American Civil War – The Blue & The Gray
13 days from £4,499pp
About the tour: American Civil War – The Blue & The Gray
Tour Introduction
The American Civil War is by far the deadliest war ever fought in the Continental United States; carrying an incredibly high price for the American people and leaving a lasting impact on U.S. history. Join us on this brand new battlefield tour as we discover the grounds of decisive battles all across the southern states, as well as visiting some of the key museums on the subject.
Tour Includes
- 11 nights hotel
- Return flights to Atlanta with one checked-in suitcase, Airport transfers & Hotel porterage for 1 bag per person (Air tour only)
- Fully escorted in the USA by a Specialist Historical Guide
- Air-conditioned coach travel
(Deposits from £1,000pp)
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Fly to Atlanta where you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 2 - Chattanooga
Follow in the footsteps of General William T. Sherman’s Union Army 1864 to 1865 march through the Confederacy with our first stop at the Battlefields of Chickamauga and Chattanooga.
It is here on September 20, 1863, at Chickamauga and later, on November 23, 1863, at Chattanooga, that 'the death-knell of the Confederacy' was rung, setting the scene for Sherman’s march to the Sea. Both sides fought desperately for control of Chattanooga as it was known as the 'Gateway to the Deep South'.
The Confederates were victorious at Chickamauga, however, renewed fighting in Chattanooga provided Union troops victory and final control of the city.Today, we meet our local expert guide and relive this epic struggle between Union Major General William Rosecrans and Confederate General Braxton Bragg at Chickamauga, which resulted in more than 34,000 casualties, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. We stay in Chattanooga for two nights.
Chattanooga (2)
Key Visits
- Chattanooga
Day 3 - Chattanooga Museum & The National Cemetery
Union forces routed Confederate troops in Tennessee at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, known collectively as the Battles for Chattanooga.
Join our local expert guide and immerse yourself in the historic battle that took place on Lookout Mountain, called the 'Battle Above the Clouds'. Ride up the mountain on the Incline Railway and take the short walk to Point Park, where Union soldiers surprised Confederates by sneaking up the mountain during an unusually thick fog.
We then check out the Battles for Chattanooga Museum, a newly renovated visitor centre, for a 3-dimensional presentation of the battle. We then pay our respects at The National Cemetery, which Major General. George H. Thomas, 'The Rock of Chickamauga', issued General Orders No. 296 to create a national cemetery in commemoration of the Battles.
Point Park (2)
Key Visits
- Chattanooga Museum
- National Cemetery
- Point Park
Day 4 - Corinth
Today we bid farewell to Chattanooga and cross over the state line into Mississippi and the town of Corinth. For six months in 1862, Corinth became a critical railroad junction and second only to Richmond in military importance, and hence the battle of Corinth captured the full attention of a divided nation.
One of the National Park Service’s newest visitors’ centres interprets the key role of Corinth in the Western Theatre of the American Civil War.Next, we visit the Crossroads Museum at The Historic Depot to further understand the crucial role, that a strategic transportation hub played in the Civil War.
We stay overnight in Corinth.Key Visits
- Corinth
Day 5 - Battlefield of Shiloh
Returning to Tennessee, we explore the Battlefield of Shiloh this morning. Located on 4,000 acres overlooking the Tennessee River, 151 monuments, 217 cannons and over 450 historic tablets mark America’s best-preserved battlefield and the site of the Civil War’s first major combat in the Western Theatre.
Fought April 6 - 7, 1862, the Battle of Shiloh (also known as Pittsburg Landing) gave Federal General U.S. Grant his sternest test and witnessed the death of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, the highest-ranking American ever killed in combat.
We then continue towards Nashville where we stay overnight south of the city in preparation for our next historic visit, The Battle of Franklin.
Battlefield of Shiloh (2)
Key Visits
- Battlefield of Shiloh
Day 6 - Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee witnessed five of the bloodiest hours in all American history on November 30, 1864.
Join our guided walking tour as we hear how Lieutenant General John Bell Hood, frustrated that his Confederate Army of Tennessee had let a large Union force escape from Columbia the night before, ordered an all-out frontal assault against the Union fieldworks at Franklin.
The Southerners advanced across an open field, enfiladed in places by artillery from Fort Granger across the Harpeth River. Many of their Union opponents were armed with repeaters, yet they nearly broke through near the centre of the Union line, only to be repulsed at a cost of 6,200 casualties.
