Visitors to the Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia might come across a bit of US Civil War history that few had ever heard of. It concerns what seem to be a nonexistent battle, and a nonexistent “River of Blood”. Below are some interesting facts about that mythical battle and battlefield.
The Mysterious “River of Blood”
Situated between the 14th hole and the 15th tee in one of the courses at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, is a plaque attached to a flagpole that overlooks the Potomac River. Above a Trump family crest and President Trump’s full name is an inscription that reads: “Many great American soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot. The casualties were so great that the water would turn red and thus became known as ‘The River of Blood.’ It is my great honor to have preserved this important section of the Potomac River”.
The plaque designates that portion of the Potomac River as “The River of Blood”. However, few had ever heard of either that engagement or the designation, and for a very good reason. Civil War scholars and historians are in agreement that no battle had ever been fought at that site. They also agree that there is no “River of Blood” designation associated with the Trump National Golf Club. So questions were raised, and challenges were made to the accuracy of the plaque and its designation.
Trump was adamant, however. As he put it, the area was: “a prime site for river crossings. So if people are crossing the river, and you happen to be in a civil war, I would say that people were shot – a lot of them”. Unfortunately, scholars remain unconvinced, and refuse to accept the point-at-a-landmark-and-speculate method as valid historic corroboration. When informed that historians disagreed with his River of Blood designation, Trump retorted: “how would they know that? Were they there?”
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Some Sources & Further Reading
Rolling Stone, August 17th, 2017 – Donald Trump’s Golf Course Plaque Honors Fake Civil War Battle
