Slaughter Pen Farm

Gibbon's Advance

When Gen. George G. Meade's division surged unexpectedly forward through the fields on your left, Gen. John Gibbon's men scrambled to advance on Meade's right. Gibbon arranged his forces and ordered Gen. Nelson Taylor's brigade to attack the Confederates.

Taylor's ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Second Assault

With the failur of Gen. Nelson Taylor's advance, Gen. John Gibbon sent in Col. Peter Lyle's Brigade. Taylor shifted some of his remaining regiments to the right and joined in Lyle's assault. Together, Taylor and Lyle formed a six-regiment ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Hand-to-Hand Combat at the Railroad

Just before 2 p.m., Gen. John Gibbon ordered Col. Adrian Root's men to cross the railroad in front of you and enter the woods beyond. With flags in front and bayonets fixed, Root's and remnants from ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Retreat and Counterattack

"For my part the more I think of that battle, the more annoyed I am that such a great chance should have failed me."

- Gen. George G. Meade, USA

"Our cannon flamed and roared, and the roar of musketry ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Killing Range

Before the battle, Confederate artillerists used a lone tree on this ridge as a mark to establish a "killing range," to punish any Federals who attacked. As Gen. George G. Meade's men surged past the unassuming tree, the Confederates ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Meade's Attack

With artillery projectiles flying in every direction, Union Gen. George G. Meade galloped through the fields in front of you, encouraged his men, and looked for an opportunity to attack. When Union artillery blew up two Confederate ammunition chests, ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Into the Field

You are standing near the center of the most successful Union attack at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Two Union divisions, Gen. George G. Meade's on your left and Gen. John Gibbon's on your right, advanced into this field ...

Slaughter Pen Farm

Gibbon's Advance

When Gen. George G. Meade's division surged unexpectedly forward through the fields on your left, Gen. John Gibbon's men scrambled to advance on Meade's right. Gibbon arranged his forces and ordered Gen. Nelson Taylor's brigade to attack the Confederates.

Taylor's ...

The Slaughter Pen Farm

Where the Battle of Fredericksburg Was Decided

As hard as it is to believe, the beautiful and historic landscape you see before you was once on the verge of being bulldozed for an industrial park.

It was here, on December 13, 1862, ...