Located at the site of the bloody Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg, a lone bronze memorial honors the bravery and compassion of one member of the Confederate army. Richard Rowland Kirkland, aged just 19 years, became known as the Angel of Marye’s Heights, for repeatedly risking his life to carry water to the wounded and dying (mainly Union) soldiers who were left littering the battlefield at the end of one of the most gruesome battles of the war. The Monument to the Angel of Marye’s Heights was erected in 1965, after the Sons of Confederate Veterans posthumously honored Kirkland by awarding him their Confederate Medal of Honor. The veracity of the legend is uncertain, but the memorial is well worth a visit for anyone interested in Civil War history.

Monument to the Angel of Marye’s Heights, Fredericksburg National Military Park, Sunken Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

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