Take a comprehensive battlefield tour of the battle of Mine Run and the battle of The Wilderness.
We’ll find out what happened after the epic battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania as Robert E. Lee will get away and make it back to Orange County, Virginia.
Tour Mine Run, the last battle of the Forgotten Fall of 1863. Under extreme pressure to defeat Lee after Gettysburg, General George Meade launched one last campaign of the year on the first National Day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1863.
The tour will go to the action at Payne’s Farm, where some of the heaviest fightings took place. Today this portion of the battlefield is preserved by the American Battlefield Trust.
Find out which famous Christmas Carol was inspired by an event at the battle of Mine Run.
Delays and confusion will lead to many Echoes of Fredericksburg.
Robert E. Lee will construct a formidable defense behind the Mine Run creek making Meade think twice.
We’ll join General K. Warren, The Savior of Little Round Top, who will come up with a plan to flank Lee’s formidable works. In the conclusion, we will learn about the moral courage of Meade.
Most of this tour will cover rural portions of beautiful Orange County where traces of the battle can still be seen today and where future battlefield preservation opportunities await. We’ll take you to some hidden gems one could only find with a battlefield guide.
We’ll take a 30-minute lunch break where your battlefield guide will give you a recommendation for a quick counter service location or restaurant if requested.
Learn about Ulysses S. Grant coming east in the spring of 1864 as Lincoln needs a game-changer before the elections. The Overland Campaign begins with the first clash between Lee and Grant.
At Saunder’s Field, you will see the opening shots of the battle on May 5, 1864. While there, view the original Civil War earthworks still standing today!
In various portions of the tour, you will have an immersive experience as you will be surrounded by the forest of the Wilderness where a new form of combat was waged in the woods and wildfires erupted.
We’ll make a stop at the Brock Road, Plank Road intersection where some of the most intense and desperate fightings took place both days; May 5-6, 1864.
We’ll take you to Tapp Field where the famous Lee to the rear! moment occurred on May 6, 1864, with the arrival of the famous Texas Brigade on the field; a big moment in Civil War history.
Learn about Grant’s decision to withdraw from the Wilderness on May 7, 1864, and head south on the road to Richmond where there will be no turning back!
The tour will end back at the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter – National Park Service.
This private battlefield tour pairs nicely with the battles of Spotsylvania Court House & the North Anna: Civil War Earthworks combo tour. Your story will continue with the next Overland Campaign battles; May 8-24, 1864.
Let us show you the way as you relax and skip the self-guided tour hassle. Your own battlefield guide will meet you at the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter – National Park Service.
After an introduction, your battlefield guide will join your vehicle as you depart to your first stop. It is recommended that the battlefield guide drive your vehicle so you can relax and enjoy the tour, but it’s up to you who drives.
Joining your vehicle keeps the cost down so you can see more battlefields with us.
Step-on battlefield guides are available for larger passenger vehicles (van or bus). For more information and prices, please contact us.
Note: The battles of Mine Run and The Wilderness can be tailored into one of our Custom Battlefield Tours.
