Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fairview
The Battle of Chancellorsville
— Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park —
Just ahead of you stood a story-and-a-half log house known as Fairview. This was originally a Chancellor home, but during the Civil War James Moxley and his family occupied it. Moxley was overseer of Frances Chancellor's 20 slaves. Moxley likely managed most aspects of physical work on the Chancellors' 800-acre farm - dispatching slaves to daily assignments, maintaining buildings and machines, and ensuring that crops made it to market. Moxley's status as overseer exempted him from service in the Confederate military.
As the Union army approached Chancellorsville, the Moxleys fled to Catharine Furnace, two miles to the south. Then Gen. Alpheus Williams turned the house into his headquarters; artillerymen built more than 40 lunettes, a type of fortification, in the fields nearby. On May 3, 1863, the farm became the focal point of one of the most intense artillery duels of the war. Though riddled, Fairview survived the battle but burned down just weeks later - one of three Chancellor houses lost during the war.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1863.
Location. 38° 18.433′ N, 77° 38.607′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Marker can be reached from Berry-Paxton Road, on the right when traveling east. Located at Fairview, stop ten of the driving tour of Chancellorsville Battlefield. The marker is also at stop five of the Hazel Grove-Fairview walking trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Spotsylvania VA 22553, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ordeal of the Wounded (here, next to this marker); Chancellor Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery Duel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fairview (within shouting distance of this marker); Jackson's Impact (within shouting distance of this marker); High Drama, Human Tragedy (within shouting distance of this marker); Collis Zouaves (approx. 0.2 miles away); The 27th Indiana Infantry (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
More about this marker. The background of the marker is an artist's rendition of the house and farm.
Regarding Fairview. This is one of several markers for the Battle of Chancellorsville at Hazel Grove and Fairview, the central part of the battle. See the Hazel Grove - Fairview Virtual Tour by Markers in the links section for a listing of related markers on the tour.
Also see . . .
1. Hazel Grove - Fairview Virtual Tour by Markers. The Hazel Grove and Fairview portions of the battlefield (stops nine and ten on the driving tour of the battlefield). Markers along this tour include those on Stuart and Slocum Drives. (Submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Tour of Fairview at Chancellorsville. This Robert Koch page offers photos of the Fairview site prior to clearing done in the last ten years. The text for the older NPS marker was transcribed from photos on his site. (Submitted on December 25, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Original National Park Service Markers
Probably placed in the 1970s, a two smaller markers stood at about the same spot occupied by this marker today. The markers, were aluminum with a brown background and white (not raised) lettering. The first read:
The trees in front of you are much taller than the ones that were here during the Civil War. The earthworks built on May 2, 1863 to shelter the Union artillery sill survive in remarkably good condition behind you. The Confederate capture of Fairview in the morning of May 3 force the entire Union army to fall back to its last line of defense.
The second read:
— Submitted December 25, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,363 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 4, 5. submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.