Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. 

Memoranda During the War by Walt Whitman

Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg)

When Walt Whitman saw his brother on a list of wounded soldiers from the Battle of Fredericksburg, he rushed to the front. Thus began a transformative period in the poet's life where he spent his days taking care of sick and wounded soldiers. Whitman's writings offer an insightful and deeply human window into the wartime period. This work is available in full on The Walt Whitman Archive, Memoranda During the War | Whitman Archive, as well as through EBSCO with a library card. Watch an interview with historian Garrett Peck from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine about Whitman during the war: Walt Whitman's Wartime Experience with Garrett Peck.

Learn more about the Civil War Book Group...

After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. 

Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation by Bennett Parton

Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg)

Sherman's famous March to the Sea has become one of the most famous events in American Civil War history. Historian Bennett Parton explores Sherman's March with special attention to the tens of thousands of enslaved people who participated, and in doing so, spearheaded the largest emancipation event in American history. Watch a book talk with the author from the Atlanta History Center on C-SPAN: [Somewhere Toward Freedom] | Video | C-SPAN.org

Learn more about the Civil War Book Group...

Why did the Battle of Fredericksburg happen in December 1862? Join a guided tour of the one of the most iconic and recognized battlefield landmarks of the war. This walking tour will cover no more than 0.5 mile over mostly flat terrain.

After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. 

Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies' Memorial Associations and the Lost Cause by Caroline Janney

Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg)

Immediately after the Civil War, white women across the South organized to retrieve the remains of Confederate soldiers. In Virginia alone, these Ladies' Memorial Associations (LMAs) relocated and reinterred the remains of more than 72,000 soldiers. Challenging the notion that Southern white women were peripheral to the Lost Cause movement until the 1890s, Caroline Janney restores these women as the earliest creators and purveyors of Confederate tradition.

Learn more about the Civil War Book Group...

Why did the US and the Confederate armies clash in May of 1863 and why does it matter? Join park staff to learn about the Chancellorsville Campaign and dive into some of the big questions surrounding this contested battle.

Are you interested in participating in a community volunteer project? Join us for Park Day! This year's volunteer projects include painting the Brooder Barn at Ellwood and cleaning the perimeter wall and gravestones at the Fairview Cemetery on the Chancellorsville Battlefield. 

Participants should report to Ellwood (36380 Constitution Highway, Orange, VA 22960) at 9 am to register for the event. Following a short presentation and a safety briefing, participants will be divided into two groups, one for each project. The projects are expected to last until around 12 noon. Make sure to dress appropriately for working outside and be prepared with water, bug spray, and sun protection. 

Park Day is an annual volunteer event that brings thousands of volunteers to battlefields and historic sites across the country. To learn more about Park Day or to see other participating sites, visit Park Day | American Battlefield Trust.

This National Park Week we are celebrate all things parks, Junior Ranger, Bark Ranger, and more! In addition to our regular programs at 10:30 am and 2 pm, we'll have a activity table set up outside with pop-up displays, activities, and more! Drop by the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center any time between 10 am and 3 pm on Saturday, April 25, 2026. 

Join a ranger for two special extended versions on our daily Chancellorsville tour.

Examine the varying accounts and meanings behind the historical hyper-focus of the wounding of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson by his own men on May 2, 1863. Consider how we analyze these different narratives, work through mysteries and evidence, and better understand the role of memory and the Lost Cause in our collective memory of this fatal night reconnaissance. This tour will involve a short walk around the visitor center.

This 2-mile, 90 minute hike will focus on the events that took place in the woods surrounding the visitor center on May 3, 1863. This walk will cover some uneven ground with roots and branches. Good shoes, sun protection, and bug spray are encouraged. The tour will walk down to the Chancellor house site, approximately one mile from the visitor center. Attendees should plan on a 2-mile round trip.

After years of conflict over the institution of slavery, the Civil War would be the turning point that set the course of the United States into the 20th century and beyond. Join us on the first Wednesday of each month as we explore the meaning of the Civil War and how the past has shaped who we are today through a diverse selection of narratives, novels, and histories. In partnership with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. 

Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne

Meet at Fredericksburg Library Branch (1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg)

Stonewall Jackson has long been a figure of legend and romance. As much as any person in the Confederate pantheon—even Robert E. Lee—he embodies the romantic Southern notion of the virtuous Lost Cause. Jackson is also considered, without argument, one of our country’s greatest military figures. In April 1862, however, he was merely another Confederate general in an army fighting what seemed to be a losing cause. But by June he had engineered perhaps the greatest military campaign in American history and was one of the most famous men in the Western world. Jackson’s strategic innovations shattered the conventional wisdom of how war was waged; he was so far ahead of his time that his techniques would be studied generations into the future.

Learn more about the Civil War Book Group...