Northern VA

This past week we were able to take advantage of some cool weather and see some local sites. We first took Addison down to Fredericksburg to the National Civil War Battlefield. Several thousand Northerners were killed when they tried to attack the Confederate Army who happened to be up a hill and behind a stone fence. The Fredericksburg National Cemetery contains the graves of over 15,000 United States soldiers. Most of them are Union soldiers who died in the battles and camps around Fredericksburg. About 100 soldiers are 20th century veterans including at least two spouses. Over 80% of the soldiers are unknown. We also visited Chatham which was taken over as a Union Post during the winter. It was were Walt Whitman and Clara Barton volunteered their services to help wounded soldiers.

Over the weekend we visited Theodore Roosevelt Island. One of Theodore Roosevelt’s greatest legacies was his dedication to conservation. Today, this island stands as a fitting memorial to the outdoors man, naturalist, and visionary who was our 26th President.