The Fredericksburg area is one of the best places to study the American Civil War today, boasting five battlefields within 20-square miles. With perhaps the highest concentrations of battlefields anywhere in the U.S., the Fredericksburg area has a central role in Civil War history.
Located between the two warring capitals of Washington and Richmond, it was a major crossroads where armies of the North and South clashed (over 100,000 casualties resulted from the battles that took place here).
The earliest Civil War battles in this area represented the rising tide of the Confederacy – major Confederate victories which would inspire General Robert E. Lee’s second invasion of the North, leading to the famous Gettysburg Campaign.
The last battles – occurring after Gettysburg – was to mark the beginning of the end of the Confederacy, with Grant coming out east and initiating his Overland Campaign all the way to the gates of Richmond.
Most battlefields in this area are 30-minutes apart, making it ideal for touring one in the morning and another in the afternoon (We recommend exploring two battlefields in a day; touring more than two battlefields in a day would be very ambitious and will be more about quantity than quality).
Located in Central Virginia, one hour south of Washington D.C. and three hours from Gettysburg and Williamsburg, Fredericksburg is the perfect place to make your battlefield base camp.
The downtown hotels along Caroline Street, Fredericksburg’s main street, are within easy walking distance of most shops and restaurants and are an excellent choice from where you can explore.
The Fredericksburg, VA battlefields are a must-see whether you’re new to Civil War history or a longstanding Civil War aficionado.
If you have any questions about the below tour options, please get in touch.
