history’s stories: gunnery springs & cobb camp

history’s stories A granite marker stands alone on the site that was known as Gunnery Springs that was famous for the Gunnery Springs & Camp Cobb By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks manufactory of weapons for the Revolutionary War in 1777. Fielding Lewis and Charles Dick manufactured weapons until 1783. The rare Fredericksburg rifle of which just 3 are known to still be in existence was made at the foundry. The powder magazine was said to be designed the exact same as the one at Williamsburg. In 1783 the site became known as the Fredericksburg Academy. The marker reads "In Memory of Our Comrades WHo Encamped On This Site Prior to the Campaign in Cuba During War with Spain 1898-1899” The marker was erected in 1942 by the 4th United States Volunteer Infantry. In 1898 the United States tried to remain neutral in the struggle that involved Cuba and Spain that had been going on for a decade. The cause of the United States going to war with Spain was the blowing up of the battleship Maine in Havana in 1898 with the loss of 266 individuals. This led to the slogan for war "REMEMBER THE MAINE!" In April 1898, the United States declared war against Spain.

American recruiters were well aware of the danger that yellow fever posed in Cuba, as there were hundreds of cases. They had found that men whose backgrounds of being from the tropics proved that they were immune to the yellow fever disease. This theory was never proven medically. The United States government decided that they would design and establish a camp located in Fredericksburg made up of "IMMUNES, " American soldiers who came from tropical backgrounds. This was the first time that that term was used to describe the men that were immune to the Yellow Fever and Typhoid Fever disease. There was a formation of ten units. Four of these units were made up of Black soldiers and officers. It was a volunteer Infantry, and the Surgeon General had established new regulations on the cooking of meals and the sanitation in the camps. The first company of the "IMMUNES,' arrived in the Camp Cobb during the week of June 4, 1898. They began training immediately as the 4th Infantry Volunteer Regiment.

The final fighting in the Spanish American war ended in July 1898, however, the training at Camp Cobb did not end until August. The training camp was not in existence for a year, therefore there is little information available about the camp or any conditions or activities that were associated with the camp.

There have been very few relics associated with Camp Cobb. There have been several military buttons found that were lost by the soldiers, the author dug one in 1998. The camp received its name from Southern General Thomas Cobb wo was killed on December 13, 1862, in the battle of Fredericksburg at the stone wall. Today the only remains of the camp are the small granite marker along with a sign the marks Camp Cobb at Gunnery Springs. Camp Cobb and Gunnery Springs is another part of historic Fredericksburg that is a place you may visit.

Dedicated to: Walter Stone, Agnes Boutchyard, John Sullivan, Allen Snyder, Dave Nave, & Art Buswell

Tuffy is Front Porch’s Resident Historian

the historic renwick building

By jon gerlach

Fredericksburg's iconic skyline rises above our town like a crown studded with architectural gems. The magnificent cupola of the Renwick Building stands out brightly among them.

Designed by James Renwick, Jr. - the architect of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington DC and St. Patrick' s Cathedral in New York City - the Renwick building is a unique example of English Romanesque public architecture in Virginia. Built in 1852 as a courthouse, the building's proposed $14,000 cost was shocking. An unheard-of amount, the proposal spurred a petition of 172 signatures by local residents seeking a more modest cost of $6,000, according to historian John Hennessy in the online Mysteries & Conundrums blog: A Beleaguered Courthouse.

The bronze bell in the Renwick cupola was cast in 1828 by the Revere Company, of Paul Revere fame. Prior to the Civil War, the building housed the court and the Hope Fire Company. Early in the war, the courthouse was a Confederate barracks. Later during a Union occupation it served as housing for escaped slaves. On December 13, 1862, Major General Darius N. Couch, watching the destruction of his forces in front of Marye's Heights from his vantage point high up in the cupola, exclaimed: "Oh, great God! See how our men, our poor fellows are falling!" After the Battle of Fredericksburg, and again following the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania, the courthouse was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers. Other interesting tidbits about the Civil War history of the Renwick building are found in the book, Fredericksburg Civil War Sites, by Noel Harrison.

The Renwick building is actually part of a complex of three historic buildings owned by the City that include the Old Jail (1928) and the Wallace Library (1910). The future of all three buildings is uncertain. The City has prioritized the adaptive reuse of these buildings (they sit vacant now).

A Historic Structures Report from 2016, conducted by Commonwealth Architects, provided documentary, graphic, and physical information about the history and existing condition of the buildings. It highlighted some problems with the Renwick building, primarily moisture infiltration in the bell tower and the building's cracked stucco, as well as problems with structural members.

A feasibility study in 2019 by Frazier Associates looked at three options for adaptive reuse of the Renwick building: offices, performance and event venue, and a boutique hotel. The options were viewed through the lens of market demand, best fit for downtown Fredericksburg, income generation and the costs of rehabilitation.

When the pandemic arrived in 2020, work on finding solutions was put on hold. Now, things are beginning to move again. Stay tuned as the City considers next steps in the future of the Renwick building.

So … what's in a Crown? Here … a priceless jewel in our historic skyline.

An attorney and retired archaeologist, Jon Gerlach serves on Fredericksburg's City Council, Ward Two.

"Crown Jewel" by Jon Gerlach