In the summer of 1862, Confederate authorities imprisoned four Union men from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County. The arrested Unionists were local citizens in good standing, but who refused to renounce their allegiance to the United States. . . . — — Map (db m1146) HM
John G. Hurkamp and Andrew B. Adams… are hereby authorized to proceed to any front in the line of the road between here and Richmond… to inform the authorities of the Confederate Government of the evacuation of Fred'burg by the United States . . . — — Map (db m140680) HM
Sacred to the memory of Hugh Mercer, Brigadier-General in the Army of The United States; He died on the 12th of January, 1777, of the wounds he received on the 3d of same month, near Princetown, in New Jersey, bravely defending the Liberties of . . . — — Map (db m14424) HM
This 18th century building was restored to house the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, a museum of medicine and military affairs. Dr. Mercer, a Revolutionary War hero, served the citizens of Fredericksburg for 15 years. His patients included Mary . . . — — Map (db m149247) HM
Desperate for economic growth, following the Civil War, Fredericksburg embraced the technological innovation of hydroelectricity. In 1887, a local firm converted an old grist mill near the Falmouth Bridge to an electric generating plant. In . . . — — Map (db m217985) HM
Founder of the American Red Cross. A devoted nurse and tireless organizer who knew no enemy but the unfeeling heart. We walk the ways she took in easing the suffering at the Battle of Fredericksburg when the churches became military hospitals. — — Map (db m14428) HM
"After passing through a small town called Falmouth at the Falls of the Rappahannock, we crossed in a Ferry boat and arrived at Fredericksburg, putting up at an In[n] or Public House kept by one Weedon, who is now a General Officer in . . . — — Map (db m148073) HM
The Rappahannock River has been the life blood of Fredericksburg, its velocity feeding five industrial raceways and its flow providing drinking water to three jurisdictions. From around 1770 through 2004, various types of dams diverted part of the . . . — — Map (db m217993) HM
210 ► Virginia, Fredericksburg — Innis House — The Battle of Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park — Reported permanently removed
This frame building, known as the Innis (or "Ennis") house, stands as a mute witness to the terrible combat that engulfed this spot. Located along the Confederate line of battle, the small structure was marred by soldier graffiti and perforated . . . — — Map (db m8569) HM
This frame building, known as the Innis (or "Ennis") house, witnessed the terrible combat that engulfed this spot. Located along the Confederate line of the battle, the small structure was ravaged by bullets and shell fragments. Confederate . . . — — Map (db m217606) HM
2nd Brigade, 1st Div., II Corps
Army of the Potomac
While posted here in the early morning of Dec. 13, 1862, the men of the Irish Brigade placed sprigs of boxwood in their caps in honor of their Irish heritage. Later in the day, they took . . . — — Map (db m195802) HM
Organized the nation's first civil rights sit-in (Chicago 1942). Founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE, 1942). CORE Director (1961-1966). Organized Freedom Rides to desegregate interstate bus travel (1961). One of the "Big Four" civil . . . — — Map (db m217568) HM
This tablet marks the only home in America of John Paul Jones. He was appointed a lieutenant in the Continental Navy while still a resident of Virginia. — — Map (db m14420) HM
Beloved artist, teacher, husband, father, community leader, and friend.
Known for his stunning abstracts, landscapes, and sensitively rendered figural paintings, Johnson was a respected member of Fredericksburg's arts community and won . . . — — Map (db m242245) HM
has been designated Registered National Historic Landmark
under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
this site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating
the history of the United States U.S. . . . — — Map (db m221486) HM
Four blocks west stands Kenmore, built in 1775 by Col. Fielding Lewis for his wife, Betty, sister of George Washington. Near here, between Kenmore and the Rappahannock River, stood Lewis’s warehouses and docks. Kenmore’s intricate plasterwork is the . . . — — Map (db m1149) HM
In Honor of
Sgt. Maj Cornell Gilmore
US Army
KIA November 7, 2003 Iraq
In Honor of
Cpl. Adam Fargo
US Army
KIA July 22, 2006 Iraq
In Honor of
Sgt. David Ruhren
Virginia National Guard
KIA December 21, . . . — — Map (db m149289) WM
In memoriam •
Richard Rowland Kirkland •
Co. G, 2nd South Carolina Volunteers • C.S.A.
