What's near you?

[Bluesking]

Reading Pete Garrison's post on Historical Periods I was envious that he was surrounded by Civil War site in an area oozing history but then I thought - in 1690 the Army of William III camped exactly where I live prior to marching south to defeat Kig James II at the Battle of the Boyne. There are a number od Iron Age ring forts with a 3 mile radius and the site of the ABttleof Roughfirt from the 1798 United Irishmen Rebllion is about 4 miles away - not bad really.

What is near you?

 

[AFSOC]

Gettysburg is about an hour or so away from me. I'm heading there in a few weeks for a day trip.

When I was a kid growing up in upstate NY, we had Saratoga and Fort William Henry.

 

[garyjd]

Originally posted by AFSOC@Apr 3 2005, 04:01 PM


When I was a kid growing up in upstate NY, we had Saratoga and Fort William Henry.

Lucky you. I live in the North West corner of Pennsylvania, so within three hours I can be to a number of French and Indian war sites, including Bushy Run (three hours) and Gettysburg is about six.~Gary

 

[Johan]

The battlefield of Waterloo is within an hour driving from where I live.
Actually most of the places that are named in the reminiscences of English officers who participated in the Waterloo campaign are very familiar to me - Wellington's cavalry, Royal Horse Artillery and part of his infantry was billeted close to where I live. For example I know the manor where the famous Captain Mercer of the RHA stayed before the battle of Waterloo, and where he extirpated a frog colony that lived in the moat and kept him awake all night, it's not far and I've seen it many times. Guess that's also one of the reasons why I like the David Grieve figure of that Officer of the RHA. :lol:

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Well Im living in a neighbourhood where you cant spit whitout riscing to hit a rhunestone, shipgrave etc. I used to drive a lorry and in the summertime Ive often stopped when passing a stone to look at it closely, study inscription, lay my hand upon it and think about the people who chiseled those rhunes out about 800-1200 years ago.

If youre observant theres history all around you all the time.

 

[quang]

We live at about half an hour drive from Waterloo (yes, THE Waterloo).

Never been on the battlefield site though. All that a name like 'Quatre-Bras' evokes is the daily traffic jam which curses the main entrance way to Brussels at rush hours. :lol:

Guess that would explain why I've never been attracted by Napoleonics.

Q.

 

[Guy]

Where I live in Oklahoma City is surrounded by, I believe 17 Indian Reservations. Although I started painting Native Americans before I moved out here, it has given me a ton of history visiting the various tribal culture centers within an hour's drive. Oklahoma is also "Cowboy Country" and after leaving the city limits you pass horse farm after horse farm. OKC is also home to the National Cowboy Museum where after several trips, I have yet to see it all.

 

[captnenglish]

Hollywood :lol: oh and a couple of ACW era forts

 

[Old Pete]

Hi All,
I live in Paisley in the west of Scotland and history is all around we have an Abby where Wallace is suposed to have beeb taught as his birthplace is in Elderslie just down the road and Bannockburn, Stirling & Edinburgh are only a short train ride away, and just next door is Glasgow olso steeped in history who,s Kelvingrove Art Gallary has one of the finest collections of armour anywhere in the world But the funny thing is my favorite period is the American Civil War.

George

 

[pgarri27]

I grew up with the Battle of Peachtree Creek in my backyard. My great grandfather fought there with the 40th Mississippi Infantry. My great uncle from the other side of the family was with the 14th Illinois Infantry, part of Sherman's invading force. They were detailed at Alatoona Pass to defend Sherman's supply lines. As a kid, I re-defended Atlanta many times fighting off Sherman and his Yankees with my Marx playset. The hotel where the Atlanta show is held sits close to the place where much of Sherman's army crossed the Chattahoochie River. There are many civil war historical places for show attendees to visit while in Atlanta, such as Kennesaw Mountain, Pickett's Mill, Ezra Church, Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta, and several good museums. Anyone coming to Atlanta and interested in any of the sites, contact me for more information.
Pete

 

[Jim Patrick]

Born and raised in Petersburg Va. The site of the siege during the later part of the American Civil War that lasted 14 months. When Robert E. Lee did retreat, the road he took was right in front of my parents house. The road is still raised to this day (most decent ones were back then). The place where he camped for the first night is about 40 min past my house. We can still find all sorts of Civil War relics to this day each year when the fields are plowed. As a side note, my wife was born and raised on a farm that currently includes a portion of the Five Forks battlefield. They have found lots of bones on their farm. Some from mass graves, others go back to the indians. The area where we were raised was dotted all over with burial grounds. Of course now, with me being in Kentucky (thanks to Uncle Sam) we have Mamonth(?) Caves just south of us. Besides being the longest known discovered cave system in the world, it also supplied something like nearly 90% of the sulfer used by the Americans to make gun powder during the Revolutionary War. I could go on and on but won't. Great subject . I love history!

Jim Patrick

 

[David H]

Not so fast, Matt. Even down in Southern California way we have a little military history from the Mexican American War. Not far from me now is the scene of the “battle” of San Pasqual, where elements of the 1st Dragoon Regiment led by Stephen Kearny and Kit Carson with some Mountain Men pals met the California Lancers in December, 1847 near San Diego. Although a “skirmish” compared to other battles in the war and other places, it is a little known incident that had big repercussions. After losing 18 men and getting the worst of it, Kearny and his men reached San Diego on December 11, where they joined forces with some Marines.

Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County further north I learned as a kid that the same group fought two “battles” down the road from me January 8 and January 9, at Rio San Gabriel and La Mesa. All three have monuments marking them. Small affairs, but they did inspire my imagination.

The San Diego Miniature Society has as our logo a Spanish Cuera Dragoon, based on a figure sculpted by our member Terry Worster, which is still available from Lost Battalion.

 

[Jason W.]

We have Fort Mackinac, which is about a four hour drive. Actually it has two forts, the stone one on the island and the timber on the main land. Both stink of history.

I'm sure there are numerous French-Indian, Rev-War and 1812 stuff around, but never went looking for them...yet.

We have a nice historical museum in Lansing w/ a pretty cool Civil War exhibit.

My house sits on farm land that was purchased by a Civil War veteran after the war.

But my favorite is Gettysburg. I can make it there in 9 hrs., granted if I only use the boy's room once and eat on the road :lol: Jeff and Gary...you guy's make me sick! :angry: :lol:

 

[amherbert]

Hi

Interesting thread...

I'm about an hour and a half from Fort Niagara, and the site of lots of battles in the War of 1812. There are a few ruins nearer Rochester related to the war and fortifications built around that time.

There are some Native American historical sites nearby, and there is a nice 'pioneer village' within a half hour of Rochester.

Nothing as glamorous as when I lived in Montreal, Glasgow, or Troon (nothing like having a castle a couple of miles down the road to make you appreciate history!!), but some interesting sites.

Cheers
Andy

 

[milminwh]

What an interesting question!

I live in Tappan, NY, and it was here that John Andre was tried and hung as a British spy during the American Revolution. The spot where he was hung (on a street called Andre Hill) is marked with a monument, about a mile from my house.
There's an 18th century cementary close by containing the remains from some of Washington's regulars, who were wounded in the Battle of Brooklyn, and died of these wounds in a camp in Tappan.

Regards

 

[thegoodsgt]

I live near Springfield, NJ, where the Battle of Springfield was fought in June 1780. The British attempted to push west through the area but the militia, under the command of General Nathanial Greene, kept them back, despite being significantly outnumbered. The British wound up burning and looting the area, and only four houses remained afterward.

There's a rumor that Washington slept in a house a couple of miles down the road from our house.

Unfortunately, I'm not a big Rev War fan....

 

[captnenglish]

Originally posted by David H@Apr 3 2005, 06:22 PM
Not so fast, Matt. Even down in Southern California way we have a little military history from the Mexican American War. Not far from me now is the scene of the “battle” of San Pasqual, where elements of the 1st Dragoon Regiment led by Stephen Kearny and Kit Carson with some Mountain Men pals met the California Lancers in December, 1847 near San Diego. Although a “skirmish” compared to other battles in the war and other places, it is a little known incident that had big repercussions. After losing 18 men and getting the worst of it, Kearny and his men reached San Diego on December 11, where they joined forces with some Marines.

Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County further north I learned as a kid that the same group fought two “battles” down the road from me January 8 and January 9, at Rio San Gabriel and La Mesa. All three have monuments marking them. Small affairs, but they did inspire my imagination.

The San Diego Miniature Society has as our logo a Spanish Cuera Dragoon, based on a figure sculpted by our member Terry Worster, which is still available from Lost Battalion.

Dave,
Didn't meant to discount the pre-ACW history of our state, in fact if you read my post on the thread about fav historical periods, you'll see the post Napoleonic 19th C is my personal fav, but the question was what's near you, so I was leaving SD County and its associated history to the SD contingent on this board (sh!@, I could have mentioned lots of stuff that happened here in sunny S. Cal as Bob Tavis' BoS Zoot Suit Riot points out but, ...,) . I am guilty though of leaving out the mission that's about 15 mins from my place

 

[garyjd]

Originally posted by Jason W.@Apr 3 2005, 07:02 PM
Jeff and Gary...you guy's make me sick! :angry: :lol:

Jason, I'll be visiting Gettysburg twice this year.~Gary

 

[Roc]

Interesting topic, I'm 15 minutes away from Independence hall where the Liberty Bell resides and an 40 minutes from Valley Forge.


Cheers

Roc.

 

[John Long]

We have Wilson's Creek National Battlefield nearby. General Sterling Price and General Nathaniel Lyon met here and Lyon was mortally wounded. The Springfield square is also where Wild Bill Hickock shot David Tutt through the heart in a gunfight.