April 23, 2009
On the second day of our trip, we passed through Falmouth, Virginia, which is adjacent to Fredericksburg, known for its Civil War battlefields and historic sites. According to the National Park Service, “more than 85,000 men wounded [here]; 15,000 killed. No place more vividly reflects the Civil War’s tragic cost, in all its forms.”
In Falmouth is a house named the Chatham Manor, part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial. It is on Chatham Lane. Intrigued by the names, we decided to take a look at the Chatham mansion. Unfortunately, we did not have time to tour the building and grounds, since we had people to meet in the Washington DC area an hour north.
We did drive around the estate, though, on a narrow, unpaved road that twisted around a hill and through the green and flowering trees. Such a lovely, peaceful setting to reflect on the slaughter of the Civil War.
Notes on The Arts 