The Walker Landram House

The Walker Landram House. Fredericksburg: Timeless.. , To your left front is a ravine that leads up from Hazel Run to what was once the 230-acre farmstead of Walker Landram. In 1854, he had sold 6.5 acres on the southern edge of his farm to the railway company, where you are now standing. When the Civil War came to Fredericksburg, Landram owned 13 slaves and had become a reasonably prosperous farmer. The 1860 Census valued his land, tools, and slaves at $8,100., On May 4, 1864, Confederate troops under Brigadier General Ambrose R. Wright deployed across the creek in front of you and advanced through the Landram farm toward Federal forces near the Idlewild mansion. When this battle crashed through his property, Landram’s slaves had already run off and the Confederate army had requisitioned his crops and livestock. The Civil War had reduced him to a subsistence farmer., (sidebar) , "Gen. Wright advanced as in column through a ravine” , A Confederate soldier, Census Valuation of Landram’s Farm , 1860 Census , Land, tools, and slaves: $8,100 1870 Census , Lands and tools: $200, (captions) , This break in the railway embankment was caused by Hazel Run overflowing this bend in its course. The damage came after trains had stopped running., The Landram Farm complex included the family home, three slave quarters, and other outbuildings. These photos (courtesy of the Fredericksburg Area Museum) show some of the outbuildings as they appeared around 1922. None survive., On May 4, 1863, the Union Sixth Corps took position between Salem Church and the town of Fredericksburg, its line of communications through Banks Ford (1). A Confederate force held its position at Salem Church (2), where a battle had been fought the day before, while another force retook the heights overlooking Fredericksburg (3). A Confederate probe found the Union line to be held in strength (4), but to the west, the battle of Chancellorsville had been fought to a standstill and the Confederates repositioned troops to concentrate against this isolated Federal corps. A late afternoon attack slammed into the apex of the Federal line (5) and fighting extended to the north (6). The Federals would retreat after nightfall. These maps are oriented to the direction you are facing and also show the modem road network to help relate the action to the ground., Brigadier General Ambrose R. Wright’s brigade of Georgia troops took position here, with a brigade of Mississippians on their left, under Brigadier General Carnot Posey. These units were the far right of Major General Richard H. Anderson's division. To their right stood Brigadier General Robert Hoke and his brigade of North Carolina troops, constituting the far left of Major General Jubal Early’s division. When the Confederate attack went forward, this seam between the two divisions came apart. Wright took fire from Federal artillery and veered to his left, advancing in the shelter of a ravine, but also losing contact with Hoke. In addition, Wright cut across Posey's front, negating any potential support.