When I arrived In Fredricksburg for the first time in 2023, I really wanted to explore downtown and…read moresee the area. I finally got to go to downtown historic Fredricksburg in August 2025. I saw all the places I had wanted to see for years or months. I had a beautiful day seeing as much as I could in one day. Highlights there: Riverby Bookstore, The Wren & Sparrow, Shoppes at Carolina, the Visitor Center, Irish Eyes, Dragon's Den, Bello Manzo, and The Grove of Brite Blessings. I recommend going to the visitor center to get information on places you would like to see. One of the things I would like to do is to go to the National park and the trolley tour in Fredricksburg. Parking can be difficult during tourist season yet we managed to get free parking nearby.

This old town area is charming, full of local flavor and dotted with nice shops and restaurants…read more Plenty of free parking. Fredericksburg's identity and character are directly related to its rich history. Captain John Smith, while charting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, reached this area in 1608, his westernmost exploration in the New World. Before Fredericksburg was founded, Alexander Spotswood established an iron industry in the upstream wilderness. Across the Rappahannock River from the newly established town, a boy named George Washington grew to manhood. Six months before Yorktown, the Marquis de Lafayette and a division of Continental soldiers hurried through these urban blocks and headed south, to confront Lord Cornwallis and his British Regulars coming up from the Carolinas. The oldest surviving building in downtown Fredericksburg dates to 1737. The newest one is still under construction. This built environment, which spans nearly three centuries, exerts a strong sense of continuity. There are grand residences on lower Caroline Street and remnants of industrial buildings on upper Caroline. William Street and the middle section of Caroline Street are still the focus of the business district. Princess Anne Street remains the government corridor. Warehouses adapted to new uses sit adjacent to a railway that cut through town in antebellum days. Just a nice place to stroll, eat, grab a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone.

This is not a grand plantation home with velvet ropes and dramatized plaques. This is the real…read moreplace where history quietly ended for one of the Civil War's most consequential figures. The small, plain building you see is the plantation office of the Chandler family, where General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was brought after being accidentally shot by his own men at Chancellorsville in May 1863. His left arm was amputated nearby, and pneumonia soon followed. He died here days later, reportedly saying, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." If that line doesn't stop you in your tracks, check your pulse. What makes this site powerful is its restraint. There's no spectacle. No romanticized grandeur. Just a quiet structure sitting beside open fields and a railroad line, which adds an eerie reminder of how the war--and the country--was rapidly changing. You're standing at the intersection of brilliance, tragedy, faith, and the brutal reality of 19th-century medicine. The space encourages reflection rather than celebration. Jackson's reputation is complex, and the site doesn't shy away from that. It presents his death as a human moment inside a massive, devastating conflict rather than a mythic ending to a legend. If you're a serious history lover, this is a must-stop. It's sobering, authentic, and deeply moving--proof that sometimes the smallest places carry the heaviest history. Pro tip: Visit quietly. This is one of those places where silence feels appropriate.

This is an important piece of civil war history. We have been meaning to stop for years and finally…read moredid. There are plenty of boards to explain the whole property and the campaign in the area. I honestly didn't know that this was home to a prison camp and was happy to learn it. If you're at the speedway or even just stopping for gas at Sheetz, take a half hour and get some history. It's totally free and well maintained.

We were very happy with our visit to this lovely town. I was surprised that the population was just…read moreunder 30,000 as it seems a bit larger than that. There seem to be more conveniences than one normally might find for a town of this size, but our focus was the core downtown area. The colonial look of the old town area presents a great vibe for someone who is into history such as me. But the shops, restaurants and amenities offer something for everyone. It's a very walkable downtown area though there are some hills involved. But those undulations are generally very manageable except for individuals with the greatest of mobility challenges. The limited parking time on the downtown streets is a little annoying if you want to spend the whole day, but that's being nitpicky. I say that only because it is definitely worth spending a day just exploring the downtown area (apart from any battlefield visit that you might be planning). In addition to just taking in the pleasant, laid-back vibe, there are a few places to be sure to visit when in downtown. Start at the Visitors Center on Caroline St. to get oriented. The staff is friendly and helpful. The Apothecary is a fun visit if you're a history buff. The staff present some interesting facts about 18th-century medicine. You can even get a look at some live leaches! And the building is one of the few 18th century structures in town not destroyed by an early 19th century fire. There are a few coffee shops downtown, with Hyperion being one of the best. If you're looking for gifts Kimman's has a lot of fun stuff while Made in Virginia will present some things with local appeal. Jus Pop'n offers some very interesting and very good popcorn flavors while Curio is a nice place to stop for wine tasting if you need a break. They feature international options as well as a handful of Virginia wines worth sampling. Cool Cat Cupcakes located in the basement of the building at the northwest corner of Charles and William has some fun treat options. If bubble tea is your thing, Bubblebee is good spot. Stroll by the 1910 train station building to admire the architecture. There are several intriguing restaurants downtown. We tried Sammy T's and were favorably impressed by their American fare with a local twist. Their location in an historic building adds to the ambiance. If you are visiting Central Virginia, I'd recommend putting a day in Downtown Fredericksburg on your itinerary. There are several things that can fill out your agenda if you do so. I had not even mentioned places like FAM and the James Monroe Museum and Library. Of course, the battlefield is also worthwhile putting on your schedule. In short, put Fredericksburg on your list!

