I was in Dallas not too long ago and took the opportunity to visit the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey…read morePlaza so when I was zipping along US 301 towards Maryland, I noticed this sign and had to turn around to find it again. It's not easy. A "historic site ahead" sign would be more than helpful as you near mile marker 122. The marker denotes the spot where John Wilkes Booth (why do they always have a middle name?) was encountered by a New York cavalry regiment after he escaped Washington following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The marker reads: "This is the site of Locust Hill, Richard Henry Garrett's farm. Early on the morning of 26 April 1865, a 16th New York Cavalry detachment cornered John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, and his co-conspirator, David E. Herold, as the two men slept in Garrett's tobacco barn. Herold gave himself up, but Booth refused to surrender. The barn was set on fire, and Sgt. Boston Corbett shot the assassin, still inside. Booth was laid on the porch of the Garrett house and died about sunrise. The house and barn stood a short distance from this spot."

People miss these markers and if you actually take time and read them …read more Your knowledge of history changes with every word. Never knew this happened right here and imagined the chase. Bell Grove plantation is just across the river.

While looking for the Pyramid, keep going to almost the very end of Lee Drive and you'll see the…read morePyramid past the railroad tracks in the distance to your left. And since you're visiting the Pyramid, take your time going down Lee Drive. Many Confederate fighting positions are still visible, including an artillery site and trench works. I found this to be more interesting than the Pyramid itself. While you can see the Pyramid from the road you can't get close to it, since it's on the other side of an active Amtrak line. About the battle: While the Union's river crossing on Day 1 and heroic attack on the Sunken Road at Marye's Heights on Day 3 get plenty of attention, Day 2 is often overlooked. In fact Meade's attack against the southern Confederate flank on Day 2 almost broke through their lines, but failed mostly because of poor communication between Union commanders. The "pyramid" stands near the point of the Union's greatest penetration. The "Slaughter Pen" (which has its own Yelp entry) is on the opposite side of the wood line. Unfortunately the Confederate and Union positions are separated by the railroad, so you can't walk the entire length of the battlefield. Funny thing about the Pyramid - it was actually built by southerners. The idea for a monument was pitched by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society to Virginia railroad execs who sought to memorialize the battle in a location visible to train travelers. The pyramid shape is based on the monument to the Unknown Confederate dead in Richmond.

A very cool hidden gem in Fredericksburg - there is a path that you can walk down but I don't think…read moreyou're supposed to. There is a train track in between the path and the pyramid. You can pull off of the road and take pictures with a zoomed lens. It was a bit challenging to find - my Apple Maps took me to the wrong place (completely different battlefield!) but android seemed to have it down just fine. Just make sure you're going to the location near Lee Dr!

This is not a grand plantation home with velvet ropes and dramatized plaques. This is the real…read moreplace where history quietly ended for one of the Civil War's most consequential figures. The small, plain building you see is the plantation office of the Chandler family, where General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was brought after being accidentally shot by his own men at Chancellorsville in May 1863. His left arm was amputated nearby, and pneumonia soon followed. He died here days later, reportedly saying, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." If that line doesn't stop you in your tracks, check your pulse. What makes this site powerful is its restraint. There's no spectacle. No romanticized grandeur. Just a quiet structure sitting beside open fields and a railroad line, which adds an eerie reminder of how the war--and the country--was rapidly changing. You're standing at the intersection of brilliance, tragedy, faith, and the brutal reality of 19th-century medicine. The space encourages reflection rather than celebration. Jackson's reputation is complex, and the site doesn't shy away from that. It presents his death as a human moment inside a massive, devastating conflict rather than a mythic ending to a legend. If you're a serious history lover, this is a must-stop. It's sobering, authentic, and deeply moving--proof that sometimes the smallest places carry the heaviest history. Pro tip: Visit quietly. This is one of those places where silence feels appropriate.

