Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
Virginia Battlefields Now Being Parked

welcome
days trip to Fredericksburg and vicinity, or
two-days' trip to historic Richmond and
Petersburg
A two-hour drive from washington, through
ranges Of wooded hills, tun1bled mountains IN
miniature, brings one TO FredericksDurg.
Through the quaint streets OF the old town
goes the traveller, and Ave miles out the Or
anRe Court House road to the flrSt battlefield.
Here at Salem Church on May 5, 1858, Gen.
John Sedgwick, marching from Fredericksburg
to join Gen. Hooker at the battle OF Chancel-
lorSville which was then in progress encoun-
tered McIaws' Confederate Division. and after
sharp fighting took the church with its gar
rison Confederate counter attack almost
Immediately recaptured 1t.
Six miles or SO further along the turnpike
"a Charlottesville No other battle in this
country is so much studied as this. and interest
in It Is not confined to those whose business
Is military strategy and tactics. An eminent
Judge Of New England Is considered to know
more about the battle Of Charlottesville than
any other one person
In April 1863 Gen Lee was deferred from
taking the offensive and initiating Mary
land campaign because Gen. Longstreet was
still engaged in the useless siege OF Suffolk
with q large part of the Confederate forces.
So the move fell to Gen. Hooker, who was
ON the north side of the Rappahannock with
10000 men, Sending his Cavalry under
SLOVENIAN around the enemy rear to engage
and delay ]. E. B. Stuart's Cavalry, and leav-
ing Sedgwick to stage noisy demonstration at
Fredericksburg before attacking the Confed-
crate flank, Hooker crossed the Rapidan at
0ermanna Ford with $4,000 men and started
south, meaning to turn Lees left.
On the night Of May /, Lee who had but
10000 men, held the famous last conference
with Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, both sitting
ON ration boxes beside campfire. Hooker
had that day intrenched his Army on the
south and east of Charlottesville, but had left
his 18th Corps stretched out for more than
O mile to the west Of it, on the Germanna
plank road Jackson marched on at dawn
On May along the roadbed Of the unfinished
railroad begun before the war to connect Fred
ericksburg and Orange Court House. He
crossed through the woods, fell upon the 18th
Corps and overwhelmed it, throwing the entire
Onion flank into confusion. Lee, meanwhile,
attacked Hooker In front. The result was
complete victory for the Confederates, and the
retirement Of Hooker and Of Sedgwick, who
had come up past Salem Church too late to
be of much help, back Of the Rappahannock
A simple granite shaft stands beside the
turnpike near the place where late in the
evening of May 2, Jackson was MORALLY
wounded by his own men as he went forward
to reconnoiter In sight Of this, toward Chan
cellorsville, Is the unmarked spot where Gen.
Hiram G. Berry, who commanded q division
Of Rockers Army, was killed.
Proceeding westward few miles, the tourist
comes into the heart of the Wilderness, a
scrubby, tangled, impenetrable forest roughly
IL miles In diameter, and still presenting much
the same appearance as when Grant, in the
early days of May, 1864, crossed the Rapidan
to begin his march on Richmond. Lees force
WaS much inferior in numbers, but his men
knew the country He therefore chose this
- the place to fall upon the flank Of Grants
marching army as his troops were strung out
along the narrow roads, hampered by huge
wagon train and unable to make use Of their
superior artillery because Of the dense woods.
Here through May and was fought o bitter
struggle with the smoke Of battle and the
tender green of Spring foliage concealing or
revealing friend or foe. To the Inferno Of
battie was added the greater horror OF forest
nfes which everywhere broke out consuming
both the dead and the wounded, so that out
Of the total casualties Of 40,127 men, lO667
Union soldiers and 3,40o Confederates were
reported missing"
miles along the Brock road brings one to
SpotSylvania Court House, toward which place
Grant started his wagons on the night of
May z, when he decided he could not drive
Lee out Of the dense woods In which he was
intrenched. On May Grant stood before
EpotSylvania, only to find Lee in front Of him
and Notifications already thrown up. AS the
traveller comes in on the Brock road the first
thing he sees is the monument to Gen. Sedg-
wick, who was killed here, near the woods
which hide the breastworks at the Bloody
Angle"
Around Spotsylvania fierce battles were
fought for IL days. Eleven terrible, bloody
days, yet Spring days, with sunshine and
green grass and tender green leaves. One
who reads the letters and diaries Of the men
of both armies is struck with the number of
times they mention the flowers, particularly
the carpets of violetS in the woods and the
fields Of red peoples. But to Gen. Grant
Spring meant that the roads were paSsable,
and finally he decided to move again around
Lees right flank and continue the advance
which his men described as "sidling toward
Richmond"