BAD League Civil War/Baseball Trips

Led by General Putnam

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2024 – First post-COVID trip, attended by Wanton, Star, Chief, Whale, Hippo, and Yee, with Loon joining us in Atlanta. Stew drove to Raleigh and met the others the following day as they flew in from Manchester and Savannah. Sherman’s path after the victory at Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga was a primary theme of the trip. Went to Bennett Place (site of Johnston’s surrender to Sherman), toured the Duke University campus, and went to a Durham Bulls game on that first day. Drove to Charleston, stopping at Bentonville Battlefield on the way. Bentonville was the last significant Confederate offensive of the war. Engorged ourselves with southern cooking in Newton Grove NC, the first of
many times we did so on this trip, guided by Roscoe’s list of places to chow down. While in Charleston visited Fort Sumter, the International African American Museum, and strolled the streets of Charleston. Then drove to Savannah, stopping in Beaufort SC on the way to visit the Harriet Tubman Monument, the Robert Smalls Monument and home, and the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. In Savannah we engorged in more southern food, visited the site of Sherman’s HQ, took a trolly tour of the city, and visited the

Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. Then drove to Atlanta, where we picked up Loon. While staying in Atlanta we went to a Braves game, a Gwinnett Stripers game, visited the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and toured the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield. We also chowed down on pizza, a welcome relief from grits, fried chicken, and the like.

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2017 - Chief’s second trip! Chief, Stew, Roscoe, Fri, and Hutch. Everyone flew into Houston where we saw two Astros games and visited the Johnson Space Center. On the drive from Houston to New Orleans, we visited the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana in the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution as well as the Civil War Battle of Sabine Pass in Port Arthur Texas. In New Orleans, we went to Preservation Hall for some great jazz, visited the World War II Museum, had great food at Mother’s and the Ruby Slipper, and went to a New Orleans Baby Cakes ballgame. From there drove to Vicksburg MS to visit the old courthouse and the Vicksburg battlefield. Chief almost got to try on a Confederate wool uniform on the grounds of the courthouse. Went to a ballgame in Pearl MS. Drove to Oxford from Vicksburg and had a moving visit in Sumner MS, which included being in the courthouse where the Emmett Till trial took place. Had more good chow in Oxford, a charming town, and visited the Ole Miss campus and Rowan Oak. Then on to Memphis where we had a great tour of the Sun Records Studio and went to a ballgame.

 

2016 – Chief’s first trip! Chief, Stew, Roscoe, Loon, Bob, Fri, and Hutch. We saw Civil Rights sites – what a moving experience – and the battlefields included Parker’s Crossroads, Corinth, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Lookout Mountain. Fortunately, the Mayor of Zarzour’s was not there. We saw Rickwood Field in Birmingham and went to games in Chattanooga, Montgomery AL, and Jackson TN.

 

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2014 – Roscoe, Loon, Hutch, and Stew went to Kentucky and West Virginia, gathering in Pittsburgh and seeing a Pirates game. Battlefields included Carnifex Ferry and Philippi (first land battle of the Civil War) in WV, Corydon IN (the War’s only battle in IN), and Cynthiana, Munfordville, Perryville, Richmond, and Mill Springs in KY. Great pie selection in Cynthiana and how can you beat the fried Oreos we had in Nancy, KY? We also saw Mammoth Cave and A. Lincoln sites. Ballparks included Charleston WV and Lexington, Louisville, and Bowling Green KY. Went to a game in Cincinnati on the way home.

 

2013 – Roscoe, Loon, and Stew retraced the Frederick trip, gathering in Mountain Lakes. We saw a game in New York on the way and a game in Reading PA on the way back.

 

2012 – The Upstate New York trip. Roscoe took the train to Rochester and he and I saw games in Rochester and Syracuse. We toured the Susan B. Anthony house and saw Frederick Douglass’ gravesite. We had beers that had to be held with two hands in a German restaurant. We headed south, tasting wine in the Finger Lakes, and went to a game in Williamsport PA. Then on to meet Bob, Fri, Hutch, and Loon in Cooperstown, where we had our own guided tour of the Hall of Fame. We visited Grant’s Cottage, West Point with Mal (where Stew got a ticket exactly twenty seconds after entering the post), and Saratoga Battlefield. Games were in Troy and Fishkill. In Newburgh we saw Roscoe’s childhood ballfield.

