Two months ago, I had the opportunity to drive down to Fredericksburg, VA to visit the Sunken Road national park. On December 13, 1862, the forces from the North thought they would be able to interrupt the economic support of the South by capturing the city of Fredericksburg, but due to poor planning and leadership, the North suffered a crushing defeat. However, out of tragedy comes a story of kindness and mercy.
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During the lulls in the failed Northern raids on the Southern forces behind the Sunken Road stone wall, a Confederate soldier risked his life to rush out into the open field to tend to the wounded Federal forces. Sergeant Richard Kirkland (featured in pictures #3 and #4 above) was a 19-year-old soldier from Mississippi who became known as the “Angel of Marye’s Heights.” At first, when he would cross over the wall, Union forces would take shots at the young man, but once it was understood that he was bringing water to “the enemy,” the Union forces would hold their fire and cheer Kirkland for his service.
Unfortunately, hundreds of soldiers have lost their lives on both sides of the war. At the national park you will find the cemetery housing those that lost their lives. While many of the soldiers were identifiable, many more were not. Stone blocks bearing only numbers remain. If you note in image # 5 above, the first row of numbers identifies the plot number, while the second identifies how many bodies were buried there. In this example, one small stone block marks the final resting place of nine souls.
Below is a fantastic amature video that will give you a great perspective of the battlefield and the defensive position along the Sunken Road that the Confederate soldiers took advantage of in order to defeat the Union forces. If you ever have a chance, visit this national park and walk along the tombstones in the cemetery.
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