Following the tour, we continue onto Atlanta, Georgia where we stay for three nights.
Franklin (2)
Key Visits
- Franklin
Day 7 - Atlanta
Today we visit the battlefields close to Atlanta.
First, we see Pickett’s Mill Battlefield, where on 27 May 1864, the new commander of the Union Army, General William Sherman’s advance was halted. Almost 25,000 men fought the terrain, the heat, the fear and each other in an area that became forever known as ‘the hell hole’.
We will tour the major Confederate defensive works on Kennesaw Mountain. Ordered by Grant to bring the Confederate Army to battle, Sherman sent his troops against strong opposition at Cheatham Hill.
Repulsed, bloody, with losses of 4 to 1, and under threat of removal from command, he flanked Johnston’s position and continued his drive to Atlanta.
Kennesaw Mountain (2)
Key Visits
- Pickett's Mill Battlefield
- Kennesaw Mountain
Day 8 - Atlanta History Centre
We take a break from battlefields today to visit the recently restored and relocated 'Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama' at the famous Atlanta History Centre.
This immense circular painting depicts The Battle of Atlanta that occurred on July 22, 1864, and the building contains many Civil War artefacts as well as “The Texas” locomotive.
This afternoon we travel to Stone Mountain with its huge carvings of southern heroes Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson and take the cable car to the top of the monolith where magnificent views of hundreds of miles of Georgia countryside await.
Stone Mountain (2)
Key Visits
- Atlanta History Centre
- Stone Mountain
Day 9 - Road to Tara Museum & Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp
A Civil War trip to the South is not complete without mention of the film 'Gone with the Wind' so this morning we visit the Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro GA.
Whether you're a Gone with the Wind fan or history buff, the Road to Tara Museum boasts items from the famous movie and book along with artefacts from the Civil War.
See the progression from the real history of the Civil War's Atlanta Campaign and the 1864 Battle of Jonesboro to Margaret Mitchell's and Hollywood's interpretation through Gone with the Wind.
We continue towards Savannah but not before a detour to the infamous Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp.
Although only in operation for fourteen months, out of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, nearly 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding or exposure. We continue to Savannah, where we will stay for two nights.Key Visits
- Road to Tara Museum
- Anderson Prisoner of War Camp
Day 10 - Savannah & Fort Pulaski
"...I beg to present to you as a Christmas Gift, the City of Savannah with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition and also about 25,000 bails of cotton..." so read Union General William T. Sherman's telegram to President Lincoln written on December 22, 1864.
Join your local guide for a walking and coach tour of the city as we explore the events of the Federal Occupation.In the afternoon we visit Fort Pulaski where, in 1862, the Union army asked Colonel Charles Olmstead, commander of the Confederate garrison, to surrender, but he refused.
And so began the siege of Fort Pulaski, where Union troops used state-of-the-art guns, among them the new James Rifled Cannon and the Parrott Rifle, in a 30-hour bombardment of the fort until it was penetrated, and the Confederate commander surrendered.
The siege became a historic experiment of military science and invention, and a case against military masonry construction.
Fort Pulaski (3)
Key Visits
- Savannah
- Fort Pulaski
Day 11 - Charleston
Today we cross into South Carolina and the city of Charleston where the Civil War erupted on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter, the Federal fort located in Charleston Harbor.
Our first stop, however, is the Warren Lasch Conservation Center for one of the most unique visitor experiences available in Charleston – The Hunley. On February 17th, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the first successful combat submarine in world history with the sinking of the USS Housatonic.
After completing her mission, she mysteriously vanished, only to be rediscovered in 1995 and raised in 2000. Immerse yourself in the history of this remarkable vessel and her crew and discover the fascinating discoveries resulting from forensic science, archaeology, and conservation.
This afternoon we take the ferry out to Fort Sumter, the focal point in time marking the start of hostilities between Union North and Confederate South.We stay overnight in Charleston.
Key Visits
- Fort Sumter
- Warren Lasch Conservation Center
Day 12
Today we travel towards Atlanta for our flight home via Ehrhardt SC. Rivers Bridge State Historic Site Battlefield marks the site of one of the Confederacy’s last stands against General William T. Sherman’s sweep across the South. Of all the Civil War Sites in South Carolina, the Battle of Rivers Bridge is the only one in the State Parks system that is home to a preserved battlefield.
