One Confederate Soldier’s Remarkable Act of Mercy
The Story of One Confederate Soldier’s Incredible Act of Mercy
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Proverbs 25:21)
This week marks the anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War.
On Dec. 13, 1862, Confederate troops inflicted a costly defeat on their Union enemies at the base of Marye’s Heights, a ridge line overlooking the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and beyond it the Rappahannock River.
The Civil War had raged for nearly two years. In Virginia in 1862, Union forces had suffered one disastrous reversal after another. From the Peninsula Campaign that spring and summer to the Second Battle of Bull Run in late August, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had repeatedly outmaneuvered his Union counterparts.
As winter approached, Lee awaited another attack from his headquarters atop Telegraph Hill.
Desperate for a breakthrough on the Rappahannock, General Ambrose Burnside — the latest commander of the Union Army of the Potomac and also the namesake of the bushy facial hair known today as “sideburns” — ordered a series of doomed frontal assaults on the heavily fortified Confederate position along Marye’s Heights.
The men in blue uniforms had no chance. “A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it,” one Confederate artillery officer predicted before the battle.
Indeed, wave after wave of Union troops suffered the same fate when Confederates opened fire. Union survivors fled in retreat, while thousands lay dead or wounded.
“It is well that war is so terrible — we should grow too fond of it,” Lee reportedly remarked in homage to his enemies’ courage.
A cold darkness fell early over eastern Virginia in mid-December.
On the very long night of Dec. 13-14, Confederate troops at the base of Marye’s Heights heard cries of agony. From behind a stone wall along what came to be known as Sunken Road, they listened as their wounded and suffering enemies pleaded for help.
Finally, one Confederate soldier could take no more of it.
According to multiple reports, 19-year-old Sgt. Richard Rowland Kirkland of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment risked his life by jumping the stone wall and bringing water to his wounded enemies.
For his incredible act of mercy, Kirkland earned the nickname “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.”
Alas, the young hero did not live to see peacetime. On Sept. 20, 1863 — nine months and one week after his act of mercy — Kirkland died at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Historians and history buffs, of course, have a well-earned reputation for pedantry. Thus, writers have scrutinized every aspect of the Kirkland legend.
For instance, as author Pat Leonard noted in The New York Times in 2012, not all modern historians accept the Kirkland story.
A key point of contention lies in the story’s primary source.
In 1880, a South Carolina newspaper published the recollections of Gen. Joseph Kershaw, Kirkland’s brigade commander.
According to Kershaw’s account, Kirkland first approached the general for permission to undertake the errand of mercy. Kershaw gave reluctant approval, and then Kirkland made his way into the no-man’s land between Union and Confederate lines.
“Unharmed he reached the nearest sufferer. He knelt beside him, tenderly raised the drooping head, rested it gently upon his own noble breast, and poured the precious life-giving fluid down the fever scorched throat,” Kershaw wrote.
Kershaw, however, could not have witnessed the act of mercy from his nearby headquarters, where Kirkland sought him out for permission before returning to the stone wall along Sunken Road.
Nonetheless, Kershaw did not provide the only source for the story. Years later, other South Carolina soldiers also identified Kirkland as “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.” Furthermore, according to the poet Walt Whitman, in early 1863 a wounded Union soldier reported several Kirkland-like acts of kindness from Confederates at Fredericksburg.
Indeed, not all historians question the Kirkland legend. On Virginia public radio in 2019, for instance, Virginia Tech history
What does Richard Rowland Kirkland’s act of mercy during the Battle of Fredericksburg remind us about the nature of war and humanity
Om/2013/12/12/whats-the-story-about-the-confederate-angel/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>points out, there are conflicting accounts of whether Kirkland actually crossed the stone wall to help the wounded Union soldiers, or if he merely showed compassion from a distance. Some argue that the events were exaggerated and embellished over time.
Regardless of the specifics, the story of Richard Rowland Kirkland remains a powerful reminder of humanity in the midst of war. In a time when both sides were locked in a brutal and deadly struggle, Kirkland’s act of mercy stands out as an extraordinary act of compassion and empathy.
It is important to remember that war is not just about battles and strategies; it is also about the individual lives that are affected and the suffering that is endured. Kirkland’s actions serve as a testament to the innate goodness and kindness that can still exist in the hearts of even those engaged in the most violent of conflicts.
In a world often defined by division and animosity, Kirkland’s story is a beacon of hope and a reminder of our shared humanity. It serves as a challenge for us to seek empathy and understanding, even in the midst of our differences.
As the Bible verse from Proverbs reminds us, even in the midst of conflict, we are called to show compassion and provide help to those in need. Kirkland’s act of bringing water to his wounded enemies embodies this principle, and serves as a timeless example for us all.
So, as we reflect on the anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg and the story of Richard Rowland Kirkland, let us strive to carry forward his spirit of mercy and compassion. Let us remember that even in the darkest hours, there is always room for kindness and understanding.
May we all find the courage to be angels of mercy in our own lives, and may Kirkland’s story inspire us to be better and to seek peace, even in the midst of war.
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