Powerful Position

Powerful Position (HMNCA)

Location: Mechanicsville, VA 23111 Hanover County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 34.503', W 77° 17.522'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 468 views
Inscription
On the morning of June 27, General Fitz John Porter's men arranged their formidable defenses along the slope of Boatswain's Creek, where you are standing. Orders directed him to resist Lee's advance, "even to my destruction," remembered Porter.

Around 2:30 p.m. the first Confederate troops from A.P. Hill's division attacked the center of Porter's line. The fighting erupted less than ½-mile to your right. Hill's men repeatedly advanced, only to meet destruction in the open fields across the creek. The Steep slope here allowed multiple lines of Union infantry to fire simultaneously, at long range, with great accuracy. Supporting artillery "roared incessantly like a great waterfall." Confronted by this volcano of fire, Hill's command stalled. It would require fresh troops with different tactics to threaten this strong line. Meanwhile, the sun dropped lower on the western horizon.

"This was the strongest point I saw occupied by either army during the war?.The hill was covered by a large and open wood. At its foot a rail fence ran, which had been converted into an excellent breastwork. This was the enemy's first line of battle. About twenty-five yards up the hill was a second line of breastworks, made of logs and dirt, and?on top of the hill was another line behind similar breastworks, and behind this was their artillery." Private John Worsham, 21st Virginia Infantry
Details
HM NumberHMNCA
Tags
Year Placed2010
Placed ByRichmond National Battlefield Park
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 17th, 2014 at 6:18am 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 297595 N 4161137
Decimal Degrees37.57505000, -77.29203333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 34.503', W 77° 17.522'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 34' 30.18" N, 77° 17' 31.32" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 560 State Rte 718, Mechanicsville VA 23111, 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.

Nearby Markersshow on map
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. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?