Update on Traveling Clara Barton: Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

Traveling Clara Barton from
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

Well, Traveling Clara Barton has been pretty quiet as of late, but today I got my last stamp for my sheet before I mail it to Clara Barton NHS. This time it is from Fairfax Station Railroad Museum in Virginia.

Stamp from Fairfax Station
Railroad Museum

This one was pretty boring too. I just got my stamp back in an envelope. But yay! I am basically done with Traveling Clara Barton. All I have to do now is cut out all my stamps and paste them together and mail it with my completed Junior Ranger activity worksheet over to Clara Barton NHS. Then I will get the last stamp (which is from Clara Barton itself) and the badge. :)

One step closer to the Clara Barton Civil War 150th Anniversary Junior Ranger badge. Five down, one to go! :)

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About Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Today
Photo Courtesy fairfax-station.org

The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum is NOT administered by the National Park Service. The Museum and Gift shop are open on SUNDAY ONLY from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is an admission fee ($3 adults, $1 children) and specialized tours are available if you pre-register for them. Special events are also offered at special admission rates ($5 adults, $1 children).

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Early History of Fairfax Station Train Depot

Historical Marker at Fairfax Station
Photo Courtesy fairfax-station.org

The original Fairfax Station was built by Irish immigrants in the 1850s. After being hired by the Orange & Alexandria Railroad Company, they settled into the area surrounding the depot and established a community there. Because the new Irish settlers brought their Catholic faith with them, they decided to build a church for themselves, which would be called St Mary of Sorrows. This church would later be instrumental to the aid effort Clara Barton provided soldiers during the Civil War. 

The Fairfax Station served as the county seat of Fairfax, and when it was used as such, it was known as the Fairfax Court House. The developers made sure to locate the Station away from the town because the residents did not want to be around the smoke and noise of the trains that would be using the tracks they were building. The prominent families in the village and surrounding areas played an important role in the economic development and politics of the area. Its citizens also served in the wars engaged by the United States.

Fairfax Station and the Civil War

Southern Railroad Train Caboose on display at the Museum
Photo Courtesy fairfax-station.org

The railroad which served this train station was the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and in 1860, it connected Alexandria to Lynchburg. The idea behind the railroad was to get farm products to Alexandria and Washington, while getting supplies from these big cities back to the farms. During the Civil War, the railroad and particularly Fairfax train station, gained strategic value as a method of moving troops and supplies. It was the most direct route to move troops between Alexandria and Richmond; therefore sparking attacks and defenses with the railroad's position always in mind. Many Civil War battles were fought over and along the railroad line, and the train station aided in all of them.

It first served as a supply base for Union forces during the summer of 1862. Later that year, it would become a center for emergency treatment and evacuation of the wounded soldiers following the battles of 2nd Manassas and Chantilly. The more than 3,000 soldiers served here would first be transported via wagon to the train station. They would be later put onto the trains and then evacuated to hospitals in Alexandria and Washington DC. As the last train of wounded soldiers left the station area, Union transportation officials gave the order to burn the station to the ground. This order was carried out on September 2, 1862. Unfortunately, there are no known photos of the original train station, but soldiers described it as a two story structure: Station Master's office on the second floor, with a passenger waiting room on the first.

After the Battle of Antietam, Union troops rebuilt the station; with a Union army supply base in mind, numerous buildings were constructed in the area as well. In August 1864, a skirmish occurred in the area between the train station and St Mary's Church. The Confederate soldiers were riding up the road from the station when they encountered the Union soldiers who had established a position at the church door. The Confederates won that engagement. 

Post-War Fairfax Station

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Today
Photo Courtesy fairfax-station.org

After the war, newer stations were built to accommodate the expansion of wealth that returned to the area. In 1894, the line adjacent to the Station became part of the larger Southern Railway. The rail line was double tracked by the early 1900s, and the last train station was built in 1903. It operated with great success until the late 1950s when trains became less popular, as more people began to travel by car and airplane; however, there was still a demand for trains to deliver packages and mail. When that demand also declined, Southern Railway began closing stations. Fairfax Station, the last passenger station in Fairfax County was closed down in 1973. It was saved from ruin by the Friends of Fairfax Station, who turned the historic site into the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum that it is today.

