56 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 XXX! XXX The Victorian Era THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: WESTERN THEATER WHERE THE WAR WAS WON On this ‘highlights tour’ we will visit many of the important battle sites of the four year campaign for the Mississippi River Valley: Fort Donelson where the little known Union General U.S. Grant began the rise which would lead to his command of all Federal armies within a few short years; the blood bath at Shiloh; the campaign and siege of the crucial river city of Vicksburg. We will also examine the battles in Kentucky and Tennessee and the opportunities lost by Bragg and Hood. We revel in the splendid glory of America’s ‘Deep South’ as we travel from Kentucky through Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. The battlefields may not be as well-known as those of the Eastern Theater, but they are just as well preserved andsetinstunningandvaryinglandscapes that offer a superb platform from which ffer a superb platform from which ff to interpret the fighting. We’ll also stay in some of America’s most historical and culturally rich towns including; Nashville, a hotbed of country music and New Orleans, one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the USA. Throughout the tour we will be staying in comfortable, well located full- service hotels and enjoy a wide variety of traditional and American cuisine in a host of restaurants. 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 11 – 23 April 2020 13 days with Fred Hawthorne with Fred Hawthorne with Fred Hawthorne with Fred Hawthorne with Fred Hawthorne with Fred Hawthorne Activity Level 2 Activity Level 2 Whilst the American Civil War seemed to ebb and flow in the east during the years 1862 – 1864, in the west it took the form of a gradual, systematic Federal march southwards in order to open the symbolic, but nevertheless important, Mississippi River from the Union heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, simultaneously splitting the Confederacy in to half. Today some historians argue the real victory of the northern states came from these three years of battles in the mid-west. It was during these lesser known Western Theatre battles that many of the great commanders built their reputations; Grant, Forrest, Sherman, Johnston, and Thomas. Day 1 - A rrive. Fly London to Louisville, Kentucky via Dallas Fort Worth, arriving in the evening. Check in to our airport hotel for the night. Day 2 – P erryville. Drive out to Perryville, where Braxton Bragg failed to wrestle control of Kentucky from the Union forces. We explore the battlefield park and its small interpretive centre. Thence to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace national park with its memorial, symbolic cabin and museum. Continue to Bowling Green, KY, where we spend the night. Day 3 – D over. To keep the tour balanced we visit the Jefferson Davis Birthplace state park with its monument and museum to the confederate president. Thence to Dover, TN, past the submerged site of Fort Henry to the Fort Donelson National Park. Here, in February 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant gained national attention when he issued his famed “unconditional surrender” ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, 3 and 4 star hotels, buffet breakfast, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour Price: £4995 Single supplement: £675 Deposit: £350 Price without flights: £4245 note. Explore the preserved Confederate fortification and stand in its water battery overlooking the Tennessee River where one can still imagine the Union gunboats steaming against the fort’s heavy guns. A stop will be made at the park’s small Visitor Center as well as the Dover Hotel – site of the garrison’s surrender to Federal forces. Continue to Nashville, our base for the next three nights. Day 4 - N ashville. Nashville was the first southern capital to be occupied by Federal forces during the war and was a point of contention throughout. This morning we will tour the Stones River National Battlefield near Murfreesboro where General Braxton Bragg’s strategic campaign of 1862 came to a close. This afternoon we visit Fort Negley and sites associated with the Battle of Nashville. Day 5 - Franklin. This morning we visit Franklin where the remnants of the once- proud Confederate Army of Tennessee was nearly destroyed in a bloody battle in late fall 1864. Though not preserved as part of a National Park, local preservationists have done a remarkable job of interpreting the site and we will find a number of buildings, fortifications and monuments. Return to Nashville for a free afternoon to explore the country music capital of the world. Day 6 – S hiloh. An early start to travel to Shiloh, one of the most brutal battles of the American Civil War, where thousands were killed and wounded including the southern Army Commander, General Albert Sydney Johnston, one of the highest ranking officers to be killed in action during the war.