Hi Wikitreers,
“One of the great acts of mercy of the U.S. Civil War” is of this 19 year old Confederate soldier named Richard Rowland Kirkland. He brought water canteens and blankets to the wounded Confederate and Union soldiers during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862. The Union suffered heavy casualties in the assault and hundreds were left on the battlefield suffering from the cold and lack of water, as their cries of pain and suffering went on for hours with both sides hearing their cries; this Rebel soldier Richard Kirkland decided to take matters into his own hands and brought canteens of water and blankets risking his own safety to help those in need. He was nicknamed “The Angel of Marye’s Heights”
He went on to participate at the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg but also previously at First a Bull Run and so many other battles serving in the 2nd South Carolina Infantry. Sadly he was cut down at the Battle of Chickamagua.
This brave soldier is a notable and has a Wikipedia page dedicated to him. There is also a monument at the Battlefield of Fredericksburg in his honor.
A merge is pending as when I was creating his profile the LNAB was spelled with a typo as krikland and the match didn’t appear. However the merge should continue
I’d like to find out more about this veteran as it appears his regiment history and civil war sticker need to be updated also his genealogy needs more work. Categorization needs to be updated as well
A story of how mercy transcends all in the end…and maybe just maybe your ancestor was visited by The Angel of Marye’s Heights
Thank you
