"I have arrested Mr. George E. Chancellor"

 

George E. Chancellor at a breastwork near Ellwood, April 1866

     Born in Spotsylvania County about 1842, George Edwards Chancellor was one of ten children born to Reverend Melzi Sanford Chancellor and the former Lucy Fox Frazer. He spent his first years at Hazel Grove, near Chancellorsville. In 1857, his uncle Lorman Chancellor bought Dowdall's Tavern on the Orange Turnpike (modern Route 3) near Wilderness Baptist Church, and Reverend Chancellor and his family lived there until it was destroyed by a fire in 1869.

Dowdall's Tavern, April 1866

     George Chancellor enlisted in Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry in Fredericksburg on April 25, 1861. His compiled service record shows that he was promoted to lieutenant in December 1862. On October 19, 1863, at the Battle of Buckland Mills in Fauquier County, Chancellor's horse was shot from under him. Like most soldiers in the Confederate cavalry, he owned his own horse, for the loss of which he was compensated $1,100 (in Confederate currency).  

     In his obituary published in The Free Lance on November 15, 1887, it was noted that Chancellor was wounded while leading his company on a charge near Petersburg in the waning days of the Civil War. His death notice also reported that: "In his wardrobe may be found a coat he wore in the war, in which are a dozen or more bullet holes, pierced by missiles from the enemy's guns, which he kept as a relic."

Chancellor family, April 1866

     In the Chancellor family portrait shown above, George Chancellor is seated next to his father.

     Although Chancellor continued to farm land he owned in Spotsylvania until 1883, by the late 1860s he realized that his skills and ambition would be better served by joining the merchant class of Fredericksburg. By 1870 he was living in the household of  Patrick McCracken, who owned a grocery and dry goods store on Commerce (William) Street, where Chancellor worked as a clerk. 

     In 1873, Chancellor bought a building at the corner of Commerce and Charles streets, where he opened his own farmer's supply and grocery store, which he successfully ran until his death in 1887. It was then owned by his younger brother Melzi Sanford Chancellor, Jr. (shown in the portrait above seated at his father's knee). After Sanford Chancellor's death in 1925, the store was operated by his nephews until 1954.

Broadside advertising Chancellor's business (Library of Virginia)

     In addition to his success as a merchant, Chancellor was also active in the civic life of Fredericksburg. Among his other endeavors, he served as vice president of the fair association, was a member of the Battlefield Excursion Committee, and played a role in the local politics of the Conservative Party.

     In October 1876, General Joseph Hooker and his literary executor, Samuel P. Bates (who was also the state historian of Pennsylvania) engaged the services of Chancellor to act as their guide to visit the Chancellorsville battlefield. In an article for The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, Bates wrote:

"We were accompanied on our ride to the Chancellorsville field some ten or twelve miles above Fredericksburg by Major George E. Chancellor, a son of Melzi Chancellor, whose home at the time of the battle was at Dowdall's Tavern, where General Howard had his headquarters. On setting out, General Hooker suggested that we should take some lunch along with us, as when he was there last, there was very little to eat in all that region. Major Chancellor thought it unnecessary, and in fact, we feasted most sumptuously at his father's house."

Chancellor's Retreat, 1884 (National Park Service)

     Chancellor, Hooker and Bates had their lunch at Chancellor's Retreat, the home that Reverend Melzi Chancellor built behind Wilderness Baptist Church after Dowdall's Tavern burned in 1869.

     At the conclusion of the Civil War, however, George Chancellor's accomplishments and adventures still lay ahead in an uncertain future. In 1865, George and his fellow veterans in the region were obliged to make a new start in a war-ravaged landscape, where money was scarce and prospects were bleak.

     For George Chancellor, a possible solution to this problem might be found by offering his services to a group that had plenty of money--the Northerners who began to surge into the Fredericksburg area after the surrender at Appomattox. Chancellor's intimate knowledge of his home county and the battlefields where he had fought provided him with a unique skill set that could be of use to his former enemies.

