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Jun 16, 2025:
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Replace Marker for Grave of Unknown Union Soldier at Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park » Replace Marker for Grave of Unknown Union Soldier at Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center » Document List
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP proposes to replace the marker at the head of the grave of an unknown Union soldier located at the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center.
In 1935, park maintenance workers uncovered the remains of an unidentified Union soldier near Fairview on the Chancellorsville Battlefield. The park reburied the remains at the site where they were found until a decision on final disposition was made. Instead of moving the remains to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, it was decided to bury him adjacent to the Stonewall Jackson Monument that is now behind the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center. A simple wood cross was erected over the grave, painted white but with the simple inscription "UNKOWN SOLDIER" in black paint across the horizontal piece and "UNION" below on the upright post. Over the years, the cross, being made of perishable material, had to be replaced. In the early 2000s, park staff decided to replace the wood cross with one made of recycled plastic lumber, thus reducing the need for repainting and maintaining the cross. In early 2006, the park received a public complaint about the use of a plastic cross at the grave, the opinion being that it was not an appropriate marking for the grave of a US soldier. The park removed the cross and installed granite marker supplied by the Veteran's Administration. It measures 2' long, by 1' wide, and 4" thick, it bears the inscription "UNKNOWN SOLDIER - - USA - - CIVIL WAR" on the top of the flat stone.
In the decade since the installation of the flat stone, the grave site is beginning to deteriorate. As visitors must walk up on to the grave in order to read the stone, the grass has been killed, and the grave site is bare earth. Nothing will grow at the site due to compaction of soil and the dirt mound over the grave has eroded. The park now proposes to return to an upright grave marker, thereby allowing its inscription to be read from a distance. This will entail removing the flat stone, which will be defaced and destroyed per National Park Service and National Cemetery Administration (Department of Veterans Affairs) regulations. In its place, the park proposes to install an upright stone furnished by the National Cemetery Administration. The stone would be the "Civil War" style with a recessed shield and the words "UKNOWN - US - SOLDIER". The stone will be set at what is believed to be the head of the grave. The installation will be done by hand with only enough disturbance of the ground to set the marker. The park also proposes to bring in clean fill and rebuild the slight mound on the ground and plant grass.
540-627-6079
In 1935, park maintenance workers uncovered the remains of an unidentified Union soldier near Fairview on the Chancellorsville Battlefield. The park reburied the remains at the site where they were found until a decision on final disposition was made. Instead of moving the remains to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, it was decided to bury him adjacent to the Stonewall Jackson Monument that is now behind the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center. A simple wood cross was erected over the grave, painted white but with the simple inscription "UNKOWN SOLDIER" in black paint across the horizontal piece and "UNION" below on the upright post. Over the years, the cross, being made of perishable material, had to be replaced. In the early 2000s, park staff decided to replace the wood cross with one made of recycled plastic lumber, thus reducing the need for repainting and maintaining the cross. In early 2006, the park received a public complaint about the use of a plastic cross at the grave, the opinion being that it was not an appropriate marking for the grave of a US soldier. The park removed the cross and installed granite marker supplied by the Veteran's Administration. It measures 2' long, by 1' wide, and 4" thick, it bears the inscription "UNKNOWN SOLDIER - - USA - - CIVIL WAR" on the top of the flat stone.
In the decade since the installation of the flat stone, the grave site is beginning to deteriorate. As visitors must walk up on to the grave in order to read the stone, the grass has been killed, and the grave site is bare earth. Nothing will grow at the site due to compaction of soil and the dirt mound over the grave has eroded. The park now proposes to return to an upright grave marker, thereby allowing its inscription to be read from a distance. This will entail removing the flat stone, which will be defaced and destroyed per National Park Service and National Cemetery Administration (Department of Veterans Affairs) regulations. In its place, the park proposes to install an upright stone furnished by the National Cemetery Administration. The stone would be the "Civil War" style with a recessed shield and the words "UKNOWN - US - SOLDIER". The stone will be set at what is believed to be the head of the grave. The installation will be done by hand with only enough disturbance of the ground to set the marker. The park also proposes to bring in clean fill and rebuild the slight mound on the ground and plant grass.
Contact Information
Eric Mink540-627-6079