Signal Hill

Signal Hill. “Look out for your left, you are turned”. , In July, 1861 this hilltop was devoid of trees and offered an excellent view of the surrounding country. Capt. Edward P. Alexander took advantage of this and quickly established a signal station here. The excellent visibility enabled the signal to "wigwag" messages to other Confederate positions without the aid of a signal tower. As Union Gen. Irvin McDowell's army approached, the Centerville station was abandoned but Alexander's men continued to send vital intelligence from one end of the Confederate line to the other., On the morning of July 21, 1861, Alexander was posted here. A Union diversionary attack at the Stone Bridge seven miles northwest required him to keep watch on the Van Pelt signal station. Alexander later wrote that when he looked to the left of that station about 8:45 A.M., "my eye was caught by a glitter in this narrow band of green. I recognized it at once as the reflection of the morning sun from a brass field-piece. Closer scrutiny soon revealed the glittering of bayonets and musket barrels." Alexander had spotted a large Union column marching toward Sudley Springs to turn the Confederate left flank. He immediately signaled the Van Pelt station to warn Col. Nathan G. Evans, in command at the Stone Bridge, "Look out for your left, you are turned." It was the first time in history that the wigwag system had been used in combat. Alexander's timely warning enabled Evans to intercept the Union flanking column and buy time for Confederate reinforcements, contributing significantly to the Confederate victory at First Manassas., [Caption:] , This Oct. 1862 image shows a Union signal station in Md. Although the station here had no tower, the Confederate signalmen likely used a telescope to observe signals from other stations.