Battle of Fredericksburg

Monday marks the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. It was during this battle that Burnside's Union forces faced defeat at the hands of General Lee's Confederates, who were entrenched on Marye's Heights. The Yankees were literally mowed down, and during the course of the bitter cold night, suffered tremendously, their cries and moans echoing in the still December air to the distraught ears of the Rebels.

One remarkable soldier laid his life on the line to assist the poor soldiers he was fighting against. This is a profound gesture, because the Union soldiers had pillaged the town upon their arrival, driving the remaining citizens into the woods to fend for themselves. Private Richard Rowland Kirkland, only nineteen years old, ventured out onto the battlefield to offer fallen Yankees sips of water from his canteen. Because of his bravery, he is forever known as "The Angel of Marye's Heights." He was killed a year later at the Battle of Chickamauga.

The battlefield has been honorably preserved, as has a house that survived the midst of battle and still has bullet hole pock mark scars to prove it. My novel, A Beckoning Hellfire, discusses the battle, and the remarkable thing that occurred afterward. Once the fighting had ceased, Northern Lights became visible in the winter sky. This was extremely unusual, as they are normally not seen that far south. The Confederates took it as a sign from God that he approved of their victory.

Confederate Marker Under Fire

A small monument erected in honor of 51 Confederate soldiers who died at the Battle of Fredericksburg is under scrutiny. Last month, a judge rejected the city's motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the Sons of Confederate Veterans after it was decided last year by the City Council that the monument must be moved.

The SCV Matthew Fontaine Maury Camp #1722 contends that the city has no jurisdiction over the monument, and thus has no right to force its removal. The monument, constructed of granite and marble, and erected in early 2009, sits on the corner of two intersecting streets. A much larger memorial is also located there, which honors all veterans from WWI to the present. Therein lies the controversy. The SCV says they obtained permission from the city zoning administrator, and that other Civil War monuments have been erected on city land, including one for the 7th Michigan Infantry and another for the Union's Irish Brigade.

However, city officials claim that staff weren't authorized to grant permission. According to the SCV's attorney, Patrick McSweeney, the council cannot change the rules after the fact. The judge requested that both sides settle out of court, but the legal dispute could grow. Ironically, the City Council approved the burial of Confederate troops from seven states in 1861.