Salem Baptist Church, a small commodious house of worship constructed in 1844, is situated on the Plank Road about five miles west of Fredericksburg. Established to serve a growing population in eastern Spotsylvania County, by late 1862 war-time demands have caused attendance to dwindle and services to be held only sporadically. This morning an unusually…
Delayed for nearly a month, Union Commander Ambrose Burnside finally launches his plan to cross the Rappahannock River, drive the Confederates from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and proceed south to Richmond. The first step of his plan requires the army engineers to construct pontoon bridges because the river is too wide and too deep to ford. In…
Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside readies his attack upon Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee‘s forces in Fredericksburg. With over 200 artillery pieces pointed over the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg and pontoon bridges ready for deployment, Burnside tries to anticipate Lee’s defensive strategy. Successfully crossing the river on the bridges is critical to a Union victory. The…