The obvious choice was the Fredericksburg Battlefield, which we hadn't been to yet since moving to Virginia. We decided to simply orient to the Battlefield by touring the Visitor Center. The kids also wanted to work hard on earning their Junior Ranger badges.
The museum at the Visitor Center was small, but it was very interesting!
Below is an actual drum that was used during the battle.
Next, we took a self-guided tour of The Stone Wall and Sunken Road located behind the Visitor Center. This was the site of tremendous bloodshed on a fateful day in December, years ago...
The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought on December 13, 1862, marked another unsuccessful attempt by the Union army to move south against the Confederate capital at Richmond. This failure stands out among other such setbacks because of the overwhelming nature of the Federal defeat. Here, along the Sunken Road, Robert E. Lee earned his most one-sided military victory. In addition to its strategic significance, the fighting along the Sunken Road left a legacy of steadfast bravery, tragic irony and human compassion involving soldiers, officers and civilians.
Confederate troops from Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Caronlina held the road throughout December 13th, 1862. No Union soldiers touched the wall or made it into the road.
Walking (and running) on historical grounds...
We walked on the grounds of the famous Battle for Marye's Heights. As Confederate soldiers hid behind the stone wall, Union soldiers never stood a chance. On December 13, 1862, Major General Ambrose Burnside led line after line of Union soldiers, totaling 30,000 men, into open fields, trying to take the ridge of Marye's Heights. Most of these men perished.
This is actually part of the original stone wall that stood through the fighting. We were fascinated that bullet holes could still be seen (and felt)! We could help but think of the soldiers that died.
Nearly 18,000 men died here on that day, more than 2/3 of them were Union soldiers. More than 2/3 of those fell in front of the stone wall.
The old well in the background served the home of Martha Stevens, whose home was in the midst of the hotly contested area now known as the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Local legend has it that Martha remained in her house throughout the battle, making repeated trips to the well, and even tearing strips from her garments to bind the wounds of fallen soldiers.
"The Innis House, its interior scarred with bullet holes, stands as a grim reminder of the ravages of war."
It's so sobering to see actual bulletholes on the wood of this home that has stood for so many years and seen so much!
"Just beyond the Innis House is this elegant monument to Richard Rowland Kirkland, known to both Union and Confederate soldiers alike as "The Angel Of Marye's Heights." A Confederate, Sergeant Kirkland risked his life to bring water and warm clothing to grievously wounded Union soldiers who had spent a bitterly cold night without water, food or medical treatment. Less than a year later, Kirkland himself would die at Chickamauga."
We enjoyed walking this trail, filled with so much history!
Although much has changed on Sunken Rd in the last 149 years, much hasn't. This portion of the stone wall and this home appear almost exactly as they did so many years ago.
During this very educational afternoon, the kids worked diligently to complete the National Park Service requirements to earn their badges :-) They did a great job! The Park Ranger congratulated them and announced to everyone in the Visitor Center that Christopher, Emily, and Lydia Webb were the newest Junior Rangers of Fredericksburg Battlefield!
We had a great time at the Visitor Center, the Stone Wall, and Sunken Road! We hope to visit more of Fredericksburg Battlefield soon :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment