Existing comment:
Why Here?
Located exactly halfway between the opposing capitals of Washington and Richmond, the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers constituted a major obstacle for advancing Union armies and a position of defense for the Confederates. Almost continuously for 19 months the armies hovered along those rivers, maneuvering, camping, and fighting. The armies' mere presence devastated the region, leaving residents destitute and the landscape ravaged. |