The National Civil War Museum

Driving through the beautiful and colorful river valleys of Pennsylvania it is hard to imagine that men fought and died by the thousands on the farmland here.  Our trip today led us to the National Civil War Museum at Harrisburg, the state Capitol.  Earlier this morning we walked through two cemeteries, one a German Protestant cemetery near our campground at Locust Lake SP.  and later at the Harrisburg Cemetery where Revolutionary soldiers are buried.   The cemeteries are beautiful and peaceful and it was my time to try to put family histories together, so many young children died in the 1800s.  Little baby tombstones with dead birds and little rabbits on them, some just plain and written in italics with beautiful phrases on them.

Back to the museum.    I learned so much there about the Civil War.   For those who like to read their history there were recreations in wax figures.  For those who relate to individuals, the story of the war followed in video from the eyes of many everyday people of the time.   3 brothers 2 fought on different sides and the 3rd brother went to California to look for gold, and the guilt he felt on doing so.  A woman who married a NY businessman and left her rich southern family to bear the burden of the War.   A slave family who hadn't seen each other in 8 years.

They're from California, what do you expect!

At the end of the tour there was a filmed reunion of Civil War Veterans who met and shared their time at the age of 90.   Some of the men were dancing the dances they did, like the sailor's hornpipe.   Some other people watching the film with us, when they saw these men were from Oakland, CA, laughed and said "Well, California, what do you expect...."    We laughed and mentioned that we were from Oakland, CA.    They were very contrite, as we laughed together.

We are resting in a motel tonight, in order to catch up with our internet and get a really good shower.   ...and a World Cup Rugby match on TV.