Our Ranger-guided tour will walk us the 3/4 -mile trail of one of the most well-preserved Civil War sites in South Carolina, which includes still-intact earthen fortifications.We then transfer to Atlanta airport for your return flight.
Key Visits
- Rivers Bridge State Historic Site
Day 13
Arrive back in the UK.
Day 1
Make your own way to our hotel in Atlanta where you will join the tour.
Day 2 - Chattanooga
Follow in the footsteps of General William T. Sherman’s Union Army 1864 to 1865 march through the Confederacy with our first stop at the Battlefields of Chickamauga and Chattanooga.
It is here on September 20, 1863, at Chickamauga and later, on November 23, 1863, at Chattanooga, that 'the death-knell of the Confederacy' was rung, setting the scene for Sherman’s march to the Sea. Both sides fought desperately for control of Chattanooga as it was known as the 'Gateway to the Deep South'.
The Confederates were victorious at Chickamauga, however, renewed fighting in Chattanooga provided Union troops victory and final control of the city.Today, we meet our local expert guide and relive this epic struggle between Union Major General William Rosecrans and Confederate General Braxton Bragg at Chickamauga, which resulted in more than 34,000 casualties, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. We stay in Chattanooga for two nights.
Chattanooga (2)
Key Visits
- Chattanooga
Day 3 - Chattanooga Museum & The National Cemetery
Union forces routed Confederate troops in Tennessee at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, known collectively as the Battles for Chattanooga.
Join our local expert guide and immerse yourself in the historic battle that took place on Lookout Mountain, called the 'Battle Above the Clouds'. Ride up the mountain on the Incline Railway and take the short walk to Point Park, where Union soldiers surprised Confederates by sneaking up the mountain during an unusually thick fog.
We then check out the Battles for Chattanooga Museum, a newly renovated visitor centre, for a 3-dimensional presentation of the battle. We then pay our respects at The National Cemetery, which Major General. George H. Thomas, 'The Rock of Chickamauga', issued General Orders No. 296 to create a national cemetery in commemoration of the Battles.
Point Park (3)
Key Visits
- Chattanooga Museum
- National Cemetery
- Chattanooga
- Point Park
Day 4 - Corinth
Today we bid farewell to Chattanooga and cross over the state line into Mississippi and the town of Corinth. For six months in 1862, Corinth became a critical railroad junction and second only to Richmond in military importance, and hence the battle of Corinth captured the full attention of a divided nation.
One of the National Park Service’s newest visitors’ centres interprets the key role of Corinth in the Western Theatre of the American Civil War.Next, we visit the Crossroads Museum at The Historic Depot to further understand the crucial role, that a strategic transportation hub played in the Civil War.
We stay overnight in Corinth.Key Visits
- Corinth
Day 5 - Battlefield of Shiloh
Returning to Tennessee, we explore the Battlefield of Shiloh this morning. Located on 4,000 acres overlooking the Tennessee River, 151 monuments, 217 cannons and over 450 historic tablets mark America’s best-preserved battlefield and the site of the Civil War’s first major combat in the Western Theatre.
Fought April 6 - 7, 1862, the Battle of Shiloh (also known as Pittsburg Landing) gave Federal General U.S. Grant his sternest test and witnessed the death of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, the highest-ranking American ever killed in combat.
We then continue towards Nashville where we stay overnight south of the city in preparation for our next historic visit, The Battle of Franklin.
Battlefield of Shiloh (2)
Key Visits
- Battlefield of Shiloh
Day 6 - Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee witnessed five of the bloodiest hours in all American history on November 30, 1864.
Join our guided walking tour as we hear how Lieutenant General John Bell Hood, frustrated that his Confederate Army of Tennessee had let a large Union force escape from Columbia the night before, ordered an all-out frontal assault against the Union fieldworks at Franklin.
The Southerners advanced across an open field, enfiladed in places by artillery from Fort Granger across the Harpeth River. Many of their Union opponents were armed with repeaters, yet they nearly broke through near the centre of the Union line, only to be repulsed at a cost of 6,200 casualties.
Following the tour, we continue onto Atlanta, Georgia where we stay overnight.
Franklin (2)
Key Visits
- Franklin
Day 7 - Atlanta
Today we visit the battlefields close to Atlanta.
First, we see Pickett’s Mill Battlefield, where on 27 May 1864, the new commander of the Union Army, General William Sherman’s advance was halted. Almost 25,000 men fought the terrain, the heat, the fear and each other in an area that became forever known as ‘the hell hole’.
