FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The remains of three U.S. soldiers, believed to have died during the first Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, were formally buried last week in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Their discovery during a 2015 excavation project on Sophia Street set off years of archaeological work, historical research, and coordination between the City of Fredericksburg and the National Park Service.

According to the city, the burial took place on May 2 after the remains were identified as those of U.S. soldiers using DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating, and military artifacts such as uniform buttons. In 2017, Fredericksburg officials formally requested that the remains be interred in the national cemetery. Since the cemetery has been closed to new burials since 1945, several investigations were needed to identify a clear burial site — a process delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and not completed until late 2023.