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Friends of the Rappahannock host a Civil War Canoe Float Date published: 6/10/2010
By COLLETTE CAPRARA FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR The annual Civil War Canoe Float is one of the most popular summer activities offered by the Friends of the Rappahannock--and with good reason. The Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers contain a broad spectrum of sites of significant and intriguing Civil War events. In addition, the float's knowledgeable guide--supervisory historian Greg Mertz (who has served the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park for 30 years and has conducted this trip for more than a decade)--delivers his information with a folksy charm that has the allure of a fireside chat. Consider this account depicting the camaraderie between the soldiers of the North and South: "Now, though on opposite sides, these men have a lot more in common than they do in difference. They're posted there to guard the river, but, especially during the winter, they know that the enemy is not really going to make a maneuver. "So these soldiers on either side of this very narrow river get to know each other and become friends. That happened at many places along the river." This camaraderie irritated one Confederate general, John B. Gordon, who thought his men should be acting more responsibly on guard duty. One day while inspecting his troops, the general investigated some movement in the bushes to reveal a hidden naked man--who, it turned out, was a Union soldier who had swum across from the other side. "When the general threatened to take him to the prison in Richmond, his men pleaded, saying 'That would ruin our honor! We invited him here!' "And the general turned to the man and said 'If I let you go this time, do you promise ' but before he could finish his sentence the man had shouted 'Yes sir! Yes sir!' and was swimming back to his camp." Although the exact stretch of the river that Saturday's float will cover is dependent on the water level during the weekend, all floats begin at the Friends of the Rappahannock headquarters, with a discussion in front of the outdoor mural of the river. "We'll be talking about how some of the river crossings of the Rapidan and Rappahannock were utilized, and we'll make the conclusion that here, because the Rappahannock was not deep enough to float supply boats and gun boats on, it actually became a barrier," said Mertz.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 6/10/2010
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