Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
A Vast Hospital
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
— National Park Service —
Wounded Union Soldiers in a Fredericksburg yard, May 1864. All but one of these men have been wounded in the leg. Most of the wounded soldiers brought to Fredericksburg survived…
…But some did not. Hundreds of men died in the hospitals here during May and June 1864. Private Kronenberger’s headboard may be among the long row of graves visible behind this burial party.
“…I am lying in this place with a wound in my right leg, below the knee. I am in good spirits and the Drs. say my wound isn’t dangerous, so I hope you won’t worry about me… We haven’t a pleasant hospital, but good as we can expect under the circumstances.” —Pvt. Fred Kronenberger (2d N.J.) to his parents, May 17, 1864—five days before his death in a Fredericksburg hospital.
After the December 13, 1862 battle, Fredericksburg suffered yet another form of horror: thousands of wounded Union soldiers crowded the city. For several days Clara Barton, the future founder of the American Red Cross, tended to patients in the shell-torn Presbyterian Church across the street from you.
In May 1864, ambulances again clogged the city’s streets. Virtually every public building became a hospital, filled with wounded soldiers from the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. By today’s standards, conditions were gruesome; mortality rates were high.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, US Civil • Women. In addition, it is included in the Clara Barton series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1864.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 18.137′ N, 77° 27.594′ W. Marker was in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Marker was at the intersection of Princess Anne Street and George Street, on the left when traveling south on Princess Anne Street. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 815 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg VA 22401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this location. War Comes to Fredericksburg (here, next to this marker); A Sacked and Gutted Town (here, next to this marker); Gen. Stonewall Jackson (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named A Vast Hospital (a few steps from this marker); The Court House (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of Clara Barton (within shouting distance of this marker); 1910 (within shouting distance of this marker); Great Exodus From Bondage (within shouting distance of this marker); 1833 (within shouting distance of this marker); Corporation Court House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced by the linked marker.
Also see . . .
1. The Clara Barton House. The home of Clara Barton and early headquarters for the American Red Cross, in Glen Echo, Maryland. (Submitted on September 18, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
2. Clara H. Barton Marker. At the Second Battle of Manassas. (Submitted on September 18, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,155 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 14, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.