abstract
| - The Rappahannock River was a river system in Virginia. During the War of Secession, the river, with few convenient fords and fewer bridges, provided a barrier and defensive line behind which movements of troops could be accomplished with little fear of attack from the river-side flank from the Union. During the last year of the Great War, in 1917, the river was chosen to be the final line of defense for the crumbling Army of Northern Virginia as the US Army pushed them back towards Richmond. As the Confederates dug in along the river, the CS Government, unsure if the line would hold, asked for a full armistice along all fronts. In the ensuing peace, it became the new border between the USA and CSA. All territory north of the Rappahannock was annexed to West Virginia. During the interbellum, both sides of the river were heavily fortified. When the Second Great War began in 1941, the river saw mainly artillery action and aerial bombardment. Later that year, the US Army, under the leadership of General Daniel MacArthur, attempted a crossing of the river, but failed due to the heavy fortifications of the Confederates. Two attempts to cross the river at Fredericksburg during the war met with failure, and the front remained mostly quiet. In 1944, another attempt was made, and this time, it was a success, allowing Richmond to be captured. When the war ended and the Confederacy was annexed back into the Union, the river became a state border, rather than an international one.
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