Explore More Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville: The Rising Tide of the Confederacy
Step onto the hallowed grounds of Fredericksburg, Virginia, where the Civil War reached a crucial turning point. The battlefields of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville tell the story of the Confederacy at the absolute peak of its military power—its rising tide. At Fredericksburg, stand before the infamous Sunken Road at the base of Marye’s Heights. Here, Confederate defenders held an unbreakable position, resulting in a staggering Union defeat in December 1862. The sheer scale of the battle is sobering. Just months later, a few miles west in the dense Wilderness, Robert E. Lee achieved his tactical masterpiece at Chancellorsville. This audacious victory is often called Lee’s greatest, yet it came at a terrible cost: the mortal wounding of his trusted general, "Stonewall" Jackson. These back-to-back triumphs represented the high-water mark for the Confederacy, setting the stage for Gettysburg. **Highlights:** * The Stone Wall at the Sunken Road * The Chancellorsville Visitor Center * The site of Stonewall Jackson's wounding To truly grasp the scale and sacrifice of this era, you must walk these fields. Plan your visit to the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville National Military Park and connect with a pivotal moment in American history.