The Burying Ground

The Burying Ground. . Once owned by renowned builder Samuel Alsop Jr., this site is the final resting place for many of his family members, as well as members and friends of Berea Christian Church. Among those buried here are:, Samuel Alsop Jr. , March 1776 - Oct. 23, 1859 , Samuel Alsop Jr. was a wealthy plantation owner with massive land holdings and many enslaved African American workers. From 1813 to 1838, he operated a tavern and store at Spotsylvania Courthouse. He built several notable local structures, including Berea Christian Church, Fairview House, Coventry House, and Kenmore Woods., Thomas "Tom" Coleman Chandler , 1798 - February 1890 , In 1845, Caroline County native Thomas Chandler acquired the sprawling Fairfield Plantation, where he lived with his wife, 10 children, and 66 enslaved workers. During the Fredericksburg Campaign of 1862, Chandler befriended Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, who for a time made his headquarters at Fairfield. The estate, often called "Chandler House," was where Jackson died the following year after a being hit by friendly fire during the Battle of Chancellorsville., Maj. Allan C. Dickinson , March 20, 1838 - April 22, 1900 , 1st Special Battalion, Louisiana Infantry "Wheat's Tigers," C.S. Army; 11th and 15th Virginia Cavalry regiments , Allan Dickinson of Carolina, Va., was living in New Orleans when he joined the infamously rowdy "Wheat's Tigers," a Confederate unit out of Louisiana. Dickinson, who was wounded in action at First Battle of Manassas, later transferred to the 15th Virginia Cavalry. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, he convinced his superiors to stall a meeting between city leaders and a Union general where they were to discuss terms of surrender. This allowed time for Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee to arrive and reinforce the city. Later, Dickinson returned to Virginia and spent his final days among friends at Coventry Plantation in Spotsylvania., Dr. Addison Lewis Durrett , Oct. 17, 1826 - Oct. 27, 1887 , Surgeon, Company E, 9th VA Cavalry, C.S. Army; Surgeon, 35th Georgia Infantry, C.S. Army , A graduate of both the University of Virginia and Jefferson Medical College, Dr. Addison Durrett established a medical practice in Spotsylvania and was well-loved by the community. Though Durrett joined Company E "Mercer Cavalry," the first volunteer company organized in Spotsylvania during the Civil War, he came to treat Confederate and Union soldiers alike during his service. After the war, he continued his practice from Kenmore Woods in Spotsylvania. He died at a patient's bedside in 1887., Abigail Higbee , May 28, 1825 - Oct. 15, 1910 , Born to a Revolutionary War officer in St. Clair, Pa., Abigail Higbee was a devout member of Berea Christian Church and a beloved friend of the Revs. Thomas Campbell and Alexander Campbell, leading figures in the 19th-century Restoration Movement. The father and son traveled the country, preaching and calling for a return to the simplicity of early Christianity. They often visited Spotsylvania County and met with Higbee, inspiring her to help sustain Berea Church's teachings.