Near Chester in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lee's Headquarters
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 15, 2009
1. Lee's Headquarters Marker
To the east, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee briefly made his headquarters at Clay's house on 17 June 1864. There he received full details of the Union army's attack on Petersburg that began the evening of 15 June 1864. Lee learned that Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had committed most of the Union Army of the Potomac to assault the Petersburg fortifications commanded by Confederate Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard. After receiving the reports of the Federal assault on Petersburg, Lee realized that Petersburg stood in immediate danger. He left his nearby headquarters early the next morning and went with most of his army to reinforce the garrison at Petersburg.
Erected 2002 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number S-38.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 17, 1864.
Location. 37° 20.841′ N, 77° 24.627′ W. Marker is near Chester, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It is on U.S. 1 0.4 miles north of Old Bermuda Hundred Road, on the right when traveling north. This marker is located near the entrance to John Tyler Community College. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13100 U.S Route 1, Chester VA 23831, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Battle of Chester Station (was approx. 0.9 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 15, 2009
2. Lee's Headquarters Marker
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, March 2, 2025
3. The Clay House
A private residence off Old Bermuda Hundred Road - shown here photographed from the road's shoulder.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,597 times since then and 55 times this year. Last updated on May 19, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 17, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on April 23, 2025. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