    His first step was to make a sales pitch directly to Secretary of War Stanton. In his book Where Valor Proudly Sleeps: A History of Fredericksburg National Cemetery, 1866-1933, author Donald Pfanz mentioned that on December 1, 1865 Chancellor wrote a letter to Stanton in which he offered to act as caretaker for the two federal cemeteries created by volunteers earlier that year (and presumably the cemeteries of the Union hospitals that were set up during the war) and to create another by gathering the remains of U.S. soldiers still unburied. He hinted that there was some urgency involved, as those remains were subject to being disturbed by the natural elements (including wild animals) as well as the hand of man. Quoting from Chancellor's letter, Pfanz writes: "If [the bodies] are not taken up and carried to some burying ground they will soon be plowed over by the farmers as a great many are in the cultivated fields." As it happened, the government gave careful consideration to Chancellor's proposal, but decided it could achieve the same result with less expense by undertaking the work itself. 

     Another idea Chancellor had in this line of work had, perhaps, a greater potential for success. He advertised a list of names of Union soldiers whose graves he could identify. For those who might take him up on that offer, he would (for a fee) take relatives to the grave site of their loved one so that the remains could be taken back to their home states and given a proper burial. As we shall see, Chancellor's experience with one such person seeking the grave of his brother-in-law got him into some trouble with the provost marshal of Fredericksburg. 

Dr. Reed Brockway Bontecou

Harewood Military Hospital, Washington D.C.

    

      Either by means of this advertised list of names or by some other means of self-promotion, the name of George Chancellor came to the attention of Dr. Reed Brockway Bontecou, the chief surgeon of the Harewood Military Hospital at Washington, D.C. During the years the hospital was in operation, 1863-1866, Bontecou revolutionized war-time medicine by photographing his patients. These photographs were used to document the treatment of the wounds of his patients and to track their progress. A great many of these photographs still exist, including this one of Frederick Pilgrim of the 8th New York Cavalry:

Frederick Pilgrim

     These pictures were taken by, or under the direction of William H. Bell, chief photographer of the U.S. Army Medical Museum. Bontecou's unique access to Bell's skills and equipment allowed him to undertake a historic project quite unrelated to his duties at Harewood Hospital. In the early spring of 1866, Bontecou led three photographic expeditions to the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse. A total of 121 photographs were taken by Bell and his assistants. (My thanks to historian and author John Cummings, whose research discovered Bontecou's link to these historic images. Mr. Cummings is currently working on a book on this very topic).

George Chancellor and Dr. Bontecou at Confederate works near Spotsylvania Courthouse, April 1866

     During Dr. Bontecou's visits to the area's battlefields, George Chancellor acted as his guide. The two men developed a friendly rapport and Dr. Bontecou was grateful for Chancellor's assistance. George, it can be assumed, was grateful for the business opportunity. 

Prentiss M. Fogler

     About the same time that he was guiding Bontecou and his crew, Chancellor was contacted by Prentiss M. Fogler of Hope, Maine. Fogler had somehow become aware of Chancellor's list of known burials of U.S. soldiers in the Spotsylvania area. He requested Chancellor's help in locating and retrieving the remains of his brother-in-law, Sergeant John D. Leach [2]. Both men served in Company I of the 20th Maine Infantry, which Fogler had commanded. Leach had been killed in action in the Wilderness on May 7, 1864, and was buried in the 5th Corps hospital cemetery there.

     Prior to meeting Fogler, Chancellor removed Leach's head board from his grave and took it to his house for safe keeping. He placed his own marker on the grave so that, it would seem, only he would be able to locate Leach's grave. 

     Fogler and Chancellor met Saturday, April 21, 1866. With them was William H. King [3], who later worked as the porter at the Exchange Hotel. King offered to drive Fogler out to the cemetery in his wagon for $12. At this point, Chancellor spoke up and said that since he had removed Leach's head board, King would not be able to identify his grave. Chancellor said that he was willing to accompany Fogler and King and designate the grave. His fee was $20. Fogler realized that he had no other choice than to accept Chancellor's offer, so the three of them, together with Sanford E. Chaffee [4], went out to the 5th Corps hospital cemetery. On the way there, they stopped by Chancellor's house to retrieve Leach's head board. 