Most of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was buried in a Lexington, Virginia, cemetery that now…read morebears his name, but he was so famous at the time of his death that his amputated left arm was spirited away to its own separate grave. It was just after dark on May 2, 1863. Jackson had just launched a devastating attack against Union forces at Chancellorsville. Returning to his own lines with several staff officers, Jackson, ever the aggressive soldier, decided to conduct reconnaissance in the area. As he and his staff rode through the woods near Confederate lines, a North Carolina regiment, unable to see who was riding up on them, opened fire. Jackson was struck by three bullets, two of them shattering his left arm. The general was evacuated from the area and given medical treatment, but the arm couldn't be saved and was amputated. Pneumonia set in, and on May 10, 1863, the South lost its most effective tacticia. Thinking that the limb of so great a solider was too precious to simply throw on the regular body part trash pile, Jackson's unofficial company chaplain, Reverend Tucker Lacy wrapped the arm in a blanket and took it to his family cemetery. The reverend gave the limb a standard Christian burial and placed a marker above the site. Supposedly Stonewall Jackson's arm was dug up and reburied numerous times in the ensuing years and there is no concrete evidence that it still resides in its original burial space, but the simple gravestone remains.

"Jackson has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right"…read more -General Robert E. Lee Jackson's last words were apparently, "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." It seems like a lot of words for a dying man. If, however there is truth in this story, then the resting place of this limb seems fitting. The lone tombstone sits quietly among a small group of trees on the Virginia countryside. The picturesque views were once covered by war field hospitals and now is the resting place of the left arm of one of America's most famous Generals. A little history: Stonewall Jackson's arm was destined to be buried along with other amputated limbs until Jackson's Chaplain, Reverend Lacy, retrieved it from a macabre pile of appendages and eventually buried it on his own plantation, Ellwood Manor. The limb was buried several days before Jackson's death as a way for his staff to pay tribute to the man that they had followed through battle. It's probably the least they could do considering that his own men accidentally shot him. I'm just sayin'. The story of a buried arm is surreal, but a little research makes the story a little more humane. Even if Jackson fought on the wrong side of history, every body (or body part) should be so lucky to be buried in a place so serene. Verdict: Great for Civil War buffs, the curious and people spending a little time in nearby Old Town Fredricksberg. Or Cross it off your Weird Virginia (book) list. Weird tidbits: The arm has been dug up a few times in the past, but has always made it's way back into the ground. It seems that the curious return it to it's resting place after learning that there REALLY is an arm buried in the ground. FYI: The last time I attempted a visit, the grounds were closed contrary to the information found on the website. If in doubt, it's best to call.

This beautiful monument in Fredericksburg, VA and located on the site of the Battle of Salem…read moreChurch, is dedicated to the 23rd New Jersey Volunteers. The monument was dedicated in 1906 and while it is for the NJ soldiers, it also mentions and honors the Alabama Regiments they fought in the battle. Stopped by here with my son and it's a great place to stop for you Civil War Buffs. Unfortunately, commercial space has taken over the battlefield across the street and this beautiful monument is about 15 feet from a highway. Below is the Wiki info on the NJ 23rd: The 23rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an American Civil War infantry regiment from New Jersey that served a nine-month enlistment in the Union Army. It was recruited from various towns within Burlington County, New Jersey, and was mustered into Federal service in August 1862. The regiment trained at Camp Cadwalader in Beverly, before being sent out to join the Army of the Potomac. There, it was brigaded with the New Jersey units that made up the famed "First New Jersey Brigade", which had been reduced to a shadow of its former self due to continual field service and participation in the Battles of Gaines Mill, Second Bull Run, and South Mountain. The arrival of the nearly 1,000-strong 23rd New Jersey and the newly recruited three-year 15th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry greatly replenished the brigade's numbers. When the 23rd New Jersey's first commander, Colonel John S. Cox, resigned to prevent a court-martial for drunkenness in November 1862, the new commander, Col. Henry O. Ryerson (the former Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry), reviewed the regiment, and disparagingly called them "Yahoos", due to their less than military demeanor and irreverence. The men of the regiment took to the sobriquet, emblazoning it on their regimental flag, and called themselves Yahoos for the rest of their lives. The regiment fought in two engagements-the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, and the May 1863 Battle of Salem Church. Years after the war was over, the regiment erected a monument--the only one ever erected for a nine-month New Jersey unit--on the Salem Church battlefield, where it stands today. In that engagement, it was led by Col. Edward Burd Grubb, Jr., who took over command when Colonel Ryerson left to lead the 10th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in March 1863. After serving its nine-month enlistment, the regiment was mustered out in June 1863. Many of the veterans of the 23rd New Jersey went on to serve in other regiments, most notably the 34th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, which is attributed to the fact that Colonel Grubb, much respected by the Yahoos, was rumored to be the commander of the unit (he in fact went on to command the 37th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry instead). Captain Forrester L. Taylor, commander of Company H, rescued two wounded soldiers while under intense fire from the Confederates during the Salem Church engagement, an act of bravery that would get him awarded the Medal of Honor. This made him one of only two men from New Jersey's 11 nine-month enlistment regiments to be awarded that high honor (the other being Sergeant Major Amos J. Cummings of the 26th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry).