Escaped Rebel officers came ashore at this remote Virginia beach. A new marker tells the story -- but you need to earn the view by a long walk in state park

Jason Saffer adjusts Va. marker (Civil War Trails) and Florida wreckage of Maple Leaf (at left, Library of Congress)

Most of Civil War Trails’ 1,530 markers are just a short walk from a parking lot. But there are many you have to work a little harder to reach.

For example, you must ride a boat to see one on St. Clement’s Island in the Potomac River or take a rigorous hike along the Appalachian Trail to soak in others.

Now the Williamsburg, Va.-based nonprofit has erected a marker in likely its most remote location, says executive director Drew Gruber.

Virginia State Parks announced last week the addition of the new panel at False Cape State Park below Virginia Beach. To get there, pedestrians or bicyclists must venture six miles beyond a parking lot, over a dune, past a primitive campground and head for the Atlantic Ocean surf.

Visitors will learn about how Confederate officers overcame unarmed guards on the Maple Leaf transport ship in 1863, escaped and eventually made their way to friendly lines.

“People have already been making the trek,” Gruber told the Picket. “Besides hiking to the site where these POWs landed you can also take a tram tour ...”

Star shows location of marker and trail map shows proximity to camping area, ocean (Civil War Trails, Va. State Parks)

The escape from the Maple Leaf is labeled as a point of interest on the park’s trail map.

“Now having a physical marker at the location enables us to preserve the Civil War history of False Cape and lets park guests explore learn, and embrace the lessons of courage and unity from this daring account,” said Rachel Harrington, chief of visitor experience at the park, in the news release.

Not everyone breaks a sweat to reach the marker. Harrington told the Picket a tram the park operates features a four-hour guided tour. The open-air Blue Goose Tram goes fairly close to the site of the landing and informs participants of the Civil War history.

The Civil War episode took place in June 1863, when 97 captured Rebel officers were being taken on the vessel Maple Leaf from Fort Monroe, Va., to Fort Delaware, then to a Northern prison camp. They quickly took control of the transport ship from 12 soldiers carrying unloaded muskets.

They did not have enough coal to flee to the Bahamas and after sailing south for about 30 miles some 70 officers decided to land small boats on what is now the state park, said Harrington. (About 27 captives stayed on board)

The soldiers split up and headed toward friendly lines in nearby North Carolina. Despite heavy Union cavalry pursuit and the challenges of the Great Dismal Swamp, they rendezvoused in Weldon, N.C., before taking a train to Richmond, Va. Local sympathizers gave them a hand during their odyssey.

“After a 12-day journey, the officers arrived in the Confederate capital, where they told tales of their bold feat,” the marker reads. “After resting and receiving back pay, they returned to their units.”

The Maple Leaf returned to Federal service but ran into more bad luck in April 1864 when it struck a torpedo in the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Fla.

“The explosion tore the bow of the ship apart, ripping through the deck and killing four soldiers," according to the National Park Service. “The vessel sank quickly, but apart from those lost in the explosion there were no other fatalities.”

The shipwreck was not salvaged, but  thousands of artifacts were recovered in the 1980s and 1990s. Many are on exhibit at the Mandarin Museum nearby.

Civil War Trails promotes tourism, working with local governments, parks and visitor bureaus. It has another sign about the Maple Leaf below Currituck, N.C.

Virginia Beach tourism leaders hope the Maple Leaf marker and other attractions will help draw tourists to the Sandbridge area near the North Carolina border during the offseason.

False Cape State Park features about six miles of beaches. (At right, park manager Austin Monnett and chief ranger Rachel Harrington.) It offers guided kayak trips, primitive camping, interpretive programs, hiking and biking trails

Public vehicular access at the state park is prohibited. Visitors should park at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge's parking lot at 4005 Sandpiper Road, Virginia Beach, to begin their hike or ride and to reach the visitor center. The cost to park is $5. Tram tours cost $8 and require a reservation. They operate year round, but run more frequently from April through October. Click here for more information.