The Clara Barton Connection

Clara Barton. Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Fairfax Station played an important role in the American Civil War. It was a major supply line and aided in transporting troops between Alexandria and Richmond, a vital route that both the Union and Confederate armies wanted to control. The result was many skirmishes along the rail line and the surrounding areas. The battles of Second Manassas (Bull Run) and Chantilly (Ox Hill) were fought in 1862. It was during these battles that Clara Barton and her four assistants arrived by train to Fairfax Station. 

Clara Barton used Fairfax Station as an important supply and medical evacuation site during the Civil War as she assisted with relief and evacuation efforts. It was at St Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church and the hill leading to the railroad tracks that Clara Barton and her crew would nurse the wounded before they were transported from the depot to hospitals in Alexandria and Washington DC. 

What she saw during her time there shocked her. According to the soldiers that were there, the downstairs passenger waiting room of the station was used as an amputation center. She later said: "a little bad of almost empty handed workers, literally by ourselves in the wild woods of Virginia with 3,000 suffering men crowded upon the few acres within our reach."

Over 3,000 wounded Union soldiers would be brought to the station. It would take many days to fill the trains with the wounded soldiers. So Clara Barton's role was to attend to the wounded while they waited to board the outbound trains. Aside from nursing the wounded, she and her crew would also cook and distribute food and water. On the last day at the station, she and others loaded patients onto the train as bullets from the battle surrounding them flew all about them. Finally, Clara Barton would board the train with the last remaining injured men and as they pulled away from the station, she watched as the station was overcome by Confederate troops.

Clara Barton would later be known for her efforts here, as one of several sites where she tended to the wounded throughout the many engagements of the Civil War. 

Sources: fairfax-station.org, nps.gov

Explore On, Junior Rangers! :)

Update: George Washington Memorial Parkway Junior Ranger Activities

Package from the Parkway

Hello Junior Rangers! Today I was very surprised with a large envelope from the people over at George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP, or simply, “the Parkway” as the locals call it). I am excited about it because it is a reply to the package I sent them a few weeks prior, and come on, getting packages in the mail is fun. :)

So first, the backstory:

A couple of weeks ago, around the same time I sent out Traveling Clara Barton, I had also sent out a slew of my completed Junior Ranger books that I had picked up from the GWMP HQ at Turkey Run Park when I visited there last month. There are many NPS sites along the Parkway and you can find all the current Junior Ranger books there at the Parkway HQ. The notable exception here is Arlington House, which I didn't know had a program till after I left DC. I completely forgot to ask if it had its own separate one. Argh. :(

And although technically Clara Barton NHS is administered by the Parkway, the book for that site was not at the HQ. And apparently Glen Echo Park (also administered by the Parkway) has its own, which like Arlington House, I didn't know until after I left (book was also not at the HQ either). It also didn't help that the Ranger station was closed at the time I went over there.

So anyway, you take the books you get at HQ with you and complete them as you visit each site; once you’re done, you mail them all back to the same place, Turkey Run Park (as not every site has a manned ranger station). The books I did are listed here:

• George Washington Memorial Parkway
• US Marines Corps War Memorial and Netherlands Carillon
• Theodore Roosevelt Island
• Road to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Junior Ranger Activity Book

(I also did Fort Hunt Park, but I forgot to mail it in—oops.)

So fast-forward to today, and I got an envelope back from the Turkey Run Park HQ with a whole bunch of goodies inside. :D

Letter from Ranger Wheeler

Letter from Bryan Wheeler, Park Ranger: First I was surprised that there even was a letter in the first place, but this was really cool! He actually took the time to read through all of the books I sent and actually referenced my answers in his letter—I was very surprised by this.

  

Junior Ranger Patch

Junior Ranger Patch: Ranger Wheeler was very nice in sending me a Junior Ranger program logo patch because I completed so many books. I did chuckle though when he said “you can get your parents to sew [it] on your clothes or your book bag.” It was still very nice of him to send that. Very unexpected and appreciated.

