The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, in the United States,
approximately in length.
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the
Blue Ridge Mountains in the west where it rises, across the
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
to the
Fall Line, and onward through the coastal plain to flow into the
Chesapeake Bay, south of the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
.
An important river in American history, the Rappahannock was long an area of occupation by indigenous peoples, including the
Rappahannock Tribe. Similarly, during the colonial era, early settlements in the
Virginia Colony were formed along the river.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, due to the river's acting as a barrier to north–south troop movements, it effectively functioned as the boundary of the eastern theater of the war, between the "North" (the
Union) and the "South" (the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
). It was at the center of a major theater of battle where tens of thousands of troops fought against each other. In this period some 10,000 enslaved African Americans escaped to freedom across the river to Union lines, after the first
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...
.
The river drains an area of , approximately 6% of Virginia. Much of the watershed is rural and forested. Development in the area has increased since the late 20th century with the southward expansion of the metropolitan
Washington, D.C. suburbs.
Course
The Rappahannock River rises at
Chester Gap, a
wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains a few miles southeast of
Front Royal, Virginia, near the single point where
Warren,
Fauquier, and
Rappahannock counties come together. (Source Coordinates 38°49'40.1"N 78°06'08.8"W.) It flows southeastward, past
Remington,
Kelly's Ford, and
Richardsville, before it is joined from the right by the
Rapidan River, its largest
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
. The Rappahannock passes through the city of
Fredericksburg.
Southeast of Fredericksburg, the river begins to slow and widens into a brackish
tidal estuary approximately long. It passes two small, important historic, river towns,
Port Royal and
Port Conway, which developed opposite each other, the former on the south bank, the latter on the north. The last navigable points for ocean-going ships, they were early ports for the export of tobacco, the major commodity crop.
As it flows past
Tappahannock on its southern bank, the river is well over a mile wide. The last settlements of any size before it reaches the Chesapeake Bay are
Irvington,
Urbanna,
Stingray Point, and
White Stone Beach.
The broad river enters the Chesapeake Bay approximately south of the mouth of the Potomac River and approximately east of the state capital,
Richmond. At the point where the river enters the bay, between Windmill Point, on the north, and
Stingray Point, on the south, it is more than wide. This
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
, south of the
Northern Neck peninsula, is a productive
oyster and
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...
fishery.
Above Fredericksburg, the Rappahannock provides fine opportunities for recreational
canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian.
A few of the recreational ...
and
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
. Most of the rapids are Class I and Class II in difficulty, but, near Remington, there are some rapids that are considered to be Class III.
The river's watershed is protected in various places as parcels of the
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Oysters
The
oysters that thrive in the estuary of the Rappahannock River are the least salty oysters of the East Coast. They are renowned for their sweet and smooth flavor, described as almost buttery. The low salinity allows a
Blue Ridge minerality to come through. These oysters are known for being good to consume with wine.
The nutritious oysters were eaten on a large scale in 19th-century Washington. They were served fresh, grilled, stewed, or as part of a pie.
History
The name of the river comes from an
Algonquian word, ''lappihanne'' (also recorded as ''toppehannock''), meaning "river of quick, rising water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows," the name used by the local
Rappahannock tribe. In 2018 it became one of the
federally recognized tribes in Virginia.
Although a few small hamlets developed along the lower Rappahannock during early colonial times, the settlement of the Rappahannock River valley began in earnest during the first years of the eighteenth century, at the urging of
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Alexander Spotswood. The
James River had been surveyed up to its
fall line, the point where, geologically, continental bedrock of the
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
meets the
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...
s and
alluvial soils of the coastal plain. It is usually the last navigable portion of a river from the sea.
Spotswood encouraged settlement in a river valley other than that of the James. In 1714, he began recruiting Protestant immigrants from the
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
to homestead on lands he controlled near the confluence of the Rappahannock and the Rapidan. Known as the
Germanna settlement(s), these villages were founded in order to exploit the
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
deposits of the region.
During the
War of 1812, the
Battle of Rappahannock River was fought on the river. Seventeen
British boats filled with hundreds of marines and sailors captured four American
privateers.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, 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. It was an especially difficult barrier for
Union troops to overcome in their attempts to thrust into southern Virginia, as they were vulnerable to attack while trying to cross the river on temporary bridges. Control of the river changed hands many times during the course of the war. Significant battles fought along the river include the
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...
, the
Battle of Chancellorsville, and two
Battles of Rappahannock Station. The defensive line at the river was finally circumvented by General
Ulysses S. Grant in the
Wilderness (or Overland) Campaign of 1864, ending in the ultimate Union victory.
During and after the first battle at Fredericksburg in late December 1862, about 10,000 enslaved African Americans from area plantations and the city reached for their futures, crossing the river to gain freedom behind Union lines. This exodus and its "Trail of Freedom" was commemorated in 2010 by installation of historical markers on both sides of the river, in Fredericksburg and in Stafford County.
["Trail of Freedom"](_blank)
Rappahannock River Heritage Trail, University of Mary Washington blog The exodus to freedom is now celebrated in an annual re-enactment starting in Fredericksburg.
In some 18th- and 19th-century documents, including some Civil War records, the Rappahannock River was referred to as "Hedgeman's River". A 1736–1737 survey labeled the Rappahannock above the mouth of the Rapidan as "Cannon", and further upstream it was identified as "Hedgeman's River," named after Nathaniel Hedgeman, an early settler of the region.
New River Notes website
See also
* Ferry Farm
* Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition
* List of rivers of Virginia
* Robert O. Norris Bridge
* Stingray Point Light
* Windmill Point Light
References
External links
Friends of the Rappahannock
*
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge
()
* ttp://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/settlerappa.html Early Settlement on the Rappahannock
Wade Fishing the Rappahannock River of Virginia
{{Authority control
Bodies of water of Essex County, Virginia
Bodies of water of Lancaster County, Virginia
Bodies of water of Middlesex County, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Rivers of Caroline County, Virginia
Rivers of Culpeper County, Virginia
Rivers of Fauquier County, Virginia
Rivers of King George County, Virginia
Rivers of Virginia
Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay