Jackson Cemetery
This morning we visited Jackson Cemetery in Lexington. There were learned about Thomas Jackson’s life and we then saw his burial grave. There was a huge statue of him above his coffin and we also saw the graves of all his family and relatives. It was very interesting to see everything and we took bunch of pictures. (by Jessica)
Virginia Military Institute
We visited VMI and had a blast! We walked around their beautiful campus and took some notes about the school. We saw some cadets getting their punishment of walking outside the building for an hour during their lunch. We learned form talking with the cadets that if you get more than 20 demerits in one period you have to walk an hour. After we walked around we looked at the amazing statue of Thomas Jackson and the four canons; Mark, Mathew, Michael and John. We wrote down a famous quote that Jackson said while teaching there. We went into the chapel and saw a magnificent painting of cadets in the battle of New Market. We went into the gift shop and everyone that wanted souvenirs could buy some. We made our way to the court to see the shoe tree. We learned that there is a tree that cadets throw their shoes in the tree when they ware the shoes out. Lunch was a blast!! We ate lunch with the cadets and had a great time. The cafeteria was so big and had great food. It was a buffet and they had a great amount of different foods. There was a pasta bar, salad bar, sandwich bar, hot dogs, hamburgers and much more! We talked to the cadets and asked about attending VMI. They had a lot to say and we had a great time! The last stop of the day was the other gift shop where most students and teachers bought souvenirs. On our way to the bus, we stopped at the memorial for cadets that lost their lives in the battle of New Market. All the cadets were so polite and friendly. This was a GREAT experience and it was so fun!!! (by Jessica)
Lee Chapel, at Washington and Lee University, was also an incredible experience. At Lee Chapel, we learned all about Robert E. Lee, the Confederate Army Commander. He was a highly respected man who fought hard for the South and cared about his country. Here in VA, it is amazing how much respect and love everyone had for Robert Lee. At the Chapel, students from Washington and Lee University have church services and ceremonies. The chapel is beautiful inside and out. In the back, behind the stage, it has a room devoted to Lee. The room holds 8 Confederate Civil War flags and a stone marble statue of Lee laying down, sleeping, carved by Valentine. The beautifully carved statue took Valentine four years to finish. The statue was incredibly detailed and it was even life size! Robert E. Lee was so well-respected in VA that about 40,000 people attended his funeral. Even today we see how much love Virginians had for Lee. Overall, Lee Chapel was a beautiful place that we all enjoyed! (by Kayla)
Petersburg
Petersburg is an amazing battle field. At Petersburg we learned about how the Union troops dug a tunnel over 300 feet to the Confederate troop lines. They packed over 400 pounds of gun powder directly under the confederate lines. They had a 10 minute fuse that they lite, they waited 10 minutes… 15 minutes… 20 minutes and nothing happened. They went in and fixed the fuse and lite it again. The explosion went off and men, supplies, artillery and weapons went flying everywhere. This Crater is a very honored place and there is one hero of the day. William Mahone saved the day because he rallied the troops on the Confederate lines and held off the Union soldiers. This is a very special place and one of the best places to visit! (by David)