Colonel Henry A. Hambright

     Fogler was decidedly unhappy about the way Chancellor conducted his business with him. As soon as he returned to Fredericksburg, he went to the office of  Colonel Henry A. Hambright [4], the provost marshal, whose office was located at the corner of Princess Anne and George streets. Fogler wrote an affidavit, witnessed by Hambright's adjutant, Richard Robins attesting to his experience that day. Fogler was quite angry about being charged $20 for three hours work, not to mention the fact that Leach's head board had been removed prior to his trip to the cemetery, which forced him to accept Chancellor's terms. 

     On April 27, 1866, Colonel Hambright wrote a letter to General Edward W. Smith, assistant adjutant general in Richmond:

"Sir,

I have the honor to report that I have arrested Mr. George E. Chancellor on the charge of removing the head board from the grave of a Union soldier. The charge was made by Mr. P.M. Fogler of Hope, Maine, a copy of which I herewith enclose, the original being a file in my office.

Mr. Chancellor states that he advertises a list of names of men whose graves he can designate. Mr. Fogler seeing the name of 1st Sergt. John D. Leach Co. I 20th Maine Vols. on the list wrote Mr. Chancellor to find out about said grave. Mr. Chancellor answered his letter when Mr. Fogler wrote that he would send some one for the body who would see Mr. Chancellor about it. Mr. Chancellor immediately removed the head board from the grave, as he says, placing his own mark there to designate the spot then he gave his reason for taking the head board as follows--that he was afraid the head board would be destroyed in some [manner] and then when Mr. Fogler came down he would not be able to designate the grave. Mr. Fogler came down and hired Mr. [William] H. King of Fredericksburg to convey him to the grave of 1st Sergt. John D. Leach Co. I 20th Maine Vols. on the Wilderness Battle field where the 5th Corps hospital had been established, take up the body and return to Fredericksburg with it for the sum of $12. Mr. Chancellor being near said that they would not be able to find the grave as he had removed the head board but would show Mr. Fogler  the grave and take up the body for $20 which bargain Mr. Fogler was obliged to make.

Mr. Chancellor having given the above facts I gave him his liberty upon his signing an agreement to appear upon being sent for. 

I remain, sir, your most obt. servt.

H.A. Hambright"

     Two days after this letter was written to General Smith, William H. King and Samuel E. Chaffee [5] came to Hambright's office, where each submitted his own affidavit. King said that after Fogler learned it would cost him $20 to be shown the grave site of Sergeant Leach, "We then started to the grave, on our way we stopped at Mr. Chancellor's house. There I saw the head board. It was put in my wagon. When we arrived at the grave Mr. Chancellor dug up the body and put it in the coffin."

     Mr. Chaffee, who was also a witness to this affair, stated: "I heard Mr. Fogler ask Mr. Chancellor if he could show him the grave of Sergt. Leach and he replied that he could for he had the head board at his house. And he added that he had taken it up to prevent it from being destroyed. I also saw the head boart at the house of Mr. Chancellor the same afternoon."

     It is not known what consequences George Chancellor may have faced for his actions, but he was sufficiently concerned to get word of his difficulties to Dr. Bontecou, who came to Fredericksburg and wrote a letter on Chancellor's behalf. I am unable to tell for certain whether his letter was intended for Hambright or Smith, but I think that General Smith did at least see this letter:

"Fredericksburgh, Va

Apr 29--1866

Dear Sir

I desire to state what I know of Geo. E. Chancellor who has shown myself and party great attention & friendship on three visits recently made to the battlefields of Chancellorsville, Wilderness & Spotsylvania. He resides near the Wilderness and is engaged with his brother [Vespasian Chancellor] in cultivating a farm, is of excellent character & is respected by all who know him. His thorough knowledge of the country led me to secure his company in showing all the points of interest, and in these rambles I have observed him to replace many head boards of U.S. soldiers that had been disturbed and seemed to manifest and earnest desire to preserve their condition. I have volunteered to make this statement from having heard to day that complaint had been made of his having removed head boards. I do not pretend to know the merits of the case in question other than the grounds about the graves are an open common exposed to fires and depredations by hogs, indeed I saw many not many rods from that house the remains of three soldiers that been rooted up by the hogs and several head boards plainly marked lying about the ground in the vicinity of the graves.

