Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a fantastic destination if you are interested in George Washington, his immediate family, and Colonial-era history. This city of 28,000 is also a draw for anyone interested in Civil War history.
My first glimpse of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park was from the Fredericksburg Trolley Tour.
We saw the stone walls used to protect Confederate troops and the Kirkland Memorial that pays homage to Richard Kirkland, a Confederate sergeant, who crossed over the stone wall to give water to wounded US soldiers after the fighting of December 13, 1864, at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Understanding the battle is much more complex and should be investigated.
The battlefield of Fredericksburg surrounds the city’s present-day downtown center. The park’s visitor services, driving routes, and trails provide various options for exploring and understanding the battle’s history.
In December 1862, the US Army of the Potomac crossed the Rappahannock River and faced the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. With a defensive line encircling Fredericksburg, the Confederates pushed the Federals back across the river, devastating the US Army.
“Why did the US Army commit to a battle when the odds seemed so stacked against them? Just weeks before the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Fredericksburg took place at a critical juncture in the war. From this point on, either the Union would be one where slavery was a thing of the past, or the Union would fall,” the website states.
The best way to see the battlefield is on the park’s driving tour. It follows the route indicated by the numbered stops on the circular battlefield tour signs on the park map and in the landscape.
This route and audio tour is available via the National Park Service app (available at the Apple Store and on Google Play).
You can also walk to Fredericksburg National Cemetery from the visitor center parking lot. According to the website, it is the final resting place for over 15,000 United States soldiers, the majority of whom died during the Civil War, plus about 100 soldiers from the 1900s and a handful of spouses. Over 80 percent of the soldiers here are unidentified.
The National Park Service has an excellent website outlining the battle and the stops along the driving tour.
For more information on the other attractions of Fredericksburg, click here.
Photos by Marilyn Jones and courtesy Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
