Near Fairfax in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Wounded Left Behind
★ The Battle of Ox Hill ★
September 1, 2008
1. The Wounded Left Behind Panel
During the Ox Hill battle, the Confederates established temporary hospitals at locations along the Little River Turnpike. Afterward, they moved most of their wounded 2.5 miles west to a field hospital at the Chantilly House and plantation.
The Union forces collected their wounded at the Millan House, just south of here, which served as the Federal hospital. There, surgeons worked until late at night doing amputations. Around 3 a.m., the Union army withdrew toward Jermantown and Fairfax Court House. The most seriously wounded were left behind and became prisoners by dawn. Sgt. Daniel Fletcher of the 40th New York Volunteers had a bullet extracted from his knee. He recorded his week-long ordeal thus:
"A rebel colonel came into the building where we were and took all our names, to be exchanged. He said he could do nothing for us, the commissary stores not having arrived. Two surgeons were left to take charge of us, but we did not have our wounds dressed till the fourth day after the fight. There were about 150 wounded men in the buildings where we were; five or six died of their wounds every twenty-four hours. [Corporal] Flynn and other well men buried them.
When we had been prisoners a few days, our rations gave out. Flynn dug the garden over two or three times, and cooked for us allthe potatoes, beets, turnips or other eatables he could find. The last few days we had very little to eat except coffee. The agents of the Sanitary Commission were the first to find us; and then we had bread in abundance.”
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Their release finally arranged, transportation arrived: There were some thirty ambulances in the train, each drawn by two horses. There were two wounded men in each lying on beds. We started from [Ox Hill] about four o’clock in the afternoon, and arrived in Washington about dawn the next day.”
Erected 2008 by Fairfax County Park Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.
Location. 38° 51.866′ N, 77° 22.188′ W. Marker is near Fairfax, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker can be reached from West Ox Road (Virginia Route 608) 0.1 miles south of Monument Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4140 West Ox Rd, Fairfax VA 22033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Who Fought Here: The Generals (here, next to this marker); La Batalla de Ox Hill (Chantilly) (here, next to this marker); Where the Battle was Fought (here, next to this marker); Wounds Suffered at Ox Hill (Chantilly)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 20, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2021. This page has been viewed 159 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 25, 2009. 2. submitted on September 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
