The History of Spotsylvania, VA

Established in 1721 and named in honor of Alexander Spotswood, the Colonial Governor of Virginia, Spotsylvania developed largely through the iron industry. It possessed the only fully equipped iron furnace in the colonies, and Spotswood’s “Iron Mines Company” used the nearby Rappahannock River for transporting firebacks, pots, pans, kettles and other goods to various colonial ports. When Spotswood died in 1740, his iron empire lived on and sparked the iron and steel industry that would eventually sweep America. During the Civil War, Spotsylvania was again in the spotlight as the location of four major battles—Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864 was one of the bloodiest of the war, and marked the beginning of the end for the Confederate troops. It was during the Battle of Chancellorsville that Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was mistakenly wounded by his own troops, and died of ensuing complications eight days later in Guinea Station, VA.

Spotsylvania County goes to great lengths to preserve its Civil War heritage and to educate visitors and residents of the various battles and events that took place on Spotsylvania soil 150 years ago. The National Park Service maintains more than 4,400 acres of the county’s Civil War battlefields, and the Civil War Life Museum highlights the lives of Confederate and Union soldiers and the turmoil of combat. Also, residents and visitors can observe the tombstones at the Confederate Cemetery--the final resting place for many of the Confederate soldiers who fought and died during the county’s four battles.

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