A Tour of the CWPT's Slaughter Pen Battlefield by markers. Use the First >> button above to see these markers in sequence.| Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Battle of Fredericksburg The Slaughter Pen | | | On December 13, 1862, Union and Confederate troops clashed here, on muddy fields dubbed the "Slaughter Pen." Union Gen. William B. Franklin had 65,000 troops, but employed only two divisions, numbering 8,000 men, under Generals George G. Meade and John Gibbon, to capture Prospect Hill - the key to the Confederate right flank. Meade penetrated a gap in the Confederate line but did not receive reinforcements in time to exploit his gains. After two failed attempts, Gibbon's men reached and . . . — Map (db m21106) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Battle of Fredericksburg Winter War on the Rappahannock | | | In November 1862, Union Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside led his 115,000-man army southward toward Richmond, the Confederate capital. Delayed by tardy pontoon boats, Burnside was slow to cross the Rappahannock River, which allowed Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee time to block the Union advance with his 78,000 men near Fredericksburg. On December 13, Burnside launched a two-pronged attack, the first of which was made across these fields. Despite the prospect of success, Union troops ultimately suffered . . . — Map (db m21109) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — The Slaughter Pen Farm Where the Battle of Fredericksburg Was Decided Civil War Preservation Trust | | | As hard as it is to believe, the beautiful and historic landscape you see before you was once on the verge of being bulldozed for an industrial park. It was here, on December 13, 1862, that Union forces nearly broke through Confederate lines and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. More than 5,000 men in blue and gray fell as a result of the fighting on the Slaughter Pen Farm. Five Medals of Honor were awarded for valor on these fields. Despite its historic significance, in December 2005 . . . — Map (db m21113) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm The Walking Trail | | | Welcome to the Civil War Preservation Trust's Slaughter Pen Farm Battlefield. Here starts a 1Ύ mile walking tour. Wayside exhibits provide information and orientation along the way. Allow at least 90 minutes if you plan to walk the entire trail. Please stay on the marked trails throughout your visit, keep your pets on leashes and watch for ticks and other wildlife. There are no restrooms or drinking facilities along the trail. We hope you have a meaningful and enjoyable visit here at the . . . — Map (db m21115) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Into the Field | | | You are standing near the center of the most successful Union attack at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Two Union divisions, Gen. George G. Meade's on your left and Gen. John Gibbon's on your right, advanced into this field and soon encountered the "Virginia ditch fence" visible on your right and left. The ditch fences, dug by farmers to divide their fields and to promote drainage, were much steeper, deeper, and wider during the battle. Union soldiers scrambled across this and other obstacles . . . — Map (db m21139) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Meade's Attack | | | With artillery projectiles flying in every direction, Union Gen. George G. Meade galloped through the fields in front of you, encouraged his men, and looked for an opportunity to attack. When Union artillery blew up two Confederate ammunition chests, Meade took the initiative and ordered his men to charge. His division surged toward Prospect Hill in front of you, where Confederate forces waited. Meade's troops advanced directly into a 600-yard gap in the Confederate line left unmanned because . . . — Map (db m21169) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Killing Range | | | Before the battle, Confederate artillerists used a lone tree on this ridge as a mark to establish a "killing range," to punish any Federals who attacked. As Gen. George G. Meade's men surged past the unassuming tree, the Confederates trapped Union troops in a deadly crossfire. Gen. John Gibbon's division remained in the field behind you as Meade attacked. The 60-degree day thawed the ground and men wallowed in a sea of mud. Gibbon sent forward skirmishers, who exchanged fire with their . . . — Map (db m21171) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Gibbon's Advance | | | When Gen. George G. Meade's division surged unexpectedly forward through the fields on your left, Gen. John Gibbon's men scrambled to advance on Meade's right. Gibbon arranged his forces and ordered Gen. Nelson Taylor's brigade to attack the Confederates. Taylor's attack had little chance of success. "They were on a hill in the woods," observed one Union soldier, "and we were on a level plain below without any shelter." Still, Taylor's four regiments advanced over the prone skirmish line and . . . — Map (db m21177) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Second Assault | | | With the failur of Gen. Nelson Taylor's advance, Gen. John Gibbon sent in Col. Peter Lyle's Brigade. Taylor shifted some of his remaining regiments to the right and joined in Lyle's assault. Together, Taylor and Lyle formed a six-regiment front and attacked toward the railroad. When the Federals reached the small rise in front of you, Gen. James H. Lane's North Carolinians again opened up a murderous fire, and the Union attack stopped to return fire. Soon Union troops were running out of . . . — Map (db m21176) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Hand-to-Hand Combat at the Railroad | | | Just before 2 p.m., Gen. John Gibbon ordered Col. Adrian Root's men to cross the railroad in front of you and enter the woods beyond. With flags in front and bayonets fixed, Root's and remnants from Taylor's and Lyle's brigades advanced through a hail of iron and lead. Soldiers went "down like wheat before the reaper." In the edge of the woods, the Union troops and Gen. James H. Lane's North Carolinians fought with clubbed muskets, bayonets,swords, and pistols. "With a shout and a run, the . . . — Map (db m21175) | | Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Slaughter Pen Farm Retreat and Counterattack | | | "For my part the more I think of that battle, the more annoyed I am that such a great chance should have failed me." - Gen. George G. Meade, USA "Our cannon flamed and roared, and the roar of musketry was terrific. The foe halts, wavers, and flies. We, double charging our guns, pour the canister among them." - "Ben," Pee Dee (S.C.) Artillery, CSA Forced back but not ready to give up, Gen. John Gibbon's soldiers launched three counterattacks, but each was repulsed. Hopelessness . . . — Map (db m21173) |
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