IF YOU GO . . .

GETTING THERE

Gettysburg is a 90-minute drive from Washington DC.

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

Hotel Gettysburg — The 119-room, century-old hotel is bang in the heart of town ( www.hotelgettysburg.com; doubles from $159).

Doubleday Inn — The only place to stay that is right on the battlefield, this cheerful, nine-room B&B serves generous breakfasts. The owners are history buffs and provide free CD audio tours and lead Saturday-evening history discussions. ( www.doubledayinn.com; doubles from $140). MORE CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, and most of the fighting was in the South. The National Park Service looks after many of the 300 battlefields and

historic sites ( www.nps.gov). The following are among the most important.

Fort Sumter National Monument: Charleston, South Carolina ( www.nps.gov/fosu). — On April 12 1861, Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter: these were the first shots of the Civil War. Get the background at the Fort Sumter Visitor Centre in downtown Charleston. Then take a ferry to the island fort that guarded the harbour ( http://fortsumtertours.com).

Antietam National Battlefield: Sharpsburg,

Maryland ( www.nps.gov/ancm). — The single bloodiest day in US history was September 17 1862. In just 12 hours, 23 000 soldiers were killed or wounded. The Battle of Antietam, known in the South as the Battle of Sharpsburg, took place in the border state of Maryland, 112km northwest of Washington DC.

■ Vicksburg National Military Park: Vicksburg, Mississippi ( www.nps.gov/vick). — Some 320km north of New Orleans, Vicksburg’s position on the Mississippi River made it key to both sides. It finally fell into Union hands on July 4 1863, after General Ulysses S Grant laid siege and starved the garrison into submission. Victory came at a huge cost: nearly 17 000 Union soldiers are buried here in the largest Civil-War cemetery.

■ Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military

Park: Tennessee and Georgia ( www.nps.gov/chch). — In the autumn of 1863 there was fighting on both sides of the Tennessee-Georgia border. The prize was Chattanooga, a vital railhead. Follow the self-guided tour to see the Chickamauga Battlefield and ride the Incline Railway to the top of Lookout Mountain. The Union victory here, in what was dubbed the Battle Above the Clouds, was described by one Confederate soldier as “the death-knell of the Confederacy”.—