At the risk of his life, this American soldier of sublime compassion, brought water to his wounded foes at Fredericksburg. The fighting men on both sides . . . — — Map (db m86772) HM
Lee Drive, the battlefield tour road, runs along five miles of the Confederate line. Along the way you will see the remains of trenches built by Lee's men, a Confederate artillery position on Howison Hill, and the spot where union troops briefly . . . — — Map (db m112299) HM
From this hill (now called Lee’s Hill) a little to the east, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee watched the First Battle of Fredericksburg. As armies prepared for combat, Lee commented that “It is well that war is so terrible—we should grow . . . — — Map (db m1654) HM
This hill served as General Robert E. Lee's command post during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Before the fighting started, Confederate pioneers cut down trees on the front slope of the hill, giving the Confederate leader a better view of the . . . — — Map (db m220049) HM
The hill in front of you, once called Telegraph Hill but now known as Lee's Hill, served as General Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Throughout the afternoon of December 13, 1862, Lee and his generals watched . . . — — Map (db m220050) HM
General Robert E. Lee used this hill as a command post during the Battle of Fredericksburg. It has borne his name ever since.
Lee’s View from Here
Civilians viewing this scene might have focused their attention on the picturesque . . . — — Map (db m4162) HM
Dedicated to the memory of a man who for sixty years worked in Burgess Barber Shop and downtown Fredericksburg. During those years he warmed the hearts of this community with his friendship, ever present smile, and sense of humor. His contributions . . . — — Map (db m1147) HM
Seth Barton, 1755-1813, fought in the American Revolution, grew wealthy as a shipping merchant, and speculated in real estate. He laid out the subdivision that came to be called Liberty Town in 1812. He is buried at St. George’s . . . — — Map (db m33107) HM
This public space has been leveled for modern activities, but the original market square sloped toward the building in front of you, where the market was at ground level. Activity in this central outdoor market was eventually supplanted by indoor . . . — — Map (db m148056) HM
George Washington bought this house for his mother, Mary Ball Washington, September 18, 1772. She lived here until her death, August 25, 1789. — — Map (db m140658) HM
George Washington bought this frame dwelling for his mother in 1772. Mary soon moved here from the family farm across the river and lived here the last 17 years of her life.
The President-to-be came to this home in 1789 to receive his . . . — — Map (db m217539) HM
George Washington bought this frame dwelling for his mother in 1772. Mary soon moved here from the family farm across the river and lived here the last 17 years of her life.
The President-to-be came to this home in 1789 to receive his . . . — — Map (db m217540) HM
A Northern photographer took this picture of Marye’s Heights in May 1864, setting up his camera in front of “Federal Hill,” a large white house approximately 250 yards to your left-rear. Seventeen months earlier, thousands of Union . . . — — Map (db m1066) HM
In May 1864, a photographer exposed this image of the Marye's Heights battleground. He set up his camera in front of "Federal Hill," the large white house approximately 300 yards to your left rear. On December 13, 1862, thousands of Union . . . — — Map (db m148044) HM
The Masons of Fredericksburg Lodge #4, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, organized as a lodge in 1752. They established this cemetery in 1784 and there are now approximately 270 graves within these grounds. Most are members and family members of . . . — — Map (db m34823) HM
The Masons of Fredericksburg Lodge #4, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, organized as a lodge in 1752. They established this cemetery in 1784 and there are now approximately 270 graves within these grounds. Most are members and family members of . . . — — Map (db m216700) HM
Here
Mary Ball Washington prayed for the safety of her son and country during the dark days of the Revolution.
