Travel with Terri

Alexandria:  Base camp for your Civil War explorations

By Terri Marshall, Photos by Gregory Holder

As the country commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War visiting historically significant sites from this difficult period in American history can provide lessons of inspiration, compassion and hope.  Walking the cobblestone streets once occupied by troops, standing next to a stockade where men and women were once shackled as prisoners waiting to be sold into slavery and hearing the stories of  heroic men and women who risked everything to lead slaves to freedom brings this period of conflict to life in a very personal way.  You may find – as I did – there were stories you never learned in history class. 

Alexandria, Virginia‘s strategic location as a busy seaport with an extensive railroad system made it a prime target during the Civil War. Once a gential Southern town and the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee, Alexandria was seized by thousands of Union troops within hours of ratifying its secession from the Union.   This once prosperous town became a center for distribution of troops and supplies.  Buildings were converted into hospitals, barracks and prisons.  Today its location makes it the perfect base camp for exploration of Civil War sites in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Freedom House Museum operated by the Northern Virginia Urban League is located in the former headquarters of Franklin and Armfield – the largest domestic slave trading company in the country.  Thousands of men, women and children passed through the walls of this house on a journey to lives of bondage in the Deep South.  The original iron bars and wooden beams remain in this basement museum.  There are multi-media presentations of narrators reading first person accounts of the experiences of men, women and children who were held in this location.  Once filled with desperation, this structure now serves to emancipate, educate and enlighten the descendants of slaves and others who pass through these walls.  Open for self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 9 am til 5pm.  Guided tours and weekends by appointment.  www.freedomhousemuseum.org

Housed in a building built in 1940 as a library to serve Alexandria’s black citizens, the Alexandria Black History Museum depicts both the oppression of slavery and the opportunities that freedom offered to African Americans in Alexandria during the Civil War.  In addition to being the home of two large slave trading businesses, Alexandria was also home to a sizeable Quaker population which included a number of ardent abolitionists who helped enslaved people obtain their freedom and establish their own community.  As a result, free blacks made up about 10 percent of Alexandria’s population in 1860.  www.AlexBlackHistory.org

In the heart of Old Town Alexandria stands Christ Church – a beautiful English country-style church built between 1767-1773.  George Washington worshipped here as did Robert E. Lee when he was growing up in Alexandria.  During the Civil War the gardens and cemetery were used by Union troops to graze their horses but the church itself was preserved as a sign of respect for George Washington whom both sides revered.  Tours are available Monday – Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm www.HistoricChristChurch.org

Fort Ward is the best preserved of the system of Union forts and batteries built to protect Washington, D.C. during the Civil War.  Walking through the fort gives you perspective on just how strategic Alexandria was for the protection of Washington D.C. during the war.  Museum displays include uniforms and personal artifacts from Confederate and Union soldiers.   The bone saw in the collection of medical devices is particularly disturbing!  A special Civil War exhibit relays the story of  Alexandria’s Marshall House Incident where the first martyrs of the Civil War died for their respective allegiances – Col. Elmer Ellsworth for the North and James W. Jackson for the South.  The incident sparked outrage on both sides of the war.   www.FortWard.org

There are numerous other Civil War sites in Alexandria and a great way to experience more of these is with the Civil War edition of the Key to the City pass.  For just $9 the pass includes admission to nine historic sites with information on their roles in the conflict, plus more than 80 special offers from shops, restaurants and attractions.  Also included is information on 13 additional sites, a Civil War cell-phone tour and a brochure that includes a self-guided walking tour of Civil War sites in Old Town Alexandria.  www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com

Fortunately you can set up your “campsite” for exploration much more comfortably than the Civil War soldiers by checking into the Hilton Alexandria Old Town strategically located next to the King Street Metro Rail/Amtrak station providing easy access to Civil War sites in the surrounding areas and Washington D.C. www.alexandriahilton.com

Soldiers may have dined on campfire pork and beans but that will not be necessary for you with Alexandria’s array of dining options ranging from casual cafes featuring pizzas and burgers to award-wining restaurants with celebrity chefs.  Dinner reservations can be made from the homepage of www.VisitAlexandria.com

Mark Twain once said “Travel is fatal to prejudice”.  I would also add that travel provides us an opportunity to learn about ourselves and challenge our preconceived notions about history and cultures.  That is exactly what happened to me.  I set out to use Alexandria as a base camp for exploration of Civil War sites but the trip became much more than sightseeing.   My understanding of the terror the African Americans experienced while awaiting their fates at the hands of the slave traders deepened as I walked through the exhibits of The Freedom House.  The desperation of the mothers clinging to their children and realizing their families are likely to be ripped apart, the frustration of the fathers who were helpless to protect their families – stripping them of their dignity.  All of it became real.  But there were also stories of hope that emerged from these unimaginable realities.  Lewis Henry Bailey was taken from his mother as a boy.  Transported to Texas, Bailey found a friend in the daughter of his master.  This little girl broke the law by sneaking around to teach Bailey to read.  When Bailey was freed, he walked from Texas back to Alexandria to find his mother.    Lewis Henry Bailey became the pastor of Alexandria’s Ebenezer Baptist Church and later founded the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Occoquan, Virginia.  Both churches are still operating today and touching countless lives.  The Freedom House was dedicated to Bailey’s memory in 1980.  It is this type of resilience that inspires me – and hopefully it will inspire others. 

Terri is a freelance writer with regular columns on travel, chocolate and bar reviews. She is busy each month visiting new places to bring unique travel destinations and events to you. Yes, it is a sacrifice – but she is willing to do that for her readers! You can see more of Terri’s writing at www.examiner.com where she is the National Chocolate Examiner and at www.barzz.net. You can contact Terri at terri.marshall60@gmail.com.