Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
A Region of Gloom
The Battle of Chancellorsville
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
1. A Region of Gloom Marker
From the time of its earliest settlement, this region was known as "The Wilderness of Spotsylvania" because of its dense thickets and poor soil. Locals called the countryside just west of the Wilderness "The Poison Fields." High concentrations of iron and other minerals (including gold) in the soil made for poor growing conditions, scrawny trees dominated here. The iron industry rendered the landscape even more forbidding. The rich mineral content of the soil spawned mines and iron furnaces as early as 1718. Those furnaces (like Catharine Furnace, in front of you) required vast amounts of charcoal, which in turn demanded that huge swaths of timber be cut for fuel. The cutting operations which continued for decades, left behind a landscape engulfed by newly emerging pines, stunted oaks, vines, thorn bushes, and honeysuckle -- "a wilderness in the most forbidding sense of the word," wrote one officer.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Features • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1718.
Location. 38° 17.324′ N, 77° 38.89′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area, in Northern Virginia, and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. 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. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Catharine Furnace (here, next to this marker); Jackson's Flank March (here, next to this marker); Chancellorsville Campaign (approx. Ό mile away); About a mile in the distance... (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Chancellorsville Campaign (approx. half a mile away); Maury Birthplace (approx. half a mile away); Birthplace of Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873) (approx. half a mile away); Maury House Trail (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
More about this marker. The lower portion of the marker displays a map of the region. "Catharine Furnace appears near the bottom of this map, drawn by "Stonewall" Jackson's topographer, Jed Hotchkiss. The map clearly shows the extend of the Wilderness's forest cover." On the upper right is a photograph of "The Wilderness as it appeared about 1900, 'It is impossible to conceive a field worse
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 18, 2023
2. A Region of Gloom Marker
Regarding A Region of Gloom. This is one of several markers for the Battle of Chancellorsville along McLaws Drive, Furnace Road, Sickles Drive, and East Jackson Trail, on the east side of the battlefield. See the McLaws's Line to Catharine Furnace Virtual Tour by Markers in the links section for a listing of related markers on the tour.
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Chancellorsville. National Parks Service site. (Submitted on November 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. McLaws's Line to Catharine Furnace Virtual Tour by Markers. Spread across a two mile segment on the east side of the battlefield, this virtual tour by markers covers action from May 1-3, 1863. (Submitted on November 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
3. Tour Stop Six - Catharine Furnace
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,685 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on March 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on November 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on November 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
