The Angel of Mercy on Marye's Heights

I am drawn to history and enjoy visiting historical sites, thinking about who might have walked on the very ground or lived in a particular house many years earlier. I guess I also hold out hope that we may learn from the past or as Spanish philosopher George Santayna said, "Those who do not remember history, are condemned to repeat it."

Our youngest daughter goes to college in Fredericksburg, Va., a town steeped in history. During tourist season you can see Civil War or Colonial era-costumed enactors on a small scale along with visiting historical sites.

On a recent parent's weekend we walked to the nearby National Military Park. During the Civil War (or War Between the States), Fredericksburg had the bad luck to be in a strategic position halfway between Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Va. Thus a critical battle took place there on frozen ground December 13, 1862.

The Union had the bad luck of facing Confederate troops who had entrenched themselves on a hill, Marye's Heights near the riverbanks utilizing a natural fort formed by a sunken road and stone wall. A delay in pontoons arriving to help the Union army cross the nearby Rappahannock River gave the Confederates ample time to establish advantageous positions. Wave after wave of young soldiers had to try and advance up that bank while the opposing troops mowed them down across an open field. If you study the artwork in a museum there, you can see the terror and futility in the eyes of the youngsters who marched upward towards certain death. When the day ended, General Lee had won his most lopsided victory of the war for the Confederates. The North suffered 12,600 causalities, with 1284 killed. The South had 5,300 wounded, with 608 killed.

Although I like history, I do not enjoy visiting battlefields. It is that same thought--of who fought and died here or had the living daylights scared out of him--that haunts me. I think we should spend as much time studying and remembering and filming the ways of peace as we do war.

Yet, can we learn from the past? As my daughter reminded us as we walked the quaint, quiet, and now bloodless grounds: "Remember, the same is happening right now, all around the world." Too true.

Part of my description above of the battle comes from a caption for a painting arising out of this bloodbath, called the "Angel of Marye's Heights," painted by Mork Kunstler. After the battle, a sergeant for the South named Richard Rowland Kirkland was stricken with compassion by the heart-rending cries of the thousands of wounded. At daylight he requested permission to aid the "enemy." His officer was naturally reluctant, thinking that he would be shot as well. Finally he was allowed to go, but he could not carry a white flag of truce or a weapon. He took an armload of canteens and calmly walked to a gravely wounded man, administering a welcome drink of life-giving water.

Descriptions say "a loud cheer arose and rolled down the Union line. Silently, the astounded line of Northern troops watched Kirkland move to another wounded man in blue and give him aid. Both sides held their fire while the courageous sergeant moved from one suffering soldier to another. Going back and forth over the wall for an hour and a half, Kirkland had done all he could do, and he returned safely to the Confederate line behind the wall." (www.americanmastersgallery.com)

Many countries observe some sort of Remembrance or Veteran's Day on November 11, including Canada, Australia, Great Britain and the U.S. Unfortunately, this Veteran's Day, killing and other acts of war and terrorism still continue, all in the name of freedom. There are also persons who have participated in groups like Christian Peacemaker Teams who enlist for a period of 1-3 years to go in the line of fire in an attempt to end bloodshed. May we not only learn from the many years of senseless wars and not repeat them, but be motivated by the Kirklands and many others who this very day are also risking their lives in the cause of peace.

If you're interested, there is more information about:
The most important event of all time and
The most important Book of all time.

email this message to a friend   |   DW Home

Contributed by Melodie Davis: MelodieD@MennoMedia.org Melodie is the author of eight books and writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way