By RUSTY DENNEN
A four-year effort to enhance and protect one of Fredericksburg’s most significant Civil War sites has been completed.
And Memorial Day weekend is a fitting time for the public to see what’s been done on and around Sunken Road, the historic byway below Marye’s Heights that played such a key role during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.
The National Park Service is planning two days of events this weekend, starting with a visit by a noted author and the annual illumination at Fredericksburg National Cemetery on Saturday, and culminating with a full day of events Sunday.
On Saturday at 6:30 p.m., George Rable, professor of history at the University of Alabama and author of the book “Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!” will talk about how the battle affected both sides, in a speech titled “News from Fredericksburg.”
That will be along Sunken Road, adjacent to Hanover Street.
At 8 p.m., the annual illumination of Fredericksburg National Cemetery will take place on the terraced hillside adjacent to the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center. In the event’s ninth year, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts light 15,300 candles—one for each Union soldier buried in the cemetery.
Parking will be available at the University of Mary Washington lot at the intersection of William Street and Sunken Road. Trolleys will transport visitors from the lot to the site of the events, or visitors can make the short walk.
On Sunday, events—all free—begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m. They include Civil War-period music, dramatic readings, special walking tours of Sunken Road, rifle-firing demonstrations and children’s programs.
The highlight of the day will be the formal dedication of Sunken Road at 2 p.m. Speakers will include Fredericksburg Mayor Tom Tomzak, Dr. Mike Stevens of the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, and Rable.
Following the ceremony, descendants of Union and Confederate veterans will cut a ribbon formally opening the newly restored road to visitors.
Sunken Road has been rebuilt to resemble its wartime appearance. Closed to vehicles, the pavement was stripped off and replaced with a gravel and clay surface.
Last fall, along the road, stone masons rebuilt a long section of the stone wall behind which Confederates hid and decimated Union troops as they attacked repeatedly across an open field.
Paths have been added, the sites of the Martha Stephens and Ebert houses that once stood along the road have been marked, and other exhibits have been installed.
To reach RUSTY DENNEN: 540/374-5431 rdennen@freelancestar.com