We will tour the major Confederate defensive works on Kennesaw Mountain. Ordered by Grant to bring the Confederate Army to battle, Sherman sent his troops against strong opposition at Cheatham Hill.
Repulsed, bloody, with losses of 4 to 1, and under threat of removal from command, he flanked Johnston’s position and continued his drive to Atlanta.
We continue on to our hotel in Atlanta where we will stay for two nights.
Kennesaw Mountain (2)
Key Visits
- Pickett's Mill Battlefield
- Kennesaw Mountain
Day 8 - Atlanta History Centre
We take a break from battlefields today to visit the recently restored and relocated 'Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama' at the famous Atlanta History Centre.
This immense circular painting depicts The Battle of Atlanta that occurred on July 22, 1864, and the building contains many Civil War artefacts as well as “The Texas” locomotive.
This afternoon we travel to Stone Mountain with its huge carvings of southern heroes Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson and take the cable car to the top of the monolith where magnificent views of hundreds of miles of Georgia countryside await.
Stone Mountain (2)
Key Visits
- Atlanta History Centre
- Stone Mountain
Day 9 - Road to Tara Museum & Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp
A Civil War trip to the South is not complete without mention of the film 'Gone with the Wind' so this morning we visit the Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro GA.
Whether you're a Gone with the Wind fan or history buff, the Road to Tara Museum boasts items from the famous movie and book along with artefacts from the Civil War.
See the progression from the real history of the Civil War's Atlanta Campaign and the 1864 Battle of Jonesboro to Margaret Mitchell's and Hollywood's interpretation through Gone with the Wind.
We continue towards Savannah but not before a detour to the infamous Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp.
Although only in operation for fourteen months, out of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, nearly 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding or exposure. We continue to Savannah, where we will stay for two nights.Key Visits
- Road to Tara Museum
- Anderson Prisoner of War Camp
Day 10 - Savannah & Fort Pulaski
"...I beg to present to you as a Christmas Gift, the City of Savannah with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition and also about 25,000 bails of cotton..." so read Union General William T. Sherman's telegram to President Lincoln written on December 22, 1864.
Join your local guide for a walking and coach tour of the city as we explore the events of the Federal Occupation.In the afternoon we visit Fort Pulaski where, in 1862, the Union army asked Colonel Charles Olmstead, commander of the Confederate garrison, to surrender, but he refused.
And so began the siege of Fort Pulaski, where Union troops used state-of-the-art guns, among them the new James Rifled Cannon and the Parrott Rifle, in a 30-hour bombardment of the fort until it was penetrated, and the Confederate commander surrendered.
The siege became a historic experiment of military science and invention, and a case against military masonry construction.
Fort Pulaski (3)
Key Visits
- Savannah
- Fort Pulaski
Day 11 - Charleston
Today we cross into South Carolina and the city of Charleston where the Civil War erupted on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter, the Federal fort located in Charleston Harbor.
Our first stop, however, is the Warren Lasch Conservation Center for one of the most unique visitor experiences available in Charleston – The Hunley. On February 17th, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the first successful combat submarine in world history with the sinking of the USS Housatonic.
After completing her mission, she mysteriously vanished, only to be rediscovered in 1995 and raised in 2000. Immerse yourself in the history of this remarkable vessel and her crew and discover the fascinating discoveries resulting from forensic science, archaeology, and conservation.
This afternoon we take the ferry out to Fort Sumter, the focal point in time marking the start of hostilities between Union North and Confederate South.We stay overnight in Charleston.
Key Visits
- Fort Sumter
- Warren Lasch Conservation Center
Day 12
Depending on your flight time you can choose to continue the tour as described below or alternatively make your own way to the airport.
Today we travel towards Atlanta for our flight home via Ehrhardt SC. Rivers Bridge State Historic Site Battlefield marks the site of one of the Confederacy’s last stands against General William T. Sherman’s sweep across the South. Of all the Civil War Sites in South Carolina, the Battle of Rivers Bridge is the only one in the State Parks system that is home to a preserved battlefield.
Our Ranger-guided tour will walk us the 3/4 -mile trail of one of the most well-preserved Civil War sites in South Carolina, which includes still-intact earthen fortifications.We then transfer to Atlanta airport for your flight back to the UK.
Key Visits
- Rivers Bridge State Historic Site
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
