Memories of blood–stained battles lie in Chatham

Owned by gentry, sustained by slaves and witness to War, Chatham is the only home in America visited by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. This Georgian–style mansion is best known for its role in the Civil War, when it served as Union Headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Visitors can see a new exhibit containing a replica pontoon boat, modeled after those used to cross the Rappahannock River in the Battle of Fredericksburg. A free movie depicts the impact of the Civil War on area residents.

Visit more Civil War sites in Stafford County. Experience how 120,000 soldiers lived during the winter of 1862–2863, leaving behind tens of thousands of fascinating Civil War artifacts. At the White Oak Civil War Museum, experience a vast collection of relics such as canteens, bowls and weapons such as bayonets, mortar shells and swords. Visitors can also explore the life–size, hand–dug replicas of soldiers' winter huts recovered from Stafford encampments and sites around the Fredericksburg Area. The museum’s newest exhibit is a recently–discovered section of a "corduroy road."

Today, the remains of the battle grounds offer visitors—especially golf lovers–a truly unique, interactive experience. Golfers have a chance play through Civil War landmarks. At Lee's Hill Golf Club in Fredericksburg, where General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate Army spent their winter in 1862, enables golfers to walk in the soldiers' footsteps while testing their skills on 18 picture-postcard holes. The course's perimeter and hole #12 boasts views of historical trenches that housed Lee’s men. At Cannon Ridge Golf Club in Fredericksburg, historic cannon emplacements, breathtaking views and deep ravines reside. At Meadows Farms Golf Club in Locust Grove, home of the Guinness Book of World Records "Longest Hole in the United States," par six, golfers will experience playing around a pre-civil war hospital and cemetery where Civil War soldiers were laid to rest. Other historic sites can be found at Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, which occupies a part of the estate previously owned by George Washington’s father, Augustine.

Encounter the richness of the American experience at every turn in the Fredericksburg Area and walk in the footsteps of Presidents and Generals. Come to the Fredericksburg area to find what interests you. It's all here. It's TIMELESS.