Unknown Until Now–The Ongoing Effort to Identify the Dead in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery

Unknown Until Now–The Ongoing Effort to Identify the
Dead in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery

Presented by Peter Maugle, Park Ranger
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

The Fredericksburg National Cemetery was established in 1866 and remained open for military burials until 1945. It holds the remains of 15,414 soldiers, sailors and Marines who mostly died during the Civil War. At least 85% of the graves are unidentified, resulting in over 12,770 unknowns (the most of any cemetery in the U.S.) During this program, we will learn about unique aspects of this cemetery and recent efforts to identify some of the unknowns without exhumation or DNA analysis.

Peter Maugle is a native of Bethlehem, PA with a B.A. in history from Penn State. He worked as a park ranger at Valley Forge National Historical Park for six years and is currently stationed at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He conducts tours and programs related to various aspects of the American Revolution and the Civil War and lives in Spotsylvania with his wife and daughter.

CHAT