Smith Run Battlefield Saved

  In the late afternoon of May 4, 1863, Louisiana troops of General Harry Hay’s division swarmed up a slope near Smith Run, just west of Fredericksburg.  Awaiting them were the veteran troops of the Army of the Potomac’s Vermont Brigade.  The onrushing Confederates had already overrun the Union Sixth Corps’ first line of defense, on the eastern side of the creek and had splashed across to the other side.  The Vermont men lay in solid ranks, the sun at their back, holding their fire while the Southerners advanced into a killing zone.  They then rose up and delivered several volleys that left the ground strewn with dead and dying soldiers.  This brief action bought the Union Sixth Corps a brief respite in which to begin a withdrawal, which would effectively bring the Chancellorsville Campaign to a close.

An 11-acre portion of this battlefield has recently been preserved through a partnership of state and local governments and the CVBT.  The price of this land is high - $300,000 – but not as high as the cost in blood 138 years ago.  Earlier this year, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation provided half of this purchase price, or $150,000.  On September 20, the Fredericksburg City Council appropriated $100,000 as their contribution to the purchase of this ground.  The remaining $50,000 will be paid by the CVBT.  Member donations have made it possible to pay the full amount at closing, thus avoiding any interest costs whatsoever.

There has been some controversy over this battlefield because a four-lane road will cut through this area.  The CVBT is sensitive to these concerns, but notes that most of the May 4^th battlefield has been developed over the past few decades with houses, a school, and apartments.  The preserved land will only be representative of a much larger battlefield that encompassed much of modern day Fredericksburg.  This site, however, is exceptionally well preserved.  As Fredericksburg grew, the Smith Run area remained isolated by its topography.  As a consequence, this small area retains its historical integrity and can be interpreted with a high degree of accuracy.  The Trust is also looking to purchase additional nearby acreage, to take full advantage of an opportunity to preserve an amazingly intact part of the battlefield.

This acquisition will allow visitors to gain a fuller understanding of the Chancellorsville Campaign and the role played by the Union Sixth Corps.  This Federal formation suffered fully 25 percent of the Federal casualties sustained during this campaign.  At Smith Run, this part of their battle history can finally be told.

Instrumental in this success is the City of Fredericksburg.  In 1996, the Fredericksburg City Council set aside a 4.5-acre preservation area near an elementary school.  This land includes a representative section of the terrain across which Confederate troops attacked and will remain in its natural state.  In 2001, this governing body has stepped forward again, this time with generous funding, to preserve yet more of this intriguing battlefield.  Trails through wooded terrain will soon link these sites.

The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Fredericksburg City Council deserve our thanks.  Our CVBT membership, however, should not be forgotten.  They too have come forward with hard earned donations to complete this purchase.  The CVBT will also continue its efforts to add to this initial purchase.  Our intent is to preserve even more of this terrain where men from Vermont and Louisiana clashed in a desperate action, a short battle so intense that Medals of Honor would subsequently be awarded to four soldiers who fought there.  We appreciate our member donations that have made this victory possible and which will be needed for additional purchases in this area.