Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Eyewitness To Battle
The Diary of Private McCarter, Part 2
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"Oh, what fearful suspense"
| | Battle of Fredericksburg | |
Photographed by Mike McKeown, April 11, 2026
1. Eyewitness to Battle Marker
Crossings of those streets were... fully dangerous." Union Pvt. William McCarter recalled as the Irish Brigade marched through the city on December 13, 1862.
The Irish Brigade was "moving towards the field of battle," on its way to attack Confederates on the heights west of town. The men had assembled into ranks at City Dock and were now marching north on Water Street (today's Sophia Street) to move into position for the assault. But during their journey, while "Rebel shells were flying in all directions and falling and bursting in every street," they were forced to halt and wait more than oncethe first time here, after crossing the railroad tracks, to let wounded men pass.
The wounded came from the first assault on Marye's Heights. The procession of "fearful specimens of mangled humanity"including a man with a leg dangling by a single tendonwas a sobering site for McCarter and his comrades. As one officer said, "the appearance of dripping blood was not calculated to enthuse the men or cheer them."
At last, "the order [came] to advance ... and the Irish Brigade was in motion once more."
"My regiment after(captions)reaching a certain point in this street was ordered to halt, and... to rost in place on their arms. Then followed another season of that terrible suspense and anxiety. Oh, what fearful suspense - I fancy I experience it yet."
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Union Pvt. William McCarter, My Life in the Irish Brigade
Wounded at Fredericksburg. - Courtesy Library of Congress
This is Stop 2 of a 6-stop trail following the story of William McCarter and the Irish Brigade.
Erected 2026 by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 13, 1862.
Location. 38° 17.942′ N, 77° 27.33′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is at the intersection of Sophia Street and Lafayette Boulevard, on the right when traveling south on Sophia Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 419 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg VA 22401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia.
Photographed by Mike McKeown, April 11, 2026
2. Eyewitness to Battle Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: John Paul Jones House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); c. 1821 (about 300 feet away); 1854 / 1925 (about 400 feet away); Welcome to Fredericksburg, Va (about 400 feet away); 1787 (about 400 feet away); c. 1816 (about 500 feet away); Thornton's Tavern (about 500 feet away); Fredericksburg's Rail Station (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Fredericksburg (American Battlefield Trust ). (Submitted on April 11, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)
2. Under Erin's Harp: The Irish Brigade (National Museum of Civil War Medicine). (Submitted on April 12, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 30 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 11, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
