| Vol.
I, No. 8 | Gardening
/ Memorial Day | May
18th, 2001 |
Auto
& Travel
Links to Auto & Travel On-Line
. Links
to Auto & Travel On-Line The
amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in Auto & Travel to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. Sometimes they're about
Vermont sites, sometimes not. In either case, we think we might be able to
help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of
course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be of
interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ...
We hope you enjoy the following sites as
much as we do. Links
to Historic Sites of the Civil War Let us begin by
acknowledging that there are many more sites out there than we could eve hope to
even list on this page. So, if you don't find what you're looking for
here, don't fret. It's probably out there somewhere. ... What
we've tried to focus on here are sites that themselves focus on either Vermont
and/or Historic Sites in general. Of the more than 100 sites we looked at,
many of them are devoted to particular regiments, battles, regions, etc.
... For Vermont info, there's really only one place to go ... but it's
among the best out there. For more local history on the Civil War,
Middlebury College's on-line text of a History of Addison County is
a must. For other historic Sites, know that there are numerous web sites
devoted to Civil War history. But what we wanted to do is zero in
on a web site devoted to sites { = places} of historic significance --
like battlegrounds, monuments, etc. That meant, of course, turning to the
National Park Service. Finally, we provide a number of sites that are
worthwhile, but unreviewed here, from National Geographic maps to The
United States Civil War Center at LSU. ... So, what
follows is a short list of sites you may want to visit if you're planning a trip
along one of the routes of Civil War history ... or simply to take
an arm-chair tour. ...
Vermont
in the Civil War
We've cited and mentioned this web site several
different times during this, our Memorial Day issue. The reason is
simple: It's one of the best sites out there on the Civil War.
.
This
self-described "grassroots effort" has pulled together a site here
that not only brims with devotion to the subject, it is, in fact, a
comprehensive and extremely well-organized effort. You name it, it's
here. ... Regimental & unit histories, battles, African
Americans & Canadians who fought, a Bibliography & Book List, a
database of Civil War vets buried in national cemeteries, info on
Descendants & Genealogy, an FAQ, Monuments, Obituaries, People, Photos,
Surnames, and much more. You can even find rosters of those who served
on a town-by-town basis. {It was thanks to this site that we were able
to put together a list of those vets from each of the towns in our
readership area who died during the war and are buried in national
cemeteries.} ... There are even anecdotal stories, including one
of a small raid that happened up in St. Albans, by a group of Confederate
soldiers who presumably came down out of Montréal, or another that tells of
the fight that broke out among Vermont's own troops after the Battle of
Antietam.
.
The site is navigated
primarily by a drop-down menu on each page, with subsequent pages providing
additional drop-down menus or direct text-based links. If you're at
all interested in the history of Vermont in the Civil War, and especially if
you're descended from someone who served in a Vermont unit, then you have to
visit this site. And while you're there, at the very least, do the
folks who pulled this together the courtesy of a quick thanks via their
on-line Mailing List. They deserve it.
Rating:
***** [5 STARS]
. The
Civil War: Heritage Preservation Services / National Park Service
The
Feds have taken on a major role in helping to preserve the nation's Civil
War battle sites. This web site is the center for those
activities. ...
.
The main page
provides lots of links, including a Feature on Civil War Flags, a lengthy
list of Civil War Parks, and Publications which can be ordered from HPS/NPS.
But the best of the site is to be found near the top of the page, which
provides links to Civil War Battle Summaries, and a link to Civil War
Soldiers & Sailors. The Battle Summaries are available either on a
state-by-state basis, or organized by campaign. Whichever you choose,
the battles are listed as links which take you to a solid overview of the
battle, including alternate names, locations, which campaign it was a part
of, commanding officers, troop strengths, casualties, and a brief but
detailed synopsis of the battle. The Soldiers & Sailors link takes
you to a comprehensive database of listings which you can search by Last or
First Name, State, Unit No., Function, and, of course, whether Union or
Confederate. There's also a sub-set of the database devoted to Medals
which can also be searched by Last/First/Middle Name.
.
The
NPS has done well by all who served in the Civil War with this site.
And while it cannot and should not replace the extensive investigations and
compilations by others like the Vermont in the Civil War site {see above},
it is nonetheless invaluable, whether as an adjunct or a starting point.
Rating:
****1/2 [4-1/2 stars]
. History
of Addison County
Chapter
VIII Addison County in the War of the Rebellion
This link will
take you to the Middlebury College web which hosts this 1886 History of
Addison County {H. P. Smith, Ed.; D. Mason & Co., 1886} in a
full-text, on-line version. ...
.
A
Note on Getting Around: The text could have been made a little easier
to navigate, since clicking on any of the links from the main page takes you
directly to the text of that chapter, with, on many pages, no links
whatsoever provided from there. However, if you open up the main page,
then right click on a chapter and open it in a new window, you can keep the
Table of Contents in the original window and navigate more easily that
way. ... That said, the main reason for including this link is
that it provides a solid background to the county's history during the Civil
War. Chapter VIII provdes about 40 pages of original text, including
"enlistments from the various towns of the county in the various
companies and regiments," giving the number from each town as
assigned. In addition, if you go to the appropriate chapters on town
histories, you'll also find rosters from each of the towns with each of the
individuals volunteering or otherwise entering the service named.
.... Finally, with reasonably good detail provided about the campaigns
and battles for the various units in which Addison County residents served,
the text can help you plan your tour.
.
For
those interested in Addison County's role in the War of the Rebellion, as it
was more commonly known, as well as for Addison County history in general up
to the end of the last century, this is a very useful resource.
Rating:
**** [4 stars]
. Other Sites of Interest ...
. *******
******* If you know of any links
that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
|