I do not believe that Mr. Chancellor would willfully destroy the identity of any grave, but would rather trouble himself to preserve such. He has been able to give great assistance to parties from the North looking after friends which his intimate knowledge of the Battle grounds renders a good value.

I have recently taken a series of Photographic views of our line of works from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania for the Army Med[ical] Museum and have observed many remains of men that never have been buried, and many quite imperfectly covered, their heads & feet now exposed.

I should judge that on the Chancellorsville fields there are one hundred skulls lying about. Mr. Chancellor would be of great service in pointing out the locations of these to any party the government might send to gather them up.

I have the honor to be very respectfully & truly yours

R.B. Bontecou

Bvt. Lt. Col. & Surgeon Harewood USA Gen' Hospital"

     The influence of Dr. Bontecou seemed to clear this matter up for George Chancellor, who was apparently summoned to the office of General Smith in Richmond. On May 3, 1866, Chancellor wrote a letter to Smith, reminding him that he had promised to compensate Chancellor for the expenses he incurred to make the trip to Richmond and for his absence from his farm. 

[1] Prentiss Mellan Fogler (1838-1897) was born on his family's farm in Hope, Maine. He attended the Westbrook Seminary (now Westbrook College) in Portland, Maine. He commanded Company I of the 20th Maine Volunteers, which achieved a measure of immortality for its heroic defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. The regiment's commander, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day. After the war, Fogler served as secretary to Governor Joshua Chamberlain, was the registrar of deeds for Kennebec County for 20 years and served as assistant secretary of the state senate. In 1897, he died as the result of burns received when a lantern he was carrying shattered after he stumbled and fell, covering his arms with burning oil.

[2] John D. Leach (1839-1864) was born on his family's farm in Hope, Maine. Just prior to his enlistment in the 20th Maine, he married the sister of Prentiss Fogler. Despite the unpleasantness experienced by Fogler in retrieving his body, Leach's remains were successfully transported to Maine and laid to rest in West Rockport Cemetery.

[3] William H. King (1844-1869) was born in Rochester, New York and came to Fredericksburg shortly after the Civil War. He worked as the porter at the Exchange Hotel. He married Fredericksburg native Margaret Jennings, a seamstress, in 1868. The following year, William King died of tuberculosis, and Margaret returned to the household of her widowed father, a shoemaker. After his death from tuberculosis in 1875, Margaret lived with her brother for a number of years. She spent the last 24 years of her life in the Fredericksburg Alms House, where she did of tuberculosis and syphilis in 1918

[4] Henry Augustus Hambright (1819-1893) was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was a veteran of the Mexican War, and worked as a public works contractor prior to the Civil War. He commanded the 79th Pennsylvania Volunteers until he was mustered out in June 1865. He then served for 14 years in the 11th United States Infantry. He served in several posts until his retirement in 1879, including duty as provost marshal in Fredericksburg January-June 1866.

[5] Samuel Erasmus Chaffee (1838-1920) was born in East Windsor, Connecticut. Just prior to the Civil War he worked as an axle maker. During the Civil war he served in the 20th Connecticut Infantry. He came to Fredericksburg shortly after the Civil War, and was appointed by the military authority as the city tax collector and as a justice of the peace. In October 1869 he married Fredericksburg native Mary Elizabeth Turner. They had one son, James Sanford. Samuel Chaffee returned to Connecticut sometime during the 1870s, leaving his wife and son behind. Mary and James lived with her parents until their deaths, then she lived with brother, Fredericksburg merchant William G. Turner. Mary died in 1923.

My primary source for the details surrounding George Chancellor's involvement with Prentiss Fogler is at Ancestry.com--U.S., Union Provost Marshal Papers, 1861-1867