Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Bloody Morning
The Battle of Chancellorsville
The most intense fighting took place in these woods. Now peaceful and still, this forest resounded with the deadly clash of arms as soldiers by the thousands killed and maimed one another among the spring's budding green foliage. The struggle was bitter, the fighting tenacious. When Union artillery at Fairview shelled the woods, the dry leaves caught fire, consuming the dead and wounded alike, adding to the morning's horror.
"The scene as I marched through the burning woods...was harrowing—unexploded shells & muskets going off in all directions, the dead of both sides enveloped in flames, the appealing cries of helpless, wounded Federals to be removed from the tracks of fire, the heavy pall of stifling sulfurous smoke, all added to the general roar of battle made it a perfect hell on earth. I do not wish to witness anything like it again."
Confederate General James Lane
(caption)
Rescuing the wounded from the burning woods
Erected by Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is May 3, 1863.
Location. 38° 18.429′ N, 77° 39.132′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Marker is on Stuart Drive, 0.3 miles south of Plank Road (Virginia Route 3), on the left when traveling south. Marker is located at Stop 9 on the Chancellorsville Battlefield Auto Tour Route. 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. Night-time Horror (a few steps from this marker); Elisha Franklin Paxton (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Brig. Gen. E. F. Paxton, C.S.A. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chancellorsville Campaign (approx. ¼ mile away); Hazel Grove—Fairview Trail (approx. ¼ mile away); Hazel Grove (approx. ¼ mile away); A Very Hot Place (approx. ¼ mile away); Lee Renews the Attack (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
Also see . . . Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. National Park Service (Submitted on January 8, 2018.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2018, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 250 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 5, 2018, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.