This tablet was presented by
The National Mary Washington
Memorial Association
(Chartered February 22, 1890 . . . — — Map (db m9194) HM
Dedicated to the youth of this community in lasting tribute to all men and women from the Fredericksburg area who served with honor in World War I, World War II and the Korean War — — Map (db m217566) WM
Once passing through the portal of no return on the West African coast, slaves entered a world of unknown horrors. The Atlantic ocean represented a mystery to them because most Africans in the 17th and 18th centuries had not ventured out into . . . — — Map (db m176145) HM
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Virginia . . . — — Map (db m149229) HM
Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Virginia and other southern states began to legislate social segregation, along racial lines. Additional laws that imposed poll taxes and literacy tests established hurdles to voting along economic lines. . . . — — Map (db m33409) HM
Various materials, colors, textures and cultures have been combined to create this unified work of art, where one color and shape enhances the other and supports the affirming message "Nurture diversity" and "Cultivate diversity". The . . . — — Map (db m217612) HM
On this hill on December 13, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee twice nearly met personal disaster. While firing its 39th round of the day, a 30-pounder Parrott Rifle (like the one in front of you) burst, sending chunks of metal across the . . . — — Map (db m8862) HM
249 ► Virginia, Fredericksburg — No Outlet — Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
(panel 1)
No Outlet
Smith explored several Chesapeake rivers hoping to find a water passage to the Pacific Ocean. Instead, he discovered that even the longest rivers reached a point—a fall line—where higher ground . . . — — Map (db m97355) HM
In this vicinity the men of Parker's Confederate Battery (the "Boy Company") under Lt. J. Thompson Brown fought two guns, twice gallantly assisting in repulsing the Union VI Corps before being outflanked and overwhelmed. — — Map (db m215578) HM
Phi Beta Kappa, founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, is the oldest honorary society in America. Phi Beta Kappa encourages superior scholarship and honors individuals who have distinguished themselves in academic pursuits in the . . . — — Map (db m217570) HM
In Honored Memory of
Lewis Craig
John Waller, Jr.
James Chiles
of the county of Spotsylvania
Prisoners of Christ
Prophets of Spiritual Freedom
Who, undaunted by imprisonment
preached the Gospel even through
the bars of the jail . . . — — Map (db m67075) HM
For over 230 years, the most feared slaves in America were those who were educated. Laws were passed forbidding slave literacy and the penalties were severe for not only the slave but also for anyone who dared to teach them how to read and write. . . . — — Map (db m176120) HM
(side 1)
Fredericksburg’s Lower Canal
The falls of the Rappahannock River powered local industries for more than two centuries. Francis Thornton established the first grist mill around 1720. By 1770, James Hunter operated an iron . . . — — Map (db m95311) HM
Fredericksburg’s Lower Canal
The falls of the Rappahannock River powered local industries for more than two centuries. Francis Thornton established the first grist mill around 1720. By 1770, James Hunter operated an iron forge . . . — — Map (db m95321) HM
Fredericksburg had enjoyed more than a century of comfortable prosperity by 1860. Although its economic heydey was past, the town’s elegant houses, numerous churches, and shady, tree-lined streets bespoke lingering wealth and refinement.
The . . . — — Map (db m2577) HM
The once beautiful city of Fredericksburg is almost in ruins. There [is] hardly a house that is not torn to pieces by shell & shot from cannon & a great many burnt to ashes."
—William R. Montgomery, Phillips' Legion Infantry. . . . — — Map (db m148035) HM
The many culverts along this railway were established during its construction, before the Civil War. Where the land is little altered, these drainage features remain intact and functional. Stormwater flowing off of new roads, rooftops, and . . . — — Map (db m95329) HM
(Front) From a meeting in Fredericksburg, January 3-17, 1777, of a Committee of Revisors appointed by the General Assembly of Virginia, composed of Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, Edmund Pendleton, George Wythe and Thomas Ludwell Lee to . . . — — Map (db m1078) HM
Revolutionary War Patriots and War of 1812 Veterans Memorialized in this Historic Masonic Cemetery
Revolutionary War
Captain (Navy) Eliezer Callender •
Leiutenant John Chew, Jr. •
Lieutenant Robert B. Chew, Sr. •
Major . . . — — Map (db m216712) HM WM
Built about 1760 by Charles, the youngest brother of George Washington.
