Making the pilgrimage to Gettysburg, by far the most famous battleground of the Civil War will undoubtedly draw you in making you feel the enormity of the loss. But honestly, it's the less famous battlefields that will most likely touch your heart and leave you fascinated and heartbroken at the same time. We would have missed Chancellorsville had it not been for Joel screaming at me to pull over as we barreled down the highway. He'd read about the battle in AP US history and was very curious to see where it actually happened. We weren't exactly racing to get to our next stop, so we made a U-turn and headed into the visitor center. What we saw there will stay with me for the rest of my life and left me with an understanding of why so many folks are nearly obsessed with all things Civil War.
Chancellorsville was a significant battle and was a huge victory for the Confederate Army. By dividing his troops into two groups, General Robert E. Lee was able to attack the Union troops under the direction of Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker from two sides resulting in significant losses. The battle lasted 6 days and saw the second bloodiest battle exceeded only by Gettysburg. while widely considered a victory for the Confederate side, the battle resulted in the loss of one of the Confederates most valuable Generals, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
What makes this visitor center worth the trip and so much more moving are the personal stories, artifacts and compact history...meaning it's not a complete overview of the entire civil war (like the display at Gettysburg that we found overwhelming in it's extremely large scope). It's the story of one battle, the soldiers that fought it both Union and Confederate, the Chancellor family and their farm who were unwitting victims, and those that later came to claim their sons and brothers and fathers who were injured or killed.
Walking though the displays and reading the stories, it was easy for all of us to get caught up in the personal drama. To not only see photos but to look at personal effects. I could not help but wonder what those soldiers thought about, how they had suffered to get here and how they battled in their bravery for their cause. I could imagine the grief of the mother and wife of John W. Patterson upon finding his temporary grave marking his death in May of 1864. To read his words displayed there brought tears to my eyes as if the loss was my own.
Do Not miss this opportunity to get an intimate portrait of the Civil War. Like me, I know what you see and experience here will stay with you forever and make anything you ever see that is Civil War related that much more personal. There is a 22 minute film that costs $1-2 per person. See it if you have time. There is also a 30 minute guided which is probably super informative. We did not get the chance to do either but I would imagine they are fantastic.
