Library of Congress

Civil War

Gallery

Fredericksburg

View the Civil War Trust's collection of photos from the Fredericksburg battlefield in Virginia.

(42 photos in gallery)

Chatham

Rob Shenk

Situated prominently on Stafford Heights above the Rappahannock, the house of J. Horace Lacy was used as a Union hospital during the battle.

Federal Artillery on Stafford Heights

Rob Shenk

Arrayed alongside the Lacy House atop Stafford Heights, Union artillery had a commanding view of Fredericksburg and the heights beyond.

Wartime Fredericksburg

Library of Congress

This period photograph of Fredericksburg shows the city as it appeared after the battle.

The Rappahannock River

Rob Shenk

Daybreak on December 11, 1862 revealed Union engineers constructing pontoon boats across the Rappahannock River. Confederate marksmen concealed in houses and along the docks on the riverfront took picked off the hapless bridge builders, seriously impeding the Union advance.

Crossing the Rappahannock

Rob Shenk

In the first ever instance of an under-fire river crossing, Col. Norman J. Hall's 7th Michigan paddled across the Rappahannock amid a storm of lead and drove off the Confederates delaying the Federals from river's opposite shore.

Into the Boats

Carl R. Staub

Union reenactors in replica pontoon boats recreated the Federal army's river crossing during the 150th anniversary reenactment.

Barksdale's Headquarters

Rob Shenk

This brick structure served as headquarters for Brig. Gen. William Barksdale, whose brigade of Mississippians doggedly resisted the Federal river crossing and the occupation of Fredericksburg. Today the building houses the Fredericksburg Area Museum.

A Deadly Intersection

Rob Shenk

Ordered to clear the town of resistance, the 20th Massachusetts, the so-called Harvard Regiment, advanced to this intersection where Barksdale’s Mississippians “opened on us from front, rear and sides, firing from windows, sheds, corners, brick houses and behind fences.” Though the Confederates ultimately relented, the 20th paid dearly for its gallantry.

Jackson at Prospect Hill

Rob Shenk

Robert E. Lee posted Stonewall Jackson's Corps on the heights south of Fredericksburg, terminating here on Prospect Hill. Though known for his daring and aggressive offensive maneuvers, Jackson's men ultimately waged a successful defensive battle that paved the way for the Confederate victory.

Prospect Hill - Confederate Artillery

Rob Shenk

Stonewall Jackson's artillery under Lt. Col. Reuben Lindsay Walker dug in here along the crest of Prospect Hill, adding to the formidable nature of Jackson's positions. The original gun pits are still visible today.

Confederate Trenches

Rob Shenk

Rifle pits and entrenchments dug by Stonewall Jackson's men are still visible on the battlefield today.

Pelham's Corner

Rob Shenk

With a single gun Confederate artillerist Maj. John Pelham attacked the Union left flank, creating a diversion that would hamper Federal forces for several hours. The site of John Pelham's daring feat is now the scene of sprawling urban development. Hardly a fitting tribute for the man known to history as "The Gallant Pelham."

Slaughter Pen Farm - Trust Property

Rob Shenk

In one of the largest and most expensive private preservation efforts in history, the Trust acquired this 208 acre portion of the Fredericksburg battlefield in 2006 with the overwhelming support of its members. Preservation efforts of this magnitude requires continued support to ensure that this ground remains protected.

Preserving the Slaughter Pen

Civil War Trust

Civil War Trust President Jim Lighthizer and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorpe pose together at a press conference celebrating the 2006 acquisition of the Slaughter Pen Farm.

Slaughter Pen Farm Walking Tour

Rob Shenk

This tour stop is just one of many now placed on the Slaughter Pen Farm, helping visitor's to understand the events that make this hallowed ground.

Touring the Slaughter Pen

Mark Coombs

National Park Service Historians lead visitors on a tour of the Trust's Slaughter Pen Farm property during the battle's 150th anniversary.

Meade's Attack

Rob Shenk

This tour stop at the Slaughter Pen Farm marks the beginning of the assault of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves, the most promising Union attack of the battle.

Union Breakthrough

Rob Shenk

The 1st and 6th Pennsylvania Reserves of Meade's division penetrated these woods and fell upon the flank of Brig. Gen. Maxcy Gregg's South Carolina brigade, causing great confusion among the Confederates and claiming the life of General Gregg. Unsupported, the Pennsylvanians would be compelled to withdraw under the weight of subsequent counterattacks.

Fredericksburg - Marsh

Rob Shenk

Believing a marsh such as this one to be impassible, Confederate division chief A.P. Hill, left a portion of his line uncovered, creating a hole that Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves would exploit with near disastrous effects.

The Meade Pyramid

Rob Shenk

Of all the Federal attacks on December 13, none came so close to success as that of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Pennsylvania Reserve division. After initially penetrating the Confederate lines, Meade's troops were without support and forced to withdraw. This stone pyramid marks the farthest extent of their advance.

Killing Range

Rob Shenk

From this spot Union artillery supporting the infantry wreaked deadly havoc on the Confederates atop Prospect Hill.

