The Falmouth Crossing

The Falmouth Crossing. . , Fredericksburg was founded as far upstream as sea-going vessels could navigate, and prospered as a river port. Falmouth stood astride a north-south overland route, where the Rappahannock River could be waded. Goods moving between Falmouth and the downstream port at Fredericksburg were moved overland or floated on barges, called flats., On September 29, 1781, during the American Revolution, part of the French Expeditionary Force crossed here on its way to Yorktown. The ford was never a very good one and a ferry had been established just downstream, which the Frenchmen used for some of their heavier artillery., The first bridge at Falmouth was privately funded, built by Francis Thornton around 1800. Robert Dunbar gained control of the bridge (and its tolls) when he married Thornton's sister, Elizabeth Gregory Thornton. A series of bridges here have been built and lost, from floods and fires. This concrete and steel bridge was constructed in 1946., The blue inset at the top of the page includes three photographs. Across the top of the inset is map of the area. It's caption reads: , This 1817 map identifies the bridge at Falmouth as "Dunbar's Bridge.", The caption for the bottom left photo in the inset reads: , Sketch of Falmouth showing Union troops fishing in the Rappahannock River in May 1862. Note the wrecked Falmouth bridge. The large structure on the left is the Bridgewater Mill Multiple large mills are also evident in Falmouth, on the right., The caption for the bottom right photo in the inset reads: , This Civil War sketch made in Falmouth, looks downstream toward Fredericksburg. The two miles of shallow water between the two towns was not navigable except by flat-bottomed barges.