Fredericksburg!

Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Location
Washington, DC
Hey All

What's the best book on the Battle of Fredericksburg?

Also, I have a weekend free, is visiting the Fredericksburg battlefield worth a trip? I'm only a couple hours away. I understand the town itself has some other historical attractions.
 
Can't help on question 1. Have both Rable and O'Reilly's books to read yet.

However, yes, I would spend a day or a weekend in Frederickburg. The downtown has lots of great shopping and some good restaurants. Plus there is a really nice walking tour of the battlefield that starts by the river and takes you up to Marye's Heights (brochures available for free at the Visitors Center on Caroline Street).

They have a nice horse drawn carriage ride avavailable too but I warn you that the history they tell is dubious.

This of course does not take into accoun the other three units of the Frederickburg/Spotsylvania NMP or the Stonewall Jackson Shrine.

You will probably have too much to do, not not enough.

I would recommend that if you are planning on walking downtown, there is a large (free) free public lot off of Sophia Stree and George St. Which fills up early in the day. There is also a parking garage on the corner of Sophia and Wolfe St. It costs, but if I recall correctly, it is inexpensive.
 
Fredericksburg is well worth a trip. Make sure you see Chatham across the river, as this was the Union HQ.
While the actual battlefield is much changed, the stone wall and the sunken road are very moving.
 
Yes definitely worth a weekend trip to see 4 major battlefields that close together. Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Spotyslvania and Chancellorsville
 
The most remarkable aspect of visiting the Fredricksburg battlefield is the vast change in the landscape. When I walked along the stone wall on Marye's Heights, I was initially surprised because the entire vista beyond the wall towards the town is that of a thick treeline, not to mention heavy residential development almost up to the site. In contrast, from CW photos and descriptions of the battle, the entire field from the heights down to the town and river were open and exposed.
 
The town grew in that direction in the post war years. There is a good amount of more pristine land in the other 3 battlefields in the area, especially at Spotsylvania. Chancellorsville and Wilderness have some semi busy areas.
 
The town grew in that direction in the post war years. There is a good amount of more pristine land in the other 3 battlefields in the area, especially at Spotsylvania. Chancellorsville and Wilderness have some semi busy areas.

I noticed that when visiting the other three battlefields, which probably look a lot more as they did back then. On the same subject, I read somewhere that at the Gettysburg battlesite, approximately 1/3 of the current forested land were open fields in 1863, and another 1/3 of now open land was at that time forested.
 
I noticed that when visiting the other three battlefields, which probably look a lot more as they did back then. On the same subject, I read somewhere that at the Gettysburg battlesite, approximately 1/3 of the current forested land were open fields in 1863, and another 1/3 of now open land was at that time forested.

GNMP rangers have been working diligently to return the battlefield to the 1863 landscape and have made great strides in recent years. They have had some pushback from people who don't think that the National Park Service should be deforesting anything for any reason, but the park has greatly benefited from their work, as have those who visit.
 
Well, I would support those efforts by the Park Service. They do great work, and are extremely knowledgeable and caring, not only at Gettysburg, but at the many sites I've been to across the US.
 
I noticed that when visiting the other three battlefields, which probably look a lot more as they did back then. On the same subject, I read somewhere that at the Gettysburg battlesite, approximately 1/3 of the current forested land were open fields in 1863, and another 1/3 of now open land was at that time forested.


Of the other 3 Spotsylvania does the most. Chancellorsville has a fairly busy 4 lane road running through the middle of it and at either end of the driving tour for the Wildneress are busy roads as well. I nearly was smashed by someone at Saunders Field last September driving way too fast through there. They were not there to see the battlefield but using that as a cut through or something.
 
Hey All

What's the best book on the Battle of Fredericksburg?

Also, I have a weekend free, is visiting the Fredericksburg battlefield worth a trip? I'm only a couple hours away. I understand the town itself has some other historical attractions.

Here are a couple of older titles on Fredericksburg I've read and recommend:

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In my opinion, thE best book on Fredericksburg is The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock by Francis O'Reilly. It is one of the BEST books I have ever read.
This x 1000. Get O'Reilly. Avoid Rable if you want to read military history.
 
Yes, god yes it is worth a trip to Fredericksburg. I traveled over 1000 miles to go there in May and would do it again in a heartbeat. To me the best thing about the park was the staff. I had multiple conversations with park historians and they all were very professional and attentive to my questions and conversed with me until I couldn't think of anything more to ask. If you go with a little knowledge of the battles there and a curios mind, I don't really see how you could go wrong!
 
I want to thank you all for you advice and input. I am relatively new to this forum, having just recently renewed my Civil War interest, and this is truly a great resource full of knowledgeable and helpful folks.

I'll report back when I make it to Fredericksburg....I'm glad there is lots to do, my wife can only stand so many hours of battlefields :smile:.

I've actually been to the city years ago to visit friends at Mary Washington University, but don't recall much of the city. Didn't visit any historic sites, just bars and house parties...a different kind of trip!
 
Hello everyone,
I am not sure is it the proper place to ask, but seems to be the best I have found so far. I have just read that report of Confederate colonel Pendleton, commanding Starke's brigade of Taliaferro's division at Fredericksburg, praised captain Henry M. Verlander (commander of 14th Louisiana) for his efforts and performance during the battle. However, I also read that Verlander... deserted. So the question posed in my head is, how was it after all? Did Verlander desert or not? The regiment did not see much action during the battle anyway, as far as I know. At least compared to others.
 
If you can find them Blue and Gray Magazine had a 3 or 4 issue series on Fredericksburg a few years back, covered the battle, had maps of town (then and now), and the General Tours of the battlefield were fantastic!
 
who needs a reason Fredericksburg is a wonderful site, the only person I believe who wasn't happy with Fredericksburg was Burnside.6
 
It is one of the BEST books I have ever read.
Sounds like it's worth reading then... just curious what did you like about it to warrant best books status? Ditto @bschulte ...

Post-note: I've got it sampled on my Nook now and it does look good... but would still like to hear your thoughts & reviews...
 
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