Today in History:

Discover the Personal Side of the Civil War in Newport News, Virginia

Discover the Personal Side of the Civil War in Newport News, Va.

The Civil War in Newport News saw the world’s first battle between ironclad ships, the awarding of two Medals of Honor, a growing role for African-Americans in the United States military and one woman who, disguised as a male soldier, fought for her country. Today, Newport News pays tribute to this heroism of the past with historic homes, battle sites, fortifications, monuments and extraordinary collections of personal artifacts, including uniforms, weapons, period photographs and letters.

 

Discover the personal side of the Civil War in Newport News. Learn about Union sailors aboard the USS Monitor at The Mariners’ Museum. Meet a figure from the past when you attend one of our Civil War living history programs at Endview Plantation or Lee Hall Mansion. Trace the role of African-Americans, both free and slave, in the United States military at the Virginia War Museum and the James A. Fields House.

 

Visitors to Newport News can walk the deck of the only full-scale replica of the USS Monitor in the world and hear the stories of her crew. In Newport News, you can also visit the site of one of the first observation balloons used by the military and see a reminder of the Union presence – “Band of Veterans from C1 MR” – carved by members of Company C First New York Mounted Rifles into the mantel of a period home. Personal artifacts, ranging from a rare tablecloth from the iconic USS Monitor to a wooden fork carved by a Union prisoner of war and a Confederate blockade-runner’s uniform all help tell the story of the Civil War, the story of the people.

 

For more about the Civil War in Newport News, Virginia, call our friendly travel counselors toll-free at 888-493-7386 or go online at www.newport-news.org.

 

5/31/11