Owned by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. — — Map (db m37006) HM
George Washington's youngest brother Charles built this structure around 1670 as his home.
In the early 1790's, it was converted into a tavern by the Wallace family. It operated for 35 years as a stopover for travelers in the bustling port . . . — — Map (db m217534) HM
Rocky Lane
Leading to
Washington Ferry
Center pontoon bridge was
located near foot of lane.
(Battle of Fredericksburg)
December 11 - 16
1862 — — Map (db m1130) HM
In Fredericksburg's earliest days, river crossings were limited to the ford at Falmouth (two miles upstream) and a few ferries. In this area, at what would become the town wharves, a ferry carried travelers and wagons to and from a landing near . . . — — Map (db m148511) HM
In memory of the founders of
the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library
Rose Gouverneur Hoes
1860 - 1933
and her devoted son
Laurence Gouverneur Hoes
1900 - 1978
great-granddaughter and great-great-grandson of
James . . . — — Map (db m216709) HM
Although most runaway slaves sought freedom individually, often resulting in leaving behind family members who may never be seen again, there are instances of bold and courageous efforts at emancipation that should be told. Clearly there was very . . . — — Map (db m176107) HM
The building in front of you is the Town Hall / Market House. Completed in 1816, it served as Fredericksburg’s governmental center until 1982, making it the second oldest continuously used town hall in the American south. The building was used in . . . — — Map (db m1125) HM
On July 2, 1960, minority citizens of Fredericksburg began a protest to effect social and political change through direct action. A larger Civil Rights Movement had begun in earnest following the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down as . . . — — Map (db m1059) HM
For Union soldiers who attacked Marye's Heights, the open plain in front of you offered just two sources of cover: the brick Stratton house, visible just two blocks ahead on the left side of the street, and the swale, a slight drop in the . . . — — Map (db m25643) HM
Burial grounds of Shiloh Baptist (Old Site & New Site) and Mount Zion Churches.
Joseph F. Walker and Jason C. Grant are buried here.
The separate marker, above this one, states:
Gates presented by Ever Ready Club, Shiloh, Old . . . — — Map (db m92552) HM
In 1886, the African Baptist Church, on Sophia Street, sustained serious flood damage. The congregation purchased a new site on higher ground, but a clouded deed delayed construction. In the interim, approximately half of the members decided to . . . — — Map (db m732) HM
On June 8, 1890, masons laid a stone from the old pro-slavery Methodist Church as the cornerstone for a new church. It would be called Shiloh Baptist Church (New Site) to distinguish it from the original church that remained on Sophia Street and . . . — — Map (db m149227) HM
Former slaves as well as free blacks realized that education was critical to African-American aspirations. Immediately after the Civil War, the Shiloh Baptist Church organized a school for black students. The Freedmen’s Bureau supported this effort, . . . — — Map (db m1081) HM
Shiloh Baptist
Church (Old Site)
Built 1890
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
2015
A Virginia Historic Landmark
Since the early 1800s, this . . . — — Map (db m148067) HM
Former slaves as well as free blacks knew that education was critical to African American aspirations. Immediately after the Civil War, the Shiloh Baptist Church organized a school for black students. The U.S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and . . . — — Map (db m148553) HM
This wooden building was 13 feet by 24 feet, with wooden shingles and an insubstantial brick foundation. Archaeological evidence suggest that objects were stored on a raised wooden floor. Storehouses might contain surplus production by slave . . . — — Map (db m221491) HM
Site of Barton House, a beautiful Georgian style structure built in 1785 by James Maury, whom George Washington appointed as the first American ambassador to England. Guests in the Barton House included such notables as General Robert E. Lee and . . . — — Map (db m14426) HM
History is a heroic selective interpretation of the past wherein ordinary persons become icons and antagonists are demonized. Such is the sense of many anti-slavery proponents like Nat Turner, John Brown, Denmark Vesey and Charles Sumner.
