Chatham House
FROM NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER - June 2, 2024
A stop this summer at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia can provide some insights and perspectives into the Civil War battles that raged across this landscape.
The annual History at Sunset program continues with topics covering lesser-known stories across the park. Additionally, walking tours will explore the grounds of the Jackson Death Site, and on select evenings, the Chatham gate will be open into the evening.
Chatham Evening Hours on 2nd Fridays
On June 14, July 12, and August 9, the Chatham parking lot gate will remain open until 8 p.m. Join park staff on the grounds to reflect on the history of Chatham. Bring your camera, a sketchbook, or pick up some supplies to create your own artwork interpreting this special place during these evening hours.
Walking Tours of the Jackson Death Site Grounds on 1st and 3rd Saturdays
On June 15, July 6 & 20, and August 3, join park staff and explore the history that shaped this landscape and reflect on what the landscape tells us today. This 45-minute walking tour will cover about a quarter-mile over flat terrain.
2024 History at Sunset Schedule
All History at Sunset occur every other Saturday evening, programs start at 6:30 p.m., last 90 minutes, and are free to all visitors. Programs take place outdoors. Come prepared with bug spray, comfortable walking shoes, and water. The 2024 History at Sunset schedule is as follows:
June 15 — “The United Roar Was Sublime”: The Second Battle of Fredericksburg, May 3, 1863
Battlefield hike, 1 mile, meet at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center; In May 1863, fighting once more returned to the town of Fredericksburg. The action that made up the Second Battle of Fredericksburg was full of drama and carried high stakes for both sides.
June 29 — Wilderness Crossing Trail
Battlefield hike, 1.5 mile, meet at Ellwood on the Wilderness Battlefield; Learn more about those hard at work behind the scenes of the Union army, the area hospitals, and the return of US military forces for Marine Corps exercises in the 1920s around Ellwood Plantation.
July 13 — “To Care for Him Who Shall Have Borne the Battle”: Stories from the Fredericksburg National Cemetery
Battlefield walk, 0.25 mile, meet at the side entrance to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery; Join park rangers for a program that examines the stories of some of the soldiers killed during the war and how their families navigated the difficult realities that war produced and explore how the country made meaning out of the devastation of war.
July 27 — "The Fruit of Grant's Victories": Confederate POWs at Spotsylvania Court House
Battlefield hike, 3/4 mile, meet at the Bloody Angle (tour stop 3 on the Spotsylvania Battlefield); Thousands of Confederate soldiers became prisoners on May 12, 1864. What did their confinement entail? How were they treated by their captors and comrades during and after the war?
August 10 — The Legacy of Ellwood: Slavery, Resistance, and Power
Stationary evening talk, meet at Ellwood on the Wilderness Battlefield; What does it mean to resist against oppression? Join rangers for a talk about this complex place with a storied past of slavery and resistance.