General Burnside established his headquarters at Chatham, and at the foot of its terraced lawns one of the pontoon bridges were thrown across the river over which many a brave man passed never to return.
The National Cemetery
Located on Willis Hill, a part of the historic Marye’s Heights, overlooking Fredericksburg and the beautiful Rappahannock Valley, the Union soldiers who were killed in the various battles around Fredericksburg and those who died in camp are interred. This cemetery has the largest number of interments of any in the country, there being 15,295, of these about 2,500 are known and their names, regiment and state are registered in a book in the superintendent’s office.
Just to the left entering the cemetery General Daniel Butterfield has erected a beautiful monument to the valor of the Fifth Army Corps, which he commanded.
To the right at the top of the hill is a monument to the 127th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Colonel W. W. Jennings, Commanding.
In the center of the cemetery the State of Pennsylvania has erected a monument to commemorate the charge of General Humphrey’s Division, Fifth Corps, in the battle of Fredericksburg, 1862.
The “Sentry Box”
On lower Main street was the residence of General George Weedon of Revolutionary fame, and afterwards occupied by Colonel Hugh Mercer, a son of General Hugh Mercer, who was killed at the battle of Princeton.
The name “Sentry Box” being applied on account of the unobstructed view for some distance. It being used during the Revolutionary, War of 1812 and Civil war, as a place to watch and give the alarm of the approach of the enemy.