Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Union Center
The Battle of Chancellorsville
— Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park —
Upon reaching Chancellorsville on April 30, 1863, General Joseph Hooker deployed the Army of the Potomac in a defensive perimeter around the intersection. General Henry W. Slocum's Twelfth Corps held the center of the Union line. For three days his troops entrenched, creating a sturdy earthwork screened by the line of fallen trees known as an abatis. The trench in front of you is a remnant of that fortified line.
At first the Confederates did not test Slocum's position, but on May 3 Lee ordered a general assault. While Virginians led by General William Mahone attacked these works in front, Confederate artillery on the Orange Plank Road and at Hazel Grove sent shells screeching into Slocum's line from the rear. The Twelfth Corps gamely held its ground, but as the hours passed, its supply of ammunition ran low. At 9 a.m., Slocum ordered a retreat.
"During the night, [I] received instructions to fell the timber in front for the purpose of forming an abatis, which was improved on afterward by the men building a breastwork, and throwing the dirt up with bayonets, swords, tin plates, and many using nothing but their hands, completing an intrenchment which resisted repeated attacks of the enemy in front."
Colonel Charles Candy, Twelfth Corps
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 April 1808.
Location. 38° 18.162′ N, 77° 38.468′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Marker is on Slocum Drive, on the right when traveling east. Located at stop seven, Slocum's Line, on the driving tour of the Chancellorsville Battlefield, in Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania National Military Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8809 Blvd of the Generals, 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. The 27th Indiana Infantry (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chancellor Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chancellorsville Campaign (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ordeal of the Wounded (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fairview (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Fairview (approx. 0.3 miles away); Artillery Duel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Jackson's Impact (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
More about this marker. The main illustration on the marker is a drawing captioned Pennsylvania troops fight along this line, May 3, 1863. To the lower left is a map showing the Federal position and the direction of the Confederate attacks.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,385 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.