Civil War & Reconstruction
Trail to Freedom
Escaping from Enslavement
Escaping from Enslavement
Many enslaved saw the arrival of the Union Army in Stafford, in April 1862, as a chance for freedom. During the Union occupation that spring and summer, enslaved people from Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and surrounding counties streamed into Union lines. It was likely the largest single exodus of enslaved people in America up to that time.
This picture of enslaved people seeking freedom is at Rappahannock Station [now Remington] on the Rappahannock River. From there they proceeded to Stafford.
