When the Union soldiers arrived Stafford County in 1862 more than 10,000 slaves from Fredericksburg and the surrounding area saw their chance to escape, starting on the Trail to Freedom.
Many crossed the Rappahannock River, near where the Port of Falmouth Park sits today, and that’s where county leaders and historians on Saturday dedicated two new plaques that tell the story of the slaves' run to freedom.
The ceremony focused on 24-year-old John Washington, who in 1862 heard the music of the Union camps on the Stafford side of the river, and then crossed it and made his escape from slavery. Now residents can read his story printed on plaques at both the Port of Falmouth Park and across the river in Fredericksburg.“Many slaves from Fauquier, King George and other surrounding areas crossed the river to find their way to freedom, said Jane Conner, with the Stafford County Historical Society. “Near here, at Aquia Landing on the Potomac, is what really was the gateway to freedom.”
You can learn more about the trail at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center on Caroline Street. Raising awareness about the trail is a joint project between Stafford County, Fredericksburg and the National Park Service.
Photos by Mary Davidson
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