Theodore Roosevelt Island Junior Ranger Badge: Awarded for completing the Theodore Roosevelt Island Junior Ranger book

George Washington Memorial Parkway Junior Ranger Badge: Awarded for completing the activities in the GWMP Let’s Move Outside! Junior Ranger book. I thought there was something different that you get for the Let’s Move books, but maybe that’s only select parks. Sadly the badge broke in half in the mail, so when I send out the Fort Hunt book, I am going to write to Ranger Wheeler to see if he can send me another one.

GWMP Civil War Junior Ranger Badge: Awarded for completing the Road to Freedom Underground Railroad Book (not to be confused with the Junior Civil War Historian patch, that’s a different program).

Note: Apparently you don’t get anything for completing the US Marine Corps War Memorial/Netherlands Carillon book because it is considered to be part of the GWMP book (and come to think of it, the activities were the same…).

And that’s it! It was a very nice reward for all the work it took to complete all those books. The sites along the parkway were very nice to visit and I will talk about them in more detail in another post. A big thanks to Ranger Wheeler at the Parkway for taking the time to put all this together and his generosity in giving me the Program patch as a gift! :)

Explore On, Junior Ranger! :)

Update on Traveling Clara Barton - Antietam National Battlefield

Traveling Clara Barton from Antietam
National Battlefield.

This has been a busy week for Traveling Clara Barton! I have gotten back yet another stamp for my Traveling Clara Barton. This time it is from Antietam National Battlefield.

This one was pretty boring too. I just got my stamp back in an envelope. It makes me appreciate the people over at Andersonville and Missing Soldiers Office a lot more for taking that extra step to make our correspondence more meaningful, lol. :) I kinda wonder where it has been though because it was folded up in half too…which I didn’t do… weird.

Stamp from Antietam National Battlefield

Anyway, I am getting very close to finishing my Traveling Clara Barton. I just have to wait for Fairfax Station to get back to me and then I can send everything out to Clara Barton NHS for the last stamp and the badge.

One step closer to the Clara Barton Civil War 150th Anniversary Junior Ranger badge. Four down, two to go! :)

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About Antietam National Battlefield

This site honors the Battle of Antietam, a twelve-hour campaign which occurred on September 17, 1862 in which 23,000 soldiers were left dead, wounded or missing. The Battle of Antietam ended the first invasion of the Confederates into the North; it also led to President Lincoln’s issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which effectively launched the war into its new purpose: ending slavery.

For those Junior Rangers keeping track, you can get a Junior Ranger badge and certificate from Antietam National Battlefield; the book is available online.

The Antietam Campaign: The Bloodiest One-Day Battle in US History

Fog over Sunken Road (aka Bloody Lane) at Antietam.
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

On September 17, 1862, just as dawn’s first light peeked through the fog, cannons and rifles began to fire in what would be a twelve-hour long savage campaign on the rolling farm fields of western Maryland. This battle would change the course of the Civil War and ensure the freedom of over four million Americans. It would also devastate Sharpsburg, and is still considered to be the bloodiest one-day battle in US History.

General Robert E Lee
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Considered to be the climax of the Maryland Campaign of 1862, the Battle of Antietam was the first invasion of the North by General Lee and the Northern Virginia Armies, as the war began to shift northward. After Lee’s victory at the Second Battle of Manassas in August, he wrote to Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, about his ideas for the next stage of the war. Lee wanted to keep the offensive and secure independence through victory in the North; influence the mid-term elections that were soon happening in the fall; obtain desperately-needed supplies; move the war out of Virginia; and to liberate Maryland from the “tyranny” of the North by appealing to the slave-owners’ sympathies.

Upon arrival in Frederick, Lee aimed to capture the Union garrison which was stationed at Harpers Ferry: a vital location on the Confederate lines of supplies and communication to Virginia. The 12,000 Union soldiers stationed there were a threat to the Confederate’s link with the south. Stonewall Jackson and half of Lee’s army were sent to capture Harpers Ferry, while the rest of the troops moved toward South Mountain and Hagerstown, Maryland.