Bernard's Cabins

Rob Shenk

Once home to dozens of slaves, the site of Bernard's Cabins was the scene of an intense artillery duel on December 13, 1862. Capt. Greenlee Davidson's battery held this position even as Union and Confederate infantry squared off against one another along the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.

Fighting at the Railroad

Rob Shenk

The strategically important Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad lay directly across the path of the Union attacks on the southern end of the battlefield. This formidable obstacle was the locus for some of the battle's most savage fighting.

The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR

Rob Shenk

This rail line was the scene of a terrific struggle in which Col. Edmund Atkinson's Georgia brigade drove Federal troops back from the railroad and into the Slaughter Pen.

Collis' Charge

In this painting by Carl Rochling, the 114th Pennsylvania, Collis' Zouaves, charge across the Slaughter Pen Farm. For his bravery on December 13, the regiment's commander, Charles Collis, later received the Medal of Honor.

Slaughter Pen Farm Reenactment

Chris Piering

Taking advantage of recently preserved battlefield land, Union reenactors recreate the battle of Fredericksburg on the Slaughter Pen Farm.

Slaughter Pen Skirmish

Chris Piering

Federal reenactors follow in the footsteps of their 19th Century ancestors, skirmishing on Civil War Trust land.

Confederates at the Slaughter Pen

Mark Coombs

Confederate reenactors provided demonstrations to the public while camped on our property at Slaughter Pen Farm during the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg

Artillery on Marye's Heights

Chris Heisey

Confederate Artillery of Longstreet's Corps posted atop Marye's Heights had a commanding view of Fredericksburg and the surrounding fields. As a testament to the strength of the position Confederate artillerist Col. E. P. Alexander claimed that "a chicken could not live on that field when we open on it."

The Stone Wall

Rob Shenk

Few features of the Fredericksburg battlefield have reached such iconic status as the Sunken Road along the base of Marye's Heights and the stone wall that bordered it. From this protective cover, Longstreet's Confederates could exact a heavy toll on the advancing Federal while suffering relatively few casualties by comparison.

Flowers at the Sunken Road

Rob Shenk

Red and white carnations placed atop the stonewall at Marye's Heights denote the casualties during the December 13, 1862 assault.

Brompton

Rob Shenk

With Confederate infantry and artillery posted around it, the home of John Marye, known as Brompton, saw some the hottest action during the fight for the Sunken Road

Howison's Hill

Rob Shenk

Long range Confederate artillery posted on this hill had devastating and far-reaching effects, contributing to the fearsome slaughter in front of Marye's Heights

Canal Ditch

Rob Shenk

At the time of the battle a ditch lay on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, running roughly along present day Kenmore Avenue. This five-foot-deep, fifteen-foot-wide chasm was also filled with three feet of water and proved to be a deadly obstacle for the Federals made their way toward the Sunken Road.

Fighting in the Sunken Road

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War

Drawn by Confederate artist Allen C. Redwood, this illustration depicts members of Joseph Kershaw's South Carolina brigade and Thomas R. R. Cobb's Georgia brigade, taking refuge in the Sunken Road as they fend off the Union attacks on December 13, 1862

Sunken Road and the Innis House

Rob Shenk

The Innis House, seen here, was one of a handful of houses that stood along the Sunken Road at the time of the battle. Today, it is the only one of these buildings still standing. Visitors to the house can see bullet holes and other visible scars of battle on the walls of this wartime structure.

Seeking Cover in Front of Marye's Heights

Rob Shenk

At the time of the battle the ground seen here was entirely clear of development, save for the Stratton House (the brick building in the left background), which marks the apogee of the Union attack on Marye's Heights. Those few Federals who reached this point took refuge in a depression or swale just at the far end of this street.

Irish Brigade Marker

Rob Shenk

This tablet at the site of the Middle Pontoon Bridge commemorates the service of the Irish Brigade, who suffered severe losses in the assault on Marye's Heights

Humphreys' Division Monument

Rob Shenk

In the waning daylight of December 13, 1862, Pennsylvanians of Brig. Gen. Andrew Humphreys' division made a final desperate assault on Marye's Heights, advancing to within 100 yards of the Sunken Road. Erected by the state of Pennsylvania in 1908, this monument to their valor stands at the center of the Fredericksburg National Cemetery

The Angel of Marye's Heights

Rob Shenk

One of the enduring tales of the battle of Fredericksburg is the story of Sgt. Richard Rowland Kirkland of the 2nd South Carolina. Hearing the cries of wounded Yankees on the night of December 13, Kirkland leapt over the stone wall to bring water to his ailing foes. His act of charity, commemorated in this monument, earned him the nickname "The Angel of Marye's Heights."

Fredericksburg - Confederate Cemetery

Rob Shenk

A group of Fredericksburg citizens known as the Ladies Memorial Society purchased this land in 1867 as a final resting place for the Confederate dead. Roughly two thirds of the more than 3,000 soldiers buried here are unknown.