The ripple effects of December’s Battle of Fredericksburg continue as today William F. Broaddus begins a new chapter in his ministerial career. Broaddus, well-known Virginia Baptist educator and preacher from Fredericksburg, has had his share of difficulties in recent times. After having spent almost two months in a Union prison in Washington, D.C. from July…
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…
Today, famous Confederate spy Belle Boyd is captured by Federal authorities and imprisoned in the Old Capital Prison in Washington, DC. Just eighteen years old, Boyd had captivated Federal officers with her charm while supplying important military intelligence to General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and his forces in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson had penned a personal…