Major General George B McClellan
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

President Lincoln called Major General George B McClellan to protect the capital and respond to the imminent invasion. He reorganized the Potomac Army and advanced toward the awaiting Lee. The armies first fought on South Mountain, a campaign where the Confederates tried to block the Union Soldiers at three different mountain passes; however, the Confederates were unsuccessful and retreated.

After this defeat at South Mountain, Lee considered returning to Virginia; however, when he found out that Jackson had successfully captured Harpers Ferry on September 15, Lee decided to begin a campaign at Sharpsburg. The Confederate army led by Lee positioned themselves on the high-ground west of Antietam creek, while other commanders maintained positions on the left, center and right. Though there was strength in this position, there was also a weakness: with the Potomac River at their backs, there would be only one way to return to Virginia.

Meanwhile, the Union soldiers, led by McClellan, positioned themselves on the east side of Antietam. The idea was to drive Lee away from Maryland by attacking the left, then the right, and then eventually advance in the center when the flanks receded.

Major General Ambrose Burnside
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

The battle began at dawn on September 17. During the first seven hours, the Union led three major attacks against the Confederate left. McClellan’s plan soon disintegrated into a mess of uncoordinated Union attacks. This savage combat was fought on the areas known as the Cornfield, East and West Woods, and the Sunken Road; Lee’s men struggled against each of the Union’s advances. Entering hour eight of the battle, the Confederate army was pushed back, but not defeated. At this point, over 15,000 soldiers had been killed or wounded.

Burnside Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

As the Union attacked the area of Sunken Road, General Burnside and his men attacked the Confederate’s right flank. His goal was to capture the bridge in the area. It took three hours for him to take the bridge. It was now 1 p.m., and Burnside and his troops regrouped and strategized for two hours before they decided to move forward. This delay cost them the advantage, as at that point, reinforcements led by Confederate General AP Hill had arrived from Harpers Ferry and forced the Union soldiers back.

The Confederate army’s flanks never collapsed far enough for McClellan to advance his center attack as he had planned, which left many Union soldiers alive since they never entered the battle. Both McClellan and Lee held their ground as the sun set; neither side admitting defeat.

The next day, September 18, both armies roamed the battleground gathering their wounded and burying the dead. Of the 100,000 men that engaged the battle, there were over 23,000 casualties. That night, Lee’s army withdrew back to Virginia, effectively ending Lee’s first invasion into the North. This provided President Lincoln the critical and long-awaited opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. An act which launched the war into its new purpose: Ending Slavery.

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The Clara Barton Connection

 

Clara Barton was at the ready to aid the wounded soldiers during the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862. It took longer to arrive at the battlefield than she anticipated because her wagon was delayed behind the army’s massive supply line. Undaunted, she prodded her teamsters to drive the mules all night to get closer to the front lines. 

She arrived at the “Cornfield” battle area around noon. The medical surgeons stationed there were desperately dressing the soldiers’ wounds with corn husks, as the army’s medical supplies were slow in arriving compared to the quick-moving troops at Antietam. At her arrival, she delivered a wagon full of bandages and medical supplies she had personally collected over the course of a year.

She immediately settled into work. Her first surgery was performed at Antietam; she removed bullet from a soldier’s face, using—get this—her pocketknife. There was a woman there who dressed as a man to become a soldier in the army, and Barton also attended to her wounds. She prepared food for the injured soldiers and brought them water.

Her work at Antietam marked the first time she worked during a battle—and it was almost her last. As the battle raged on around her, she brought an injured solider a cup of water for him to drink. Kneeling down to give him the drink, she felt her sleeve shudder slightly. She later described the incident in these words: “A bullet sped its full and easy way between us, tearing a hole in my sleeve and found its way into his body.” (She never mended the bullet hole in her sleeve.) The soldier that was struck died in her arms, and the tough and valiant Clara Barton left him and moved on to the next soldier to continue working. It continued on-and-on like this until dark. The surgeons were hindered by the darkness; however Barton had brought lanterns with her in the wagon of supplies, so the doctors were able to continue their efforts through the night.

