Chancellorsville Battlefield Spotsylvania Courthouse VA offers visitors the opportunity to explore one of Virginia’s most hallowed Civil War battlefields, with wayside exhibits and a recreational hiking trail network. Several historical landmarks are also on-site, including the place where General “Stonewall” Jackson was mortally wounded, and the Chancellor House. A great post ahead.
As Spotsylvania County continues to grow, the battlefield is under threat from development that could alter historic views and disturb and flood historically significant lands.
1. Chancellor House
Chancellor House is the official residence of the chancellor and features a beautiful garden. It has a lot of different trees that are labeled with their names and information about them.
The building also has a museum where you can learn about the history of South Africa and Nelson Mandela. It is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning more about the freedom struggle in South Africa.
The house was built in the early 1900s by a man named William N. Chancellor, who owned a bank in Parkersburg and was involved in lumber, transportation, and utilities. It was later sold to the university. The home is located on Franklin Street near the campus. It was previously used as a president’s residence until 1993 when the university moved to Quail Hill.
2. Fairview
In 1863 Chancellorsville was just a crossroads named for the tavern located here. It was the center of a region known as The Wilderness, a dense second-growth forest that had been largely cleared for local iron foundries.
Here on May 1 Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson hatched a bold and aggressive battle plan. Rebel scouts had reported that the Union army was vulnerable to a flank attack from the north.
The park has preserved the back roads that Jackson took on this famous flank march. A roadside interpretive shelter and trail follow Jackson’s route. The battlefield also contains the site of a bloody Union repulse on May 5. It was here that the inconclusive Battle of Spotsylvania Court House ended. This battle was a major setback in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign to pursue and destroy Lee. Here is another spot to visit.
3. Lee-Jackson Bivouac
At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lee’s daring decision to face a Union force twice his size—General Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac—took a heavy toll on his veteran troops. He lost a legendary subordinate, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, who died of pneumonia soon after the battle.
At Stop 5 on the Chancellorsville Auto Tour, a memorial marks the site where, on the evening of May 1, Jackson and Lee met to plan the next day’s flank march and attack against Hooker. That attack turned out to be the biggest victory of the Civil War, but it would cost Lee the life of Jackson. The monument is one of the battlefield’s most popular stops. It’s featured on park seals and in countless “Roadside America” feature stories and blogs.
4. Catharine Furnace
Located at the Brock Road-Plank Road intersection, this is one of the key points of interest in the battlefield. A visitor center exhibit shelter explains the battle. A trail leads to the site of the opening attacks at Laurel Hill where Union Gens. Gouverneur K. Warren and John Sedgwick were repulsed. Another trail follows Col. Emory Upton’s attempt to break through a salient known as the Mule Shoe.
A trail from the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center diverts to this location where Stonewall Jackson’s flank march and attack took place on May 1-3. The park maintains the unpaved trail, which gives you a sense of how Jackson and his men maneuvered in the tangled woods of the Wilderness. This is Tour Stop 6 on the Chancellorsville Auto Tour.
5. Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove is a popular destination for golf lovers. The area features a variety of beautiful courses, including USGA-standard greens and water on several holes. In addition, some courses have a range of amenities, including hot tubs and gardens.
The township is also home to many parks and other recreational facilities, including Torkington Park and the nearby Hazel Grove Country Club. Other recreational areas in the area include Rushtons Brook, Holden’s Brook, Cadshaw Brook, and Walker Fold Woods.
The township’s name is probably a reference to the many hazel trees that grow here. It may also be related to a small hamlet near High Lane called Hessel Grove, which appears on a map of 1674. In 1836, the township was officially named Hazel Grove by a vote of residents. Read on to find out!
Driving directions from Orange County Wash Pros to Chancellorsville Battlefield
Driving directions from Chancellorsville Battlefield to Wilderness Presidential Resort