Heritage Tour explores Delaware’s role in Civil War
Just like the two sides that fought in the War Between the States, the tiny state of Delaware was very much divided in the 1860s; in many ways, the First State is still thought of in terms of north and south.
On June 2, nearly 30 participants explored the unique role the state played during this divisive time in history, when brother fought brother and friend battled friend. From the center of Delaware’s southernmost county in Georgetown to the western regions of Seaford, Laurel and Delmar, the area was very much divided in loyalties.
This divisiveness was the subject during the first of this summer’s heritage bus tours. The half dozen scheduled tours are led by local historian and retired state archivist Russ McCabe, in conjunction with Southern Delaware Tourism, the Lewes Historical Society and the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
“This is just another delightful trip with Russ McCabe that gives us the stories you’d never find if you went out looking for them on your own,” said Fran Richmann, immediate past president of the Lewes Historical Society, who went along on the June 2 tour. “Even though our collections [at the society] are about the history of Lewes, we like to get out and explore all of Sussex County. These collaborations allow us to do that.”
Participants on this first excursion of 2012 were treated to personal tours of many historic and Civil War-related sites, including Georgetown’s Confederate War Memorial, Seaford’s Ross Mansion and Plantation, and sites in Milford that included the Parson Thorne Mansion, the former home of Gov. William Burton and the burial place of many of the era’s black soldiers.
Similar trips are planned for later this summer and fall.
“The response we’ve received for these tours so far has been very encouraging and confirms that there is a great deal of interest in, and enthusiasm for, the rich history and heritage of our county,” said McCabe. “In the very near future, we’re looking forward to spending time with many other residents and visitors who are interested in these types of excursions.”
Participants in the June 2 tour, titled Slavery, Freedom and the Divisive Years of the Civil War, departed from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal in Lewes at 9 a.m., returning just after 4 p.m. During the daylong tour, visitors explored sites that included the middle point of the Mason-Dixon Line, just west of Delmar.
It’s a site that, while extremely important to the nation’s history, is little visited and sits in a humble enclosure on a lightly traveled road. And therein lies its mystique, according to many.
“We are always interested in history wherever we go, and we were fascinated by the story of the Mason-Dixon Line,” said Jack Lesher, who retired to the Lewes area with his wife, Pat, in 1998. “Seeing the monument just topped off the subject for us; it was fascinating. I thought that things would have been built up around it, but it was just of out there by itself in the wilderness.”
Future tours in the series will be held in July, August, September and October and will highlight topics including old-time religion, historic waterways and coastal landmarks.
For more information or to reserve a seat on a future excursion, go to www.historiclewes.org or call 302-645-7670. Space is limited, so early reservations are recommended.
Southern Delaware Tourism supports and encourages the identification, development and promotion of sustainable, year-round tourism in southern Delaware that contributes to economic growth and improves quality of life. For more information, call Southern Delaware Tourism at 302-856-1818 or go to www.visitsoutherndelaware.com.