A Memorial to Clara Barton
stands at Antietam

Photo Courtesy nps.gov

After the Confederates retreated, the wagons of extra medical supplies were moved into Sharpsburg. Barton collapsed from sleep-deprivation and an onset of typhoid fever. She returned to Washington exhausted and delirious; however when she regained her strength, Clara Barton again returned to the Civil War battlefields, undaunted by her harrowing experiences at Antietam, to aid those who needed help the most. Famously, she said: “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.”

Explore On, Junior Rangers! :)

Source: nps.gov

Photo Credit: Clara Barton, 1865.

Courtesy of redcross.org

Update on Traveling Clara Barton - Andersonville National Historic Site

Package from Andersonville National
Historic Site:  Envelope, Traveling
Clara Barton, and NPS
Andersonville Brochure.

Stamp on Traveling Clara Barton from
Andersonville National Historic Site

Got Stamp #3 today on Traveling Clara Barton! This one is from Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia.

Another place which used my sticker. The folks over there sent me the standard issue NPS brochure of the site with my stamped paper. So that was nice because I got to read more about Andersonville. Those brochures are really informative. :)

One step closer to getting the Clara Barton Civil War 150th AnniversaryJunior Ranger Badge. Three down, three to go! :)

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Andersonville National Historic Site

Andersonville National Historic Site is composed of three sites: Camp Sumter (the prison site), Andersonville National Cemetery, and the National Prisoner of War Museum.

For those of you keeping track of the Junior Ranger badges, it is possible to obtain three (3) Junior Ranger badges here: Andersonville NHS Junior Ranger, Clara Barton Civil War 150th Anniversary Junior Ranger and Civil War Historian Junior Ranger.

Camp Sumter and Andersonville National Cemetery

Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest Confederate military prisons that were established during the time of the Civil War. This prison was built in 1864 after officials decided to move their Richmond, Virginia prisoners to a place where there would be more supplies and security. This prison existed for 14 months and held more than 45,000 Union soldiers. There were many casualties (over 13,000) that resulted from numerous conditions such as disease and malnutrition.

The first prisoners were brought here in February, 1864. It is approximated that 400 soldiers were brought to Andersonville each day. By the end of June, there were approximately 26,000 men imprisoned in a space originally intended for 10,000. In August, the population swelled to 32,000.

As Confederate resources dwindled, all available resources were concentrated on its army. This action crippled the prison; Confederate government was unable to provide adequate supplies or care to their Union prisoners. The mortality rate skyrocketed to about 100 prisoners a day.

On September 2, 1864, as Union troops closed in on Andersonville, the Confederates decided to move most of their prisoners to other camps in South Carolina and Georgia; however, the prison continued to operate on a smaller scale with the remaining prisoners.

Andersonville prison ceased to exist in May 1865. Many of the prisoners returned to their pre-war lives. In July and August of 1865, Clara Barton, laborers and soldiers, and Dorence Atwater (a former prisoner himself), came to the cemetery at Andersonville to identify and mark the graves of the dead Union soldiers. While he was in the prisoner, Atwater was in charge of recording the names of the soldiers that died. He had made a copy of the death record at the end of the war, which combined with Confederate records, they were able to mark all but 460 graves.

Andersonville National Historic Site and the National Prisoner of War Museum

Andersonville National Historic Site, and within it the National Prisoner of War Museum, is the only NPS site to serve as a memorial to ALL American prisoners of war, regardless of the conflict/engagement. Congress established this park to provide “an understanding of the overall prisoner of war story of the Civil War, to interpret the role of prisoner of war camps in history, to commemorate the sacrifice of Americans who lost their lives in such camps, and to preserve the monuments located within the site.” It was in 1998 when the National Prisoner of War Museum opened at Andersonville, and was dedicated to this purpose.

