Welcome to our Civil War resource guide featuring the Battle of the Wilderness fought on May 5-6, 1864

During the American Civil War the countryside surrounding Fredericksburg Virginia would play host to over 100,000 soldiers of the Union Army as well as nearly 50,000 Confederate defenders during the campaigns of 1862 through 1864. Living off the land the opposing armies rampaged throughout the countryside. After five major actions (Fredericksburg 1862, Chancellorsville 1863, Salem Church 1863, Wilderness 1864 and Spotsylvania 1864) the countryside was truly devastated. The scars of occupation and the wreckage of the battles transformed vast areas of the surrounding farms and forests into lunar like landscapes. Only after years of abandonment did nature begin to reclaim the havoc wrought by the war. Today only the trace of trench lines wander throughout the peaceful Virginia forest bearing mute evidence to the once great events that took place on that site. The forest has returned and covers most of these one uninhabitable fields, the thick mulch of the floor blanketing the remaining evidence of the titanic struggles that took place on those sites. To one unfamiliar with the details of the battle and not trained to recognize the remaining evidence a stroll through one of the most desperately contested blood soaked battle areas is no more inspiring than a stroll through a country park. However if the observer has adequate information on the site they are visiting to a small part the history that was forged there will once again become alive. That is the objective of this program. To provide the visitor, traveler, historian or hobbyist with the most accurate historic information for a site they are interested in.

We ask those interested in contributing site information to our database to contact us and help us in our recording effort..

For additional information please contact the Fredericksburg Memorial Military Museum,