Struggle on the Orange Plank Road

Struggle on the Orange Plank Road (HM4JS)

Location: Locust Grove, VA 22508 Orange County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 19.052', W 77° 45.377'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 481 views
Inscription

Wilderness Exhibit Shelter

— East Wall —

Crisis at the Crossroads
Crises followed one after another on May 5. No sooner had Grant and Meade learned about Ewell's approach on the Orange Turnpike than they discovered General A.P. Hill's corps moving up the Orange Plank road. If Hill reached the Brock Road, he would cut the Army of the Potomac in two.

Union commanders rushed General Winfield S. Hancock's Second Corps to the imperiled crossroads, securing it for the North. At 4 p.m., Hancock assailed Hill's line. Fighting behind low logworks and amidst fires, Hill's men stubbornly defended themselves against Hancock's sledgehammer blows. When the fighting ended four hours later, Hill's battered line was still intact.

"The wounded stream out, and fresh troops pour in. Stretchers pass with ghastly burdens, and go back reeking with blood for more."
Reporter Charles Page, New York Tribune

Battle in the Balance
The sound of cannon and the crash of musketry awakened Southern soldiers shortly after dawn, May 6. The Army of Northern Virginia was again under attack. On the Plank Road, A.P. Hill's thin line collapsed under the weight of the renewed assault. Disaster loomed.

Just then, Confederate troops pushed through the smoke toward the front. General James Longtreet's corps - 20,000 strong - arrived in the nick of time. Longstreet struck Hancock's exposed left flank, rolling up the Union line "like a wet blanket." In the confusion, Longstreet was shot by his own troops. Lee resumed the attack five hours later, but by then Hancock had rallied his men behind strong earthworks. The Confederate assault - Lee's last grand attack of the war - failed.
Details
HM NumberHM4JS
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 at 4:00pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 259031 N 4244642
Decimal Degrees38.31753333, -77.75628333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 19.052', W 77° 45.377'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 19' 3.12" N, 77° 45' 22.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 35401-36383 VA-20, Locust Grove VA 22508, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?