What . . . — — Map (db m176106) HM
On October 7, 1776, three months after the Continental Congress had adopted the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Assembly held its first session, in Williamsburg. The Assembly appointed Thomas Jefferson and four delegates to a Committee of . . . — — Map (db m1061) HM
Buried here are eight members of the Innis, Mazeen, and Stephens families, including the most famous of them all: Martha Stephens. Local children knew Martha Stephens as "Granny." They also remembered her ever-present apron, the pipe often clenched . . . — — Map (db m8568) HM
This photograph was taken shortly after the Confederates in the foreground were killed on May 3, 1863. This graphic depiction of the human debris of battle is one of the most revealing post-battle photos from the Civil War years, because it was . . . — — Map (db m93583) HM
On December 13, 1862, Union troops poured out of Fredericksburg to attack Confederate forces behind the town. The heaviest blows fell here at Marye's Heights. For eight hours Union troops repeatedly charged the heights only to be slaughtered by the . . . — — Map (db m217992) HM
This rising ground, called Fall Hill, anchored an extensive line of Confederate earthworks. In addition to this trench, there were supporting artillery lunettes on tip of the hill and similar pits to the left and right. These various fortified . . . — — Map (db m112050) HM
While the Civil War entailed immense destruction and tragedy, it did not always engender hate. For two days following the battle, wounded Union soldiers, caught between the lines, cried out of water. Though exposure to enemy fire even for a . . . — — Map (db m217574) HM
Had the demon of destruction held an orgie in the town, had all the imps of hell been called together and turned loose upon the city, it could scarcely have been more blasted, ruined and desecrated than when left by the Yankee army.” . . . — — Map (db m2576) HM
Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) sits on the site once occupied by the African Baptist Church, which was initially the Fredericksburg Baptist Church. In 1857, after the white congregation had built a larger church on Princess Anne Street, it sold . . . — — Map (db m148555) HM
This marker commemorates the indigent and unknown once interred on this site. Provided by the City in 1816 and once called the Colored Cemetery, it was the final resting place for former slaves and free blacks. Long barren and unused, in 1920 this . . . — — Map (db m51282) HM
"Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service."
–Frederick Douglass
In the 1980s, the City of Fredericksburg converted this former bowling alley to . . . — — Map (db m148446) HM
"This point, densely wooded when first chosen, became the most important, perhaps, in the entire scene as the position affording the best view of all the field...."
Brig. Gen. W.M. Pendleton,
Lee's Chief of Artillery — — Map (db m85952) HM
American Gothic ...attributed to architect James Renwick who designed the Fredericksburg Courthouse.
When built this middle class property comprised 1/4 of the present city block and contained enough pasture for one COW. House had no indoor . . . — — Map (db m233846) HM
The post-Civil War street in front of you, Kenmore Avenue, covers a wartime millrace or canal ditch. On December 13, 1862, the ditch became a maddening obstacle to Union soldiers advancing against Marye’s Heights. Five feet deep, 15 feet wide, and . . . — — Map (db m1067) HM
The Rappahannock Canal fed lesser waterways that powered a variety of small industries. One of these secondary drainages branched off from the main canal in this area and became an obstacle to Federal troops during the 1862 battle of . . . — — Map (db m1070) HM
The millrace through this part of Fredericksburg was known locally as Marye's Race. Pragmatic military men called it a canal ditch.
(Photo courtesy of National Park Service).
The post-Civil War street in front of you, Kenmore . . . — — Map (db m148045) HM
“We were subject to fire from the canal all day.”
—A Mississippi soldier describing his experience on December 14, 1862, the day after the battle of Fredericksburg. The Union army would withdraw that night.
On December 12, I862, the . . . — — Map (db m95315) HM
You are now standing beside the Sunken Road, part of a heavily used 19th-century road system that linked Washington, D.C. and Richmond. In 1862, Confederate riflemen fired from the road upon line after line of Union troops advancing across open . . . — — Map (db m8510) HM
