Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Chancellor Cemetery
The Battle of Chancellorsville
— Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park —
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
1. Chancellor Cemetery Marker
This is the Chancellor family cemetery. In the first half of the 19th century the Chancellors dominated this section of Spotsylvania County. Fairview was the original family seat, but branches of the family eventually lived at Chancellorsville, Hazel Grove, Forest Hall, and Dowdall's Tavern. Residents of all those places are likely buried here. Not buried here are the family's slaves. The location of their graves is not known.
The earliest known grave in the cemetery dates to 1812. By 1860 there were at least six Chancellors interred here. Today there are 25 headstones - all of them dating after the Civil War. The brick wall surrounding the cemetery replaced a white picket fence that stood here in 1863.
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 year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 38° 18.433′ N, 77° 38.59′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Marker can be reached from Berry Paxton Road, on the right when traveling east. Located at Fairview, stop ten of the driving tour of Chancellorsville Battlefield. The marker is also at stop five of the Hazel Grove-Fairview walking trail. Touch for map
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ordeal of the Wounded (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairview (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery Duel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fairview (within shouting distance of this marker); Jackson's Impact (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); High Drama, Human Tragedy (about 300 feet away); Collis Zouaves (approx. 0.2 miles away); The 27th Indiana Infantry (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
More about this marker. The background of the marker is a photograph "taken from the Orange Plank Road, 600 yards ahead of you, ca. 1876" with the Chancellor Cemetery in the background. A map of the area is on the upper right of the marker showing "Chancellorsville, Hazel Grove, and Fairview all burned during the war; Dowdall's Tavern was gone by 1869. Only Forest Hall still stands."
Regarding Chancellor Cemetery. This is one of several markers for the Battle of Chancellorsville at Hazel Grove and Fairview, the central part of the battle. See the Hazel Grove - Fairview Virtual Tour by Markers
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
2. Map of the Chancellor Family Houses
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Chancellorsville. National Park Service site. (Submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Hazel Grove - Fairview Walking Trail. A one mile walk through the scene of the heavy fighting on May 2-3, 1863. (Submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
3. Hazel Grove - Fairview Virtual Tour by Markers. The Hazel Grove and Fairview portions of the battlefield (stops nine and ten on the driving tour of the battlefield). Markers along this tour include those on Stuart and Slocum Drives. (Submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
4. Tour of Fairview at Chancellorsville. This Robert Koch page offers photos of the Fairview site prior to clearing done in the last ten years. The text for the older NPS marker was transcribed from photos on his site. (Submitted on December 25, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
5. Old Chancellor Cemetery Marker. Civil War Album link to a photo of the original marker. (Submitted on December 25, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Older National Park Service Marker
An older 1960s or 70s era marker stood
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
3. Looking Past the Site of Fairview at the Cemetery
The cemetery is in the center right distant and the marker is on the left. The wooden platform in the foreground - does it cover an old well used at Fairview?
The marker was a standard type used by the park in that era - about three feet high, aluminum construction, with a brown background and white lettering. The lettering was not raised, but rather painted on.
— Submitted December 25, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 18, 2023
4. The Chancellor Cemetery can be seen beyond the Marker
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
5. Chancellor Cemetery
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
6. Headstones in the Chancellor Cemetery
Photographed By Kevin W., November 18, 2007
7. Dr. J. E. Chancellor Family Plot
Not all the Chancellors are buried in Chancellorsville. Dr. Chancellor and his family were buried behind the old Berea Christian Church (now the Spotsylvania County Museum) in nearby Spotsylvania Courthouse. Dr. Chancellor was in charge of several hospitals in Charlottesville during the Civil War and was later a professor at the University of Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,817 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5, 6. submitted on November 18, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 7. submitted on December 3, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of Forest Hall • Can you help?