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The Clara Barton Connection

Depiction of Clara Barton raising the flag over Andersonville
National Cemetery. Photo Courtesy of nps.gov

At the time of the Civil War, there was no system in place to document missing or dead soldiers. When the war ended, Clara Barton took it upon herself to fill this need. She began to receive numerous letters from soldiers’ family members asking what happened to their loved ones who did not return home from the war. Responding to these letters required a great deal of research which was difficult with the limited information available to Barton.

In June, 1865, Dorence Atwater contacted Barton and requested copies of her lists of missing soldiers. He had kept a copy of the death records at Andersonville. This would aid Clara Barton immensely in her quest to reply to the whereabouts of these missing soldiers. She contacted Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, and requested to join in the expedition to Andersonville so that she could help identify the graves at the site.

On July 25, 1865, Clara Barton arrived at Andersonville. At the time of her arrival, the difficult task of identifying and burying the dead was ahead of her. Atwater and Barton looked through the letters she had received and began to search the death and hospital records for the missing soldiers. This would continue for two months. During this time, laborers that had accompanied Barton began to build the gravemarkers. Barton was able to write many letters to inform families that their loved ones had died at Andersonville. At the end of this mission, she would identify and mark the graves of almost 13,000 soldiers. Barton also led the initiative to establish Andersonville National Cemetery. On August 17, 1865, it was Clara Barton herself who raised the flag over the newly dedicated cemetery site; a symbol which honored the soldiers who died in service to a grateful nation.

President Lincoln authorized Barton to gather information about the missing soldiers to inform their relatives, which began her Missing Soldiers Office in Washington in 1865. She hired many clerks, including Dorence Atwater, which would help her respond to more than 60,000 letters. Two years later, in 1867 when the Office closed, Barton’s agency had identified more than 20,000 missing soldiers—13,000 of which had died in Andersonville Prison.

Source: nps.gov

Explore on, Junior Rangers! :)

Update on Traveling Clara Barton: Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park

Traveling Clara Barton Stamp from
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County
Battlefields Memorial National Military Park.

Hello, Junior Rangers! Today I got Stamp #2 on my Traveling Clara Barton. This one is from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National MilitaryPark. Whoa. That’s a mouthful, lol. 

It looks just like the first one from the Missing Soldiers Office, but it is personalized with the name of the site (see left).

That's it. Nothing exciting here...
My Traveling Clara Barton with the
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania
National Military Park Stamp. :)

Though getting this one back was not as exciting as when I got the stamp from Clara Barton’s Missing Soldiers Office, where I actually got a letter from the Superintendent. This was just my Traveling Clara Barton returned in an envelope (see right). But at least they used my sticker? =/

One step closer to getting the Clara Barton Civil War 150th Anniversary Junior Ranger Badge. Two down, Four to go! :)

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About Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park

Hailed by the NPS as “America’s Battleground, where the Civil War roared to its bloody climax,” this NPS site, the second-largest military park in the world, commemorates four major Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. This place vividly reflects the tragic cost of the Civil War: more than 100,000 casualties occurred as a result of the 18-month fray across the 17-mile radius that encompasses these sites.

Fredericksburg Battlefield: Site of the Fredericksburg Campaign

Arial View of Marye's Heights
Photo Courtesy of nps.gov

The Union army, led by Ambrose E Burnside, crossed the Rappahannock River into Fredericksburg on December 11, 1862. Robert E Lee soldiers were already there, in the high-ground west of the city. Two days later, Burnside ordered two attacks. The assault, led by George G Mead, achieved temporary success against Stonewall Jackson’s Corps at Prospect Hill; however, the Confederate reserves drove them back to their starting point. A second attack was launched against Lee’s defenses at Marye’s Heights (located west of Fredericksburg). The Confederates overwhelmed the Union troops with their artillery and infantry defenses. When the day was over, Lee had won what was to be called his “most one-sided victory of the war.”