This is an important piece of civil war history. We have been meaning to stop for years and finally…read moredid. There are plenty of boards to explain the whole property and the campaign in the area. I honestly didn't know that this was home to a prison camp and was happy to learn it. If you're at the speedway or even just stopping for gas at Sheetz, take a half hour and get some history. It's totally free and well maintained.

Most of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was buried in a Lexington, Virginia, cemetery that now…read morebears his name, but he was so famous at the time of his death that his amputated left arm was spirited away to its own separate grave. It was just after dark on May 2, 1863. Jackson had just launched a devastating attack against Union forces at Chancellorsville. Returning to his own lines with several staff officers, Jackson, ever the aggressive soldier, decided to conduct reconnaissance in the area. As he and his staff rode through the woods near Confederate lines, a North Carolina regiment, unable to see who was riding up on them, opened fire. Jackson was struck by three bullets, two of them shattering his left arm. The general was evacuated from the area and given medical treatment, but the arm couldn't be saved and was amputated. Pneumonia set in, and on May 10, 1863, the South lost its most effective tacticia. Thinking that the limb of so great a solider was too precious to simply throw on the regular body part trash pile, Jackson's unofficial company chaplain, Reverend Tucker Lacy wrapped the arm in a blanket and took it to his family cemetery. The reverend gave the limb a standard Christian burial and placed a marker above the site. Supposedly Stonewall Jackson's arm was dug up and reburied numerous times in the ensuing years and there is no concrete evidence that it still resides in its original burial space, but the simple gravestone remains.

"Jackson has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right"…read more -General Robert E. Lee Jackson's last words were apparently, "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." It seems like a lot of words for a dying man. If, however there is truth in this story, then the resting place of this limb seems fitting. The lone tombstone sits quietly among a small group of trees on the Virginia countryside. The picturesque views were once covered by war field hospitals and now is the resting place of the left arm of one of America's most famous Generals. A little history: Stonewall Jackson's arm was destined to be buried along with other amputated limbs until Jackson's Chaplain, Reverend Lacy, retrieved it from a macabre pile of appendages and eventually buried it on his own plantation, Ellwood Manor. The limb was buried several days before Jackson's death as a way for his staff to pay tribute to the man that they had followed through battle. It's probably the least they could do considering that his own men accidentally shot him. I'm just sayin'. The story of a buried arm is surreal, but a little research makes the story a little more humane. Even if Jackson fought on the wrong side of history, every body (or body part) should be so lucky to be buried in a place so serene. Verdict: Great for Civil War buffs, the curious and people spending a little time in nearby Old Town Fredricksberg. Or Cross it off your Weird Virginia (book) list. Weird tidbits: The arm has been dug up a few times in the past, but has always made it's way back into the ground. It seems that the curious return it to it's resting place after learning that there REALLY is an arm buried in the ground. FYI: The last time I attempted a visit, the grounds were closed contrary to the information found on the website. If in doubt, it's best to call.

For those fascinated by history, the Dr. Samuel A Mudd House Museum is a wonderful site to visit…read more After having read the well researched book "American Brutus" I was already fascinated by the motivation & details regarding the John Wilkes Booth assassination of Abraham Lincoln. But I had no idea that I was staying near the area where he fled for treatment of the broken leg he received when he jumped from the Presidential Box in Ford's Theater to the stage below. In Charles County, MD for wedding showers in La Plata & Port Tobacco, I was staying at a convenient Residence Inn in Waldorf. Imagine my delight when the Mother of the Bride suggested a tour of the nearby Mudd House. The historical events I had read about were all around me. The docent we had at the Mudd House was extremely knowledgeable & interesting. She pointed out that some of the furnishings were original to the house, including the sofa on which John Wilkes Booth lay injured. Her knowledge, beginnings with Booth's history as an actor in Baltimore, validated the research in the fascinating book I read. Although Mudd had been seen in Washington with 3 of Booth's conspirators, no connection to the plot was ever found. Booth had fled Dr, Mudd's house the following day into Virginia. Nonetheless Dr Mudd was found guilty of conspiracy & imprisoned, finally being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He died in 1883 & is buried at St. Mary's Church in Charles County, There are many Mudd descendants remaining in the area. Some I met at the wedding festivities. The Mudd house is easily reached via either Alexandria, VA or DC by crossing the Potomac to the National Harbor then on to Waldorf. My path to Charles County has always been taking the backroads from Coastal Virginia, passing many historic buildings & landmarks as a bonus. The Dr. Samuel A Mudd House is open for tours from spring through fall on Wednesdays & Saturdays 11am - 4pm & Sundays from noon - 4pm. The last tour begins at 3:30pm. As an epilogue, one afternoon I was driving home from an event in rural Virginia between Hampton Roads & Northern Virginia. Not familiar with the area, I was enjoying the exploration. On a stretch of road that was heavily treed I spotted a historical marker ahead. I always brake for historical markers. It was the location of the capture, shooting & death of Booth. The Garrett Farm & Tobacco barn where he was hiding has been long lost to time. All that remains is the historical marker. All serious historians should visit the Mudd House. It's a rare piece of the past that still remains intact.

