Fredericksburg City Dock-Bridges and Biscuits - Fredericksburg VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 38° 17.792 W 077° 27.220
18S E 285429 N 4241564
Fredericksburg, with its railroad and close proximity to the Potomac River, provided the Union Army with an ideal base for an “On to Richmond” drive.
Waymark Code: WM1893N
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/21/2023
Views: 0
Fredericksburg City Dock-Bridges and Biscuits
Why was Fredericksburg important to the Union war effort? The answer lies in logistics. The Union army, numbering more than 100,000 troops, required tons of food, clothing and other supplies to operate. Wagon trains could supply the army for short distances, but they were cumbersome and difficult to protect. Longer supply lines required either water or rail transportation. Fredericksburg, with its railroad and close proximity to the Potomac River, provided the Union Army with an ideal base for an “On to Richmond” drive.
Three bridges spanned the Rappahannock River here in 1861: the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad bridge (which stood at the same location as the modern bridge ahead of you) and two wagon bridges located farther upstream. Retreating Confederates destroyed these spans in April 1862, making it necessary for the Union army to cross the river on pontoon bridges the following December during the Battle of Fredericksburg. The middle pontoon bridge stood here at the city dock.
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