Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park - Tour Stop #10, Fairview (U.S. National Park Service)

Fairview is the name of the house which was the original home in Spotsylvania County of the Chancellor family. On May 2, Union artillery at Fairview faced west, parallel to the Orange Turnpike. At the daybreak on May 3, Union troops withdrew from Hazel Grove to Fairview. The Confederates massed cannon on Hazel Grove to the southwest of Fairview forcing the Union artillerymen to reorient their cannon in that direction. Most of the Union gun emplacements facing west on May 2 and facing southwest on May 3 have been preserved.

For about five hours on the morning of May 3 1863, Union cannon dueled with Confederate artillery at Hazel Grove. Meanwhile, the infantry fighting swayed back and forth in the bloodiest fight of the campaign. Finally, around mid-morning, Union forces withdrew from Fairview to Chancellorsville.

A short distance east of Fairview was the Chancellor family cemetery. A wooden fence surrounded the cemetery which in 1860 contained six graves. Union soldiers were buried in the cemetery after the battle. After the war, the soldiers were removed to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. A brick wall replaced the wooden fence in 1876. Today there are 25 postwar headboards and one pre-war footstone.

Salem Church

Proceed to Virtual Tour Stop, Salem Church