Today started off very early for the Gettysburg Semester crew for we left the Appleford at 7:30 A.M. to embark on our weekend-long Richmond trip. After three hours on the road, we finally made it to our first stop of the three day trip, The Wilderness. We met our tour guide, Chris Kolakowski and headed to our first stop at one of the wayside stations located at Saunder's Field. Next stop on our tour, after passing the Chinn Farm and Higgerson Field, we stopped at the site of Lee's and Hill's headquarters at the widow Tap farm. We brought the tour and the battle to a close at the corner of the Orange Plank Road and Brock Road where so much fighting and death occurred.

No ham logs this week, however, because we stepped up one class of logs to Subway for lunch. Within a short time we were back on the road and on our way to Spotsylvania Court House. The site where "elephants couldn't be shot" and where John Sedgwick, commander of the Sixth Corps, met his destiny marked our first visit to the field. From there, the group headed on the famous Mule Shoe and even did some re-enacting of Emory Upton's famous assault on the shoe. Only a stones throw away, we finished up at the Mule Shoe and moved on the Bloody Angle where we spent a good portion of the afternoon. What was really nice about this stop was at the end of his tour in this area, Chris gave us time to explore and take in the solace, quiet, and calm that surrounded that once contested part of the field. The day ended at Lee's final line, which the Federals never made it too, and some rebuilt earthworks which were completed in 2002.

Saying our goodbyes to Chris, the group headed on towards dinner and the hotel. Many found this part of the trip to be a great time to take a nap, including myself. After a nice relaxing dinner at Applebee's, and a short twenty minute drive to our hotel, it was time to call it night with most turning in just after we got there. Some, however, took the opportunity of watching a classic war film about another war, Saving Private Ryan, but after that, it was definitely time for bed.