* “The Slaughter Pen is the very heart and soul of the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Without it, nothing makes sense. This is the point where the battle was won and lost on December 13, 1862.”

* “Five Medals of Honor would eventually be awarded for individual acts of heroism during the desperate action”.

* “The Slaughter Pen effectively ties these various sites together, and will dramatically restore the integrity of the Fredericksburg battlefield.”

Why is the Slaughter Pen so important?

On December 13, 1862, the Union army broke across the ground, assaulting the Confederates, who were positioned along a string of low hills south of the town. Over the course of a very long day, the Union sustained approximately 5,000 casualties. Thousands of Confederate casualties also attest to the hard struggle, which at times involved hand-to-hand fighting. Five Medals of Honor would eventually be awarded for individual acts of heroism during the desperate action.

When people think of the Fredericksburg battlefield, they usually envision the futile Union attacks against Marye’s Heights, which were halted by impenetrable Confederate musketry delivered from behind the stone wall along the Sunken Road. The area south of Fredericksburg, however, is where the battle truly hung in the balance. Federal assault columns actually broke through the Confederate lines on this other field. The terrain of the Slaughter Pen has remained exceptionally intact and a visitor walking through the site today can readily understand what occurred there. The old roads, ditches, and the sometimes subtle contours of the ground allow historic interpretation with great accuracy. Frank O’Reilly, author of the definitive study The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock, has stated that this ground is absolutely critical to understanding the battle. He writes: “The Slaughter Pen is the very heart and soul of the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Without it, nothing makes sense. This is the point where the battle was won and lost on December 13, 1862.”

This map of Slaughter Pen Farm shows how the Slaughter Pen will connect many different components of the Fredericksburg battlefield. Its eastern edge abuts the old Richmond Stage Road, where the Federal attackers initially formed up. Its western edge runs along an active railway, which was also in existence in 1862. On the other side of the tracks lies the location of the Confederate line, within the boundaries of the National Park. To the north of the Park’s boundary, however, CVBT has saved an additional area of land, known as Latimer’s Knoll, through the creation of an easement. The area along the tracks is indeed blood soaked ground where the combat became hand-to-hand. To the south of this land is an area where another Union attack moved forward, but was eventually repulsed. The Slaughter Pen effectively ties these various sites together, and will dramatically restore the integrity of the Fredericksburg battlefield.

Over the last ten years, the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust has saved nearly 500 acres of battlefield lands in one of the most rapidly developing areas of Virginia.

While bulldozers cut relentlessly across the landscape, the CVBT continues to identify and preserve important historic ground that lies outside the protection of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. While we have been tremendously successful, this has only been due to the continued support and generosity of our members and contributors.

We are proud to have been a key player in a partnership that recently helped to save a significant portion of the May 1, 1863 battlefield at Chancellorsville. The area had once been part of a proposed 2,000 home development, with a nearby area rezoned for intense commercial use. The CVBT worked very closely with the Civil War Preservation Trust and other local groups to ensure that this acreage was not lost to history.

Now we have been presented with an even greater opportunity on the Fredericksburg battlefield.

A 205-acre farm, known to the soldiers of 1862 as the Slaughter Pen, has recently been acquired, and will now be preserved forever. Since the CVBT has been involved in discussions to acquire this land over many years, we are thrilled that the land will be preserved.

Moreover, since this land is the key point of the Fredericksburg battlefield, we have made a commitment to raise $1 million dollars toward the acquisition of the Slaughter Pen Farm. We sincerely hope that you will support us in this effort.

The purchase price of the Slaughter Pen Farm is indeed steep, at $12 million dollars. Of this total cost, CVBT has committed to providing $1 million. While the price of acquiring this property is high, the cost of losing it forever to development is incomprehensible. Thus, we implore you to join us as we strive to save this critical terrain, which is an essential part of our collective heritage.


Please remember that CVBT continues to be a no-frills organization. We assure you that every penny of your donation to save this land will go to the purchase of dirt and grass.


Ways To Help:

Become a Member

AND

Donate Specifically to The Slaughter Pen Project