Civil War Trust Preserves 355 Acres At Chancellorsville And Wilderness Battlefields

Originally published February 2017 · p. 27

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA.–The Civil War Trust declared victory on a 355-acre property associated with the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville and the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness. With this additional land, the Trust has helped save over 1,100 acres of at these two battlefields. The blood of more than 61,000 soldiers in blue and gray was shed during these conflicts, including that of Gen. Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, who was mortally wounded amid the fighting at Chancellorsville. “These crucial acres will physically connect and help complete the story of two of America’s most important battles,” said Trust President James Lighthizer. “The land will serve as a bridge through history and enhance the visitor experience at both battlefields.” The land was purchased for $1.75 million. Funding was provided by matching grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection

Program and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, foundation grants, a generous contribution from the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, and major gifts from several Trust donors. The remaining funds, totaling $350,000, were raised from Trust members during a fundraising campaign announced in April 2016. Gen. Robert E. Lee’s victory at Chancellorsville is one of his greatest military achievements of the entire war. On April 30, 1863, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s crossing of the Rappahannock fords placed his Army of the Potomac on Lee’s vulnerable left flank. Rather than retreat before this sizable Federal force, Lee opted to attack Hooker while he was still within the thick wilderness. On May 2, 1863, Gen. Stonewall Jackson, with 30,000 Confederates, attacked the exposed Union right flank and stunned the 11th Corps, threatening Hooker’s entire army. Learn more at www.Civilwar.org.