The Killing Fields

Only months after the December 1862 battle, the vast open ground in front of Marye's Heights lay between the town and the heights, and Union troops crossed this plain in repeated attacks. Some advanced to within about 80 yards of the Sunken Road, and a few came as close as 40 yards. More than 7,500 Union soldiers were killed or wounded on this ground. The stark battlefield also included prominent landmarks, especially the Stratton House, a solitary brick building that gave cover to hundreds of Union soldiers, along with the Marye House, the Innis House, and the Ebert House. Most of this once-open space is now covered by an early 20th-century neighborhood.

Fredericksburg, Virginia · United States