After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the History at Sunset program series has returned to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. History at Sunset programs are led by park rangers and focus on lesser-known stories and historical perspectives connected with sites throughout the park. After a successful start on July 9 with a program on stories of resistance and self-emancipation among those enslaved at Chatham Manor, the park is pleased to announce the rest of the summer 2022 schedule for the series.
Programs are free, take place every other Saturday starting at 6:30 pm, and last about 90 minutes. Most include walking, with distances ranging from about ½ to 1 mile. Participants are recommended to bring bug spray and water and to wear sturdy and comfortable walking shoes. To learn more about these and other park offerings, including the Junior Ranger program, special events, living history presentations, and guided walking tours, stop by the park visitor centers and historic sites, call (540) 693-3200, or visit https://www.nps.gov/frsp.
July 23- Present for Duty 300: Walking with the 27th Indiana at Chancellorsville
Trace the footsteps of a hard-fighting volunteer regiment and get a glimpse into the experience of its soldiers during the May 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville. Meet at Fairview (Tour Stop #10 on the Battle of Chancellorsville Driving Tour).
August 6- Trailblazers of Chatham: Women Who Made History
Discover the stories of trailblazing women who lived and worked at Chatham, and their fights to secure freedoms and break barriers over the course of more than 200 years of the site’s history. Meet near the parking lot. 120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg.
August 20- Thunder and Flame: Bernard’s Cabins in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Explore one of the lesser-known aspects of the battle that took place on December 13, 1862. Discover the story of an artillery duel that would destroy the homes of enslaved workers and leave a permanent mark on the land around it. Meet at Bernard’s Cabins trailhead (on the south part of Lee Drive about .6 miles from Lansdowne Road).
September 3- Tunes of the Civil War
Listen or sing along to vocalists and string musicians as they perform and share stories about popular melodies from the Civil War period, including sea shanties, camp songs, and patriotic airs. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Park at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center. 1013 Lafayette Boulevard, Fredericksburg.
September 17- Guinea Station During the Civil War
Uncover the full story of Guinea Station including its early development, its connections to the railroad and the Chandler plantation, its role in an 1864 cavalry skirmish, and its use in transporting U.S. prisoners of war. Meet at the Stonewall Jackson Death Site, 12019 Stonewall Jackson Road, Woodford.
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park encompasses the sites of four major battles spanning eighteen crucial months of the Civil War. The battles caused more than 100,000 casualties, while the constant presence of armies left Fredericksburg and the surrounding agricultural landscape devastated and ended bondage for thousands of enslaved people in the region.
Original source can be found here.
