battle of hartsville memorial park

This pristine battlefield was preserved by the CWPT. It encompasses much of the land and land-view easement, where the Battle of Hartsville was fought in December 1862. It was a total victory for Col. John Hunt Morgan, who shortly thereafter was promoted to Brigadier General,

I only went to four or five stops of this driving tour with my nine-year old and his friend. I printed the Hartsville website's directions (URL below) before I went and I'm glad I did, because the visitor center at the start of the tour (where it says to pick up a brochure containing driving directions) was closed. There's an old caboose at the old depot nearby and the kids had fun climbing on it. Then we went looking for stop #1. Stop one was a small brown and white sign at the intersection of someone's driveway. Like the other stops we saw, there is not anywhere safe for the kids to get out, which is a big negative for me. We were in a four-wheel drive vehicle, so we could have easily pulled into a field, but the markers we saw were all close to fences and pretty busy streets. There was not even enough room to park and read the tour description. One would think since the city promotes the tour, they'd provide a safe way to park and enjoy it, instead of putting the signs in spots where the farmers' fields were fenced to within two feet of the road. The kids were unimpressed, but it was, in fact, chilling to be at the exact spot where a fierce battle had been fought years ago. We went looking for the next stops and they were similar. I would suggest using a GPS if possible to look for the next stop by using the few intersections mentioned in the directions, which are poorly written and do not contain actual addresses, but instead assume you're familiar with the area.The kids were displaying signs of a mutiny, so I skipped to the last stop, which was the cemetery. This got their attention, seeing the old, weathered graves and the commemorative marker. The roads you'll be driving on are beautifully smooth, paved and through some unspoiled hilly rural land. There are vistas where you'd think you were back in 1862; it'd be a great motorcycle tour. There is at least one gravel road involved, at stop 2 or 3, but it's a dead end (so you could skip it without interrupting your progress).There is a McD's and a Sonic Drive-in near the start of the tour if you need food, and a local favorite, Village Pizza, a couple blocks away.Sorry this review isn't comprehensive, but I hope it will help someone to have a better tour. If you're a Civil War buff, it would probably be an outstanding way to spent the day.*URL to the Hartsville website's tour page:http://www.hartsvilletrousdale.com/civilwartour.html