Pelham's Corner - Fredericksburg VA - U.S. Civil War Sites on Waymarking.com

During the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia, on the morning of December 13, 1862, Union Gen. George Meade and his men crossed the Rappahannock River and advanced on Gen. Stonewall Jackson's Confederate forces at Prospect Hill. Young Confederate Maj. John Pelham of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's horse artillery took two cannon and moved out to meet the Union infantry. He fired upon the thousands of advancing soldiers and immediately drew return fire from more than two dozen enemy cannon. Although vastly outnumbered, Pelham continued the fight. He withdrew only when ammo ran low and under orders from Stuart, but he succeeded in delaying Gen. Meade's assault for more than an hour.

A granite monument and two interpretive markers stand at the intersection of modern-day Tidewater Trail (Rt. 2) and Benchmark Rd. (Co. Rd. 608) where Pelham made his stand. The monument is inscribed:

STUART AND PELHAM
BATTLE OF
FREDERICKSBURG.
DEC. 13, 1962
_______

This corner of historic land was saved from development when the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust worked out a deal with Silver Cos., a major land developer who owned the property. In 2007, Silver Cos. transferred the title to one acre of land to the CVBT. Even though the surrounding area has continued to grow and be developed, Pelham's Corner remains preserved as an important historic part of the Battle of Fredericksburg.

References:

• The American Civil War: The Battle of Fredericksburg - The Gallant Pelham
• The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust: Pelham's Corner
• On-site information

Related Website: [Web Link] Terrain Rating:

Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this waymark a photo of you, the sign at the waymark with your GPS in view must be uploaded.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/26/2023 bobfrapples8 visited it