 

2011 – Bob’s first trip south. We saw battlefields of the Peninsula Campaign, City Point, and Jamestown. Ballparks included Norfolk, Salisbury MD, and Washington DC.

 

2010 – A few of us went to games in New York (Mets or Yankees) and Philadelphia. Stew, Roscoe, Bob, Loon, and Fri (?). Then Roscoe and Stew toured Stew’s childhood town of Haddon Heights NJ, seeing his two houses and his Little League and Babe Ruth League ballfields. The two of us then went to State College, the Amish Auction in Belleville PA (site of Stew’s first job), and then on to deep dives in Antietam and Gettysburg. I’m sure we also saw Harper’s Ferry and Monocacy again. Roscoe and Stew saw a game in State College and Dover DE and, no doubt, some of the usual haunts in Maryland.

 

2009 – Trip to Tennessee. Stew, Roscoe, Loon, and Fri. We visited Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, and Shiloh. We also unsuccessfully tried to find Bull’s Gap again. (We would have found it if the funeral director hadn’t had a dentist appointment!) Ballparks included Chattanooga, Greenville TN, Huntsville AL (and the Yellow Rose Café – “if it’s got tires or testicles it’s gonna give you trouble”), and Memphis. Oh, and Loon got to mark his territory in Arkansas.

 

2008 – We returned to the Frederick-based trip, visiting Antietam, Gettysburg, Monocacy, Harper’s Ferry, and Bull Run. On the trip this year was Stew, Roscoe, Fri, Hutch, Loon, and Yee. We saw the same battlefields and ballparks as before, adding Aberdeen and Washington DC to the ballpark list.

 

2007 – The first trip with a larger cast of characters. Joining the original threesome were Fri, Doug Stewart, a friend of Bob Fosnot, Hutch, and Loon. Battlefields included Cold Harbor, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and Lee’s entire retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox (with a terrific lunch in Farmville once again). We also visited Red Hill and Poplar Forest. This is the famous trip where Fri and Hutch drove 140 miles from Richmond to Danville to join us in the bottom of the seventh, only for us to drive all the way back to Richmond after the game. Games included Danville VA, Norfolk VA, and Richmond VA.

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2005 – East Tennessee trip. Bob Fosnot, Roscoe, and Stew. Did the Sayler’s Creek to Appomattox leg again, having lunch in Farmville. Looked for and never were able to find battlefields in Bulls Gap TN and Bean’s Station TN (hard to find as it is under a reservoir now). Saw games in Lynchburg and Salem, Covington VA (Valley League), Bluefield WV (where we saw Frank Viola watching his kid pitch), Johnson City TN, and Greenville TN. Stew saw Walter Young both in Rochester and Baltimore this summer.

 

2004 – First trip based in Frederick MD. Bob Fosnot, Roscoe, and Stew. Visited Antietam, Gettysburg, Monocacy, Harper’s Ferry, Bull Run. Also visited the Naval Academy. Saw games in Manassas VA, Frederick MD, Hagerstown MD, Harrisburg PA, Bowie MD (where we saw Walter Young hit his epic homerun), and Baltimore. Johnnie joined us for the game in Bowie.

 

2003 – Inaugural trip. Bob Fosnot (Pittsburgh friend) and Stew. Civil War sites included New Market VA (where VMI cadets fought), Durham NC (where Johnstone surrendered to Sherman), Saylor’s Creek VA and Lee’s retreat to Appomattox from there. The first of many lunches in a terrific spot in Farmville VA. Ballparks included Lynchburg VA (where we saw Walter Young), Salem VA (where we saw Walter Young again), Winston-Salem NC, Burlington NC, and Durham NC. Also visited Red Hill (Patrick Henry’s plantation and burial spot) and Poplar Forest (Jefferson’s second home). ​