| Fort
Hood, Virginia
In November 1862 General Robert E. Lee arrived in
Fredericksburg with the Army of Northern Virginia.
To prevent the incursion of Union gunboats up the
Rappahannock River, Lee asked his aide, T.M.R. Talcott,
to examine the river for possible points on which
artillery could be placed. Talcott recommended a site
on the right bank, approximately four miles below
Fredericksburg, where the river bent gently east.
After General John B. Hood's troops constructed
the gun emplacements on the brow of the bluff, they
became collectively known as Fort Hood. On November
25th, William H. Pendleton, the Army of Northern Virginia's
Chief of Artillery, ordered Captain H.M. Ross's battery
to man the works with his four "long range" rifles.
Men of "Tige" Anderson's Georgia brigade also picketed
the fort.
On December 11, Union troops crossed the Rappahannock
River two miles above Fort Hood. As a result, the
next day Pendleton ordered Ross's battery to abandon
the fort and occupy a new position near Lee's Hill.
A day later, on December 13, General Abner Doubleday's
division advanced downriver to protect the flank of
George Meade's division. Meade's Pennsylvanians had
been selected to assault the Confederate position
on the wooded ridge beyond the railroad. After Meade
found Confederate troops occupying a pine forest south
of him, Union guns on both sides of the river shelled
the woods and Solomon Meredith's Iron Brigade advanced
to seize it.
Meredith swiftly approached in three lines: the
24th Michigan and 7th Wisconsin comprised the front
line, the 19th Indiana and 2nd Wisconsin the second,
and the 6th Wisconsin the third. Minimal resistance
was met by Confederate pickets, perhaps belonging
to the 9th Georgia. A few losses were taken by the
mid-westerners in capturing the thicket and Fort Hood.
Doubleday described the capture as "masked batteries
for eight guns, arranged to sweep the river for a
long distance."
A couple days later, the Federals retreated back
across the Rappahannock and Confederates once again
picketed the river.
The Civil War Preservation
Trust has given $36,000 towards the preservation of
5 acres at this site. The 5.5 acre easement that comprises
Fort Hood contains the only remaining Confederate
river defenses erected during the 1862 Fredericksburg
Campaign. The terrain is mostly wooded and contains
two extremely steep hills. A small stream separates
the CWPT property from the county property. The site
rests adjacent to a public area, Cosner Park, and
a planned living community.
The 5.5 acre easement donated
to CWPT is open to the public. Interpretive facilities
are currently not in place. Please walk carefully
and respect our neighbors' property. Due to two steep
climbs and descents, and the small stream crossing,
a good pair of hiking boots is highly recommended.
Fort Hood is located in the wooded
area to the left of the Community Center at Cosner
Park. Walk carefully down the only dirt trail along
the river';s edge, cross the stream, and walk up the
second steep hill. The gun pits will be directly in
front of you. Please remember to leave the earthworks
undisturbed. Questions or special requests should
be directed to CWPT.
To get there, take Route 2 South
(Business 17) from Fredericksburg and continue for
approximately 4 miles. Shortly after passing a General
Motors powertrain plant on your right, a Fort Hood
State Historical Marker will appear on the right side.
Take the second left onto Hugh Cosner Drive. Continue
on this road until you enter Cosner Park. Park in
the lot in front of the Community Center.
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