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Chapter 18: battle of Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg is located on the southern bank of the
Rappahannock River at the head of tide water, and the river is navigable to that point for steamboats and small vessels.
On the northern bank, opposite, above, and below
Fredericksburg, are what are called the
Stafford Heights, which are close to the river, and completely command the southern bank.
Fredericksburg's exact location is on a narrow strip of low land between the river and a range of hills in the rear.
These hills leaving the river opposite the small village of
Falmouth, which is a short distance above
Fredericksburg and on the northern bank, diverge from it below, and gradually declining, extend nearly to the
Massaponix Creek, which empties into the river four or five miles below the town.
The river flats or bottoms immediately below
Fredericksburg widen out considerably and continue to widen until they are from one and a half to two miles in width at the lower end of the range of hills, where they unite with similar but not so wide flats on the Massaponix, which extend back for some distance in rear of the range of hills mentioned.
Below the mouth of the Massaponix there are other hills which approach near to the bank of the river, and extend down it for a considerable distance.
Hazel Run, rising southeast of
Fredericksburg, runs through the range of hills along a narrow valley, or ravine rather, and passing close on the east of the town, empties into the river.
Deep Run rises below in the range of hills, and runs across the wide bottoms through a deep channel likewise into the river, something over a mile below the town.
The hills just in rear of the town were, at the time of which I am speaking, nearly denuded of growing timber, but below, to the end of the range, they were for the most part covered with woods.
The