Chancellorsville Battlefield: Site of the Chancellorsville Campaign

Site of Jackson's Flank Attack
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Following the disaster at Fredericksburg, President Lincoln replaced Burnside with Joseph Hooker. On April 27, 1863, Hooker marched the army upstream to
Chancellorsville. Lee discovered what Hooker was doing, and rushed west; this action led Hooker to abandon his original initiative and instead establish a defensive line. Unfortunately, this defensive line was vulnerable on the right flank. On May 2, Confederate troops, led by Stonewall Jackson, exploited this weakness by leading his troops around the Union army and destroying Hooker’s right flank in a surprise attack. However, the day ended tragically for the Confederate army, as Jackson was accidentally shot and mortally wounded by his own shoots. Lee took advantage of the advances made by Jackson, and drove the Union army back across the river during the three days that followed.

The Wilderness Battlefield: Site of the Wilderness Campaign

Saunders Field on the
Wilderness Battlefield

Photo Courtesy nps.gov

The first of many encounters between Robert E Lee and Ulysses S Grant, this battle took place in the difficult environment of the Wilderness. This Campaign occurred on May 5-6, 1864. The Confederate and Union armies fought for two days in the area known as the Orange Turnpike. On May 5, to the south, on the area known as Orange Plank Road, the Union soldiers almost crushed Hill’s troops; however they were pushed back in a Confederate counterattack the next day (May 6). The battle resulted in a draw; but Grant ended the stalemate first by leading his army south towards Spotsylvania Courthouse.

The Spotsylvania Court House: Site of the Spotsylvania Campaign

Site of "Bloody Angle" Battle during
the Spotsylvania Campaign.

Photo Courtesy nps.gov

On the night of May 7, 1864, both the Confederate and Union armies raced to reach the area in front of Spotsylvania Courthouse which would allow them to control the shortest route to Richmond, Virginia. Lee and the Confederates arrived first, and successfully defended themselves against a series of Union attacks. On a foggy May 12 morning, the Union army charged a vulnerable section of the Confederate troops. The initial Union advance overwhelmed the “Mule Shoe Salient” section; however, a counterattack by reinforcements lasted 20 hours, which resulted in the most intense hand-to-hand combat of the war. It would later be known as the “Bloody Angle.” During this time, Lee was able to build new earthworks, which he successfully held until Grant abandoned the field on May 21.

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Other Sites at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park

 In addition to the battlefield sites themselves, there are five historic buildings/sites associated with this NPS site which the park also maintains.

Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg

Chatham Manor: Built by William Fitzhugh in 1768, this house was a major Union headquarters during the Fredericksburg Campaign and also served as a hospital during the Civil War. It was here that medical personnel assisted by volunteers like Clara Barton treated Union Soldiers. It also famously hosted three Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. This colonial mansion features beautiful gardens and views of old town Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock River.

Salem Church. Photo Courtesy nps.gov

 Salem Church: Built in 1844, this Baptist church served as a refugee center for the people of Fredericksburg who fled during the battle that was fought in their town in 1862. During the Chancellorsville Campaign, the fighting took place around the church. After the battle, the church was used by the Confederates as a hospital, which tended to the wounded of both armies.

Arial View of Stonewall Jackson Shrine. Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Stonewall Jackson Shrine: This site is dedicated to the Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. It is here that he died on May 10, 1863 after being wounded at Chancellorsville and later developing pneumonia.

Ellwood Manor. Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Ellwood Manor: This site was used as a hospital during the Chancellorsville Campaign by the Confederates and later used by the Union during the Wilderness Campaign as a hospital and their headquarters. “Stonewall” Jackson’s arm, which was amputated in a field hospital near Wilderness Tavern, is buried in the family cemetery.

Fredericksburg National Cemetery
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

 Fredericksburg National Cemetery: A 12-acre cemetery at Marye’s Heights which serves as the final resting place for the more than 15,000 Union soldiers that were killed in and around Fredericksburg. 85% of the soldiers buried here are unknowns. The Confederate soldiers are buried in the neighboring Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Confederate cemeteries.

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The Clara Barton Connection

Clara Barton is associated with three of the battles that took place in this area: the Battle of Fredericksburg (12/13/1862), Battle of Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21 1864). During this time, she tended to the wounded and helped to keep them alive during the frigid nights on the battlefield.

Source: nps.gov

Explore on, Junior Rangers! :)