Fredericksburg and Its Many Points of Interest — John Shaqi
Fredericksburg and Its Many Points of InterestKishpaugh, Robert A.
History
Fredericksburg and Its Many Points of Interest
Kishpaugh, Robert A.
Fredericksburg (Va.) -- Guidebooks
The city is amply supplied with water, pumped from the river into a
reservoir higher than any of the houses, while the water from the old
"Poplar Spring" is also used. The city owns and operates Electric and Gas
Plants, and there is also an Incandescent Light Plant, owned by a private
corporation, for lighting houses.
The town offers inducements to enterprising capitalists, and to those who
are seeking homes in the genial climate of the South.
POINTS OF INTEREST.
Chatham
One of the most interesting points of historical interest to all who visit
Fredericksburg is the magnificent old Colonial estate of Chatham,
residence of A. Randolph Howard, Esq., beautifully situated upon Stafford
Heights overlooking the town.
[Illustration]
The house was built in 1730 by William Fitzhugh, upon a small grant of a
few hundred thousand acres from King George of England.
The architect is believed to have been the famous Sir Christopher Wrenn,
to whom is due the adaptation of the English renaissance of the Grecian
period to our Southland needs, and which has resulted in the type now
known as Colonial. Chatham is conceded to be the purest and most beautiful
specimen of the Georgian Colonial architecture in America.
Through its lordly halls have trod the beauty and chivalry of generations
of the most famous families of Virginia.
Upon its famous race-track such horses as Boston, Lexington, Timoleon, Sir
Archy, Sir Charles and hundreds of others fought out their races, while
their owners were guests of Colonel Fitzhugh.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO NATIONAL CEMETERY Showing Monument Erected by
Gen. Daniel Butterfield to 5th Corps, Army of Potomac]
At Chatham General Washington paid his addresses to the widow Curtis,
General Robert E. Lee whispered sweet words of love to a niece of Mrs.
Fitzhugh, and the immortal Lincoln reviewed the Army of the Potomac before
the battle of Fredericksburg.
General Burnside established his headquarters at Chatham, and at the foot
of its terraced lawns one of the pontoon bridges were thrown across the
river over which many a brave man passed never to return.
The National Cemetery
Located on Willis Hill, a part of the historic Marye's Heights,
overlooking Fredericksburg and the beautiful Rappahannock Valley, the
Union soldiers who were killed in the various battles around
Fredericksburg and those who died in camp are interred. This cemetery has
the largest number of interments of any in the country, there being
15,295, of these about 2,500 are known and their names, regiment and state
are registered in a book in the superintendent's office.
Just to the left entering the cemetery General Daniel Butterfield has
erected a beautiful monument to the valor of the Fifth Army Corps, which
he commanded.
To the right at the top of the hill is a monument to the 127th Regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Colonel W. W. Jennings, Commanding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account