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Here at 5:15pm on May 2, Jackson's veterans crushed the Union Army's right flank held by General Oliver O. Howard's 11th Corps.

Union attackers broke through the Confederate line here on May 5, but a quick Confederate counterattack drove them out, capturing two cannon.

On the morning of May 3 Confederates concentrated 30 cannon here and opened an intense, concentrated bombardment of Union artillery at Fairview.

At 1:00 p.m. on December 13, 1862, Union General George Meade's 3,800-man division pushed ahead and charged into the Confederate line. Meade's Pennsylvanians broke through where the Confederates were not expecting them: a swampy, wooded area that was left completely undefended. Despite his success, Meade's forces were unsupported and greatly outnumbered. Meade's retreat signaled defeat for the Army of the Potomac's Left Grand Division.

While making a flank attack against the Union Army, Confederate General James was wounded by his own men.

Howison Hill was crowned with Confederate artillery that blasted the Union attackers in front of Marye's Heights. A large 30 pounder Parrot was among the guns at this location. This type of gun is classified as siege artillery and not usually found on a battlefield.

Belle Grove Plantation relied on the labor of over 100 enslaved people during its peak as one of the largest farms in Frederick County, Virginia. They worked in the main house, extensive grain fields, and as skilled craftsmen. On several occasions, African Americans enslaved at Belle Grove took steps to attain their own freedom. Whether through escape, purchase by loved ones, or manumission, their stories are important to understanding the history of the plantation.

From here on May 1-3 Confederate General Lafayette McLaws division kept Union forces occupied while Stonewall Jackson's troops marched around Hooker's army to attack his flank.

Prince Dunsick was an African man, kidnapped as a child, enslaved in Massachusetts, and enlisted in the Continental Army. His story is representative of so many forgotten soldiers of African descent, who fought in the American Revolution on behalf of a nation that didn't always recognize them.

Franklin Johnson (1823-1864), listed as a servant in the 1860s census at Hampton. In spring 1864 during the Civil War, he enlisted as a Union soldier in the U.S. Colored Troops (39th US Colored Infantry). Tragically, Franklin Johnson died while serving the Union, during this regiment’s very active role during the Overland Campaign. During the Siege of Petersburg, he survived the horrific mine explosion only to die of disease on September 24 at a hospital in Philadelphia.

Margaret is one of Hampton’s longest serving volunteers and has seen nearly 40 years of change in the park, its visitation, and how the site’s collection of historic structures and over 45,000-object collection are used to interpret the stories of those who lived and labored at the once 25,000-acre plantation.

Solomon Heater was from Loudoun County, Virginia, and supported his native state. Caroline was born and raised in Pennsylvania and supported the Union.

The Harrison House was one homesite on the Spotsylvania Battlefield. From here on May 12, Confederate General John B. Gordon stopped General Robert E. Lee from leading a counterattack against the Union Army inside the Mule Shoe Salient. Gordon launched the attack himself. Only portions of the house foundation remains.

In 2015 human remains were inadvertently discovered by City of Fredericksburg staff during construction for what is now Riverfront Park located on Sophia Street in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. With the assistance of the Sons of Union Veterans and Missing in America Project, a reburial ceremony took place in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery on May 2, 2025.

Station was a small community in Caroline County thrust into the spotlight because of its role as a Confederate supply depot during the Civil War and, subsequently, the location of Confederate General Jackson's death within the community in 1863.

Milford Beach is a recreational fee area where visitors have river access to swim or launch personal boats. The McDade Recreational Trail's northern terminus is near the boat launches for visitor use.

Smithfield Beach is a recreational fee site in the park that has river access for swimming, a personal boat launch, and a commercial launch. A large grassy area has picnic tables and scattered trees for shade.

As his army marched into the Wilderness, Union General Ulysses S. Grant made his headquarters on a slight knoll above the Orange Turnpike.

During their residency in New Bedford, Beatrice and Elaine Alder, a married couple, explored the city’s queer and working-class histories through their project, Law of Salvage, Queer Stories of the South Coast. During their residency they created art and prose inspired by archival research. The Alders used ceramics, textiles, and prints to reclaim stories of overlooked queer laborers and disrupt traditional binaries.

For about five hours Union artillery here dueled with Confederate artillery on Hazel Grove, while opposing infantry clashed in some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.