Great tour, pretty reasonably priced, and the tour guide was dressed nicely with a bow tie and was…read morevery knowledgeable on Dr Mudd. It was really round the clock touring, as when we arrived, they had us join the end of a concluding tour, then at the end of our tour, a group joined us, and I was impressed that they had a good amount of people interested in seeing the site John Wilkes Booth set his injuries then continue to flee after Lincoln's assissination. The guide wasn't a Mudd apologist but did provide information what is was guilty and not guilty on with details of his prison stint and his barely escaping the death penalty. It's an interesting historical note in such an important US event for this small-town doctor to be so impactful that we still want to learn and see a primary location. The house is still pretty intact with possessions from the Mudd family and rooms to view upstairs and downstairs. The gift shop is small but has some good souvenirs. It is down a two lane road in some farm lands, but it's worth the drive. There are a couple of other buildings on the site, but the whole thing should only take 1-2 hours. The hours/seasons are a bit limited, so I recommend calling first to double check, and then it's a very enjoyable tour.

This building is breathtaking, outside as well as inside! While in Richmond, I couldn't miss the…read moreopportunity to visit. The architecture is so ornate and gives you the feeling of stepping back in time. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything on site to learn about the building's history, and you are limited to only the first floor. However, it's worth the visit just to take in the beauty and detail of this space.

Old City Hall in Richmond is a stunning architectural gem. The intricate Gothic design and towering…read morearches are truly breathtaking!

On the side of the road near where Greenbelt Road crosses the Beltway is this historical marker…read moresign denoting the Taoping Castle (circa 1750). It is on Walker Road. It reads: On this site, Isaac Charles and Nathan Walker erected a large white oak log house named for their ancestral stronghold in Scotland which the three brothers had fled after the failure of attempts to unseat George I, King of England, as ruler of Scotland. Isaac permanently settled here and obtained land grants for 188 acres. He and his three sons served in the Revolutionary War. The graves of Isaac and his son Nathan are north of here. Taoping Castle was the birthplace of Samuel Hamilton Walker (February 24, 1817 - October 9, 1847). Lt. Colonel of the Texas Rangers and Captain of the US Cavalry, he left home at age 19 to fight Indians and later became a leader and hero of the Rangers. His suggested changes to Samuel Colt's revolver resulted in Colt's success as an arms manufacturer. 1000 Colt-Walker pistols - the first, heaviest and longest revolvers ever issued to American forces - were purchased for the Texas Rangers during the Mexican war. Walker was killed in that war at the Battle of Hua Mantla, Mexico. The family cemetery is all that remains of the Taoping Castle estate.

Great way to explore some history, Jack is amazing, if you have a chance to chat with him he is a…read morewealth of information.

Great historic find in fredricksburg! The owner was very friendly and happily shared so much…read morehistory about the surrounding battles and the history of the warehouse. He took us on a free tour of the warehouse and showing the damage from cannons. Worth a stop if you're visiting the area.

This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.