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| Fredericksburg cemetery |
We stopped at Fredericksburg yesterday on our way back down I-95 towards Richmond.
15,000 men died here, mostly Union Army, in just 2 days. Only 3,000 of them are identified. It was a real slaughter, one apparently driven by Gen. Burnside's ego and hubris. Wave after wave of union soldiers sent to their death at point blank rage. Subsequently, Lincoln relieved him of command.
After viewing a video presentation that is exceptionally well-done, we walked from the Visitor Center along the trail along the "Sunken Road. Here the Confederate soldiers, protected by a stone wall, fired down on the waves of Union soldiers that were trying to take this spot. The Union soldiers were trying to climb up this hill from the river, without any cover.
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| This home stands on Marye's Hill, where the Confederate troops had the high-ground advantage |
The walk ends at the cemetery, where one sees acres and acres of markers.
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| The Union cemetery at Fredericksburg |
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| The rows graves of Union soldiers who were identified by name |
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| A soldier whose name was known |
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| The rows of markers for unknown Union soldiers |
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| A marker for unknowns...the two numbers are the grave site number (N44) and the number of bodies here (4) |
Very sobering. We were very quiet when we left.
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