Near Chancellorsville in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Union Army Escapes
Photographed by Craig Swain, October 18, 2008
1. The Union Army Escapes Marker
After dark, May 5, 1863, Union soldiers left their trenches and began making their way toward U.S. Ford. A cold rain drenched the soldiers to the skin and turned the woodland roads to mud. At the ford, the Rappahannock River rose five feet in three hours, overflowing its banks. Union engineers hastily dismantled one of the three pontoon bridges in order to lengthen the other two. Hooker's generals advised him to cancel the movement, but still the retreat continued.
At dawn, Confederate troops crept forward from these trenches and discovered that the Federals were gone. Lee ordered immediate pursuit. "Go after them!" he snapped to Brig. Gen. Dorsey Pender, "Damage them all you can!" But it was too late. By 8 a.m., the last Union brigade had safely crossed the river, and engineers cut the bridges free. The Army of the Potomac would live to fight another day.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is May 5, 1863.
Location. 38° 18.778′ N, 77° 38.754′ W. Marker is near Chancellorsville, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. It can be reached from Bullock Road north of Plank Road (Virginia Route 3), on the right when traveling north. The marker stands at trail stop eleven on the Chancellorsville History Trail, at the Chancellorsville
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: Junction of Earthworks (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate Breakthrough (about 500 feet away); Flanking of Hays' Brigade (about 700 feet away); Chancellorsville Campaign (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chancellorsville (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Fatal Reconnaissance (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (approx. Ό mile away); A Midnight Conference (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chancellorsville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Chancellorsville Campaign (was approx. Ό mile away but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. Above the text is a drawing of the retreat of the Union army across U.S. Ford.
Also see . . . Battle of Chancellorsville. National Park Service page detailing the battle. (Submitted on October 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, October 18, 2008
2. Confederate Trenches
Photographed by Craig Swain, October 18, 2008
3. Other Section of the Main Confederate Trenches
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,011 times since then and 11 times this year. Last updated on March 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
