C'Ville

Here we are in Charlottesville, Virginia. Drove in yesterday via a detour to the Berkeley Plantation. It was a little off the beaten path, so we ended up getting in later than expected and missing our lecture at the Jefferson Library on Ben Franklin. Oh well. Berkeley was worth it. It is a brick Georgian plantation on the James River. Built by Benjamin Harrison, the father of the signer of the Declaration of Independence (his sig is just below Jefferson's). His younger son, William Henry, became the ninth president, but died a month after his inauguration. The 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison, also was one of their clan. General McClellan and the Army of the Potomoac encamped at Berkeley during the civil war and Lincoln visited him there twice to prod him into action. If you know your history, you know that McClellan never did respond and Lincoln, disgusted, finally relieved him of his command.

They say that the first ten presidents all were entertained at Berkeley. Such history! We love it!!

Nina