery suited us just fine at sunset and the emerging dusk.

Gettysburg’s second act during the war came from a cemetery dedication. Now Gettysburg National Cemetery might be a bigger draw than the battlefield. When dedicated six months after the battle, President Lincoln played only a small role, following the two-hour dedication oration from minister/politician Edward Everett.

Warning plaque in Pa. Memorial stairwell

Time turned his 2-minute Gettysburg Address and its emphasis on a “new birth of freedom” into one of U.S. history’s most famous speeches. The exact wording remains unclear, as does the reaction of the audience. The exact location of Lincoln’s speech also remains uncertain, even though it was traditionally placed where the Soldiers Monument now stands.

As with Appomattox, vegetation changes the context. The cemetery’s mature trees, many over 100 years old, add to the atmosphere. In the morning I would fight through running Boy Scouts and bumbling adults to stamp my National Parks passport book, after which we would depart Gettysburg. Visiting the park highlights at dusk suited us best.

At the center of Gettysburg, The buildings grew taller here, with hotels and banks running five or six stories tall. Lincoln Square bustled. Restaurants, hotels, bars and all sorts of businesses thrived in the twilight. After a few false starts, we found a dinner spot.

Despite its simple name, The Pub & Restaurant was quite refined. We picked the pub side, which had the stylings of an early 20th century tavern – a solid wooden bar and intricately tiled floor.

Everything in downtown Gettysburg had a fine patina, and most places used that to their benefit. After days of seafood, a simple salad of chicken, spinach and veggies did the trick. A few saisons from Victory Brewing for me and a few house cocktails for Nancy also helped.

As we drove back to the hotel, the clear night seemed perfect for meteor-gazing. We spotted a few likely suspect flared shortly, but nothing like the display that enlivened the skies above Chincoteague a night earlier.

Soldiers National Monument at sunset, Gettysburg National Cemetery