I’m fascinated with the idea of witness trees, which are trees that have witnessed significant historic events. I’d argue that there are also witness buildings and other features of our landscape (large boulders, hills and mountains, rivers and streams, old roads and rail lines) that have also witnessed history and are still around.
Fredericksburg, established in 1728, is absolutely loaded with history. George Washington was 6 years old in 1738 when he and his family moved there to Ferry Farm, his childhood home. His mother, Mary Ball Washington, lived in a house in town later in her life, from 1772-1789. The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg is named after her.
The Battle of Fredericksburg, one of the largest and deadliest battles of the Civil War, occurred December 11-15, 1862. The battle ranged far and wide, including on Marye’s Heights, a hill overlooking the town of Fredericksburg and nearby Rappahannock River.
Marye’s Heights was owned by John L. Marye, a prominent attorney and businessman. His large brick house, Brompton, was built around 1824 and was used as a Confederate headquarters during the battle. In May 1864 it was turned into a Union Army hospital after the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. The photo below was taken during the Civil War, and on the Library of Congress website the description includes “…the spots on side of house and on pillars are bullet marks…”
We were in Fredericksburg again today. Since learning that one of my ancestors fought in the Civil War and was killed in battle here in Virginia, I’m compelled to find what’s still around from that time. Below is a photo I took of Brompton from the Sunken Road in 2021.
I’ve recently read about the Brompton Oak, a witness tree that still lives on Marye’s Heights. Below is a photo taken in 1864 while the house was in use as a Union Army Hospital. The following is its description on the National Archives website: “Wounded soldiers under trees, Marye’s Heights, Fredericksburg, after the battle of Spotsylvania, 1864”
Brompton is now the home of the president of the University of Mary Washington and is private property. I wondered if it was possible to get close enough to the Brompton Oak witness tree to see and photograph it (without trespassing).
Today I did. As can be seen in my photo from 2021, the front of the Brompton House can be seen from the Sunken Road. The corner of the property that is nearest the Brompton Oak is bounded by the Sunken Road (which is too low and there are too many other trees for it to be seen from there) and Hanover Street. We drove along Hanover Street today and noticed a wall with a plaque and a brick walkway leading into the (private) property.
And there it was, the Brompton Oak (seen above and below).
Luckily, it’s easily visible from the sidewalk along the road–no trespassing needed (and I wouldn’t have done, no matter how tempted) to see the lovely old tree and the historic house beyond it.
My ancestor didn’t make it as far as the Battles of Fredericksburg or Spotsylvania Courthouse. Sergeant John Williamson, a member of Company K of the Pennsylvania 81st Volunteer Infantry, was killed six months before Fredericksburg and two years before Spotsylvania. But others of his regiment did fight in those battles.
I wonder if any of them sat under the Brompton Oak.
ChessieWriter 
