Groveton in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Broken by Artillery
Second Battle of Manassas: Day Three, August 30, 1862 3:30 p.m.
— Manassas National Battlefield Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
In response to Stonewall Jackson's urgent request for support, General Robert E. Lee directed General James Longstreet to send reinforcements to bolster the Confederate line along the Unfinished Railroad, one-half mile ahead of you. Union troops were threatening to overwhelm the gray-clad defenders near the Deep Cut. Longstreet, on his own initiative, chose instead a far swifter method of relieving Jackson. He ordered artillery on this knoll.
Captain William Chapman's Virginia battery, the Dixie Artillery, swept forward and unlimbered. The open ground afforded a perfect line of fire into the flank and rear of the advancing Union troops. The fire from Chapman's four guns, adding to that from other Confederate batteries on the Brawner Farm, effectively broke up the Union attack. As the enemy troops fled the field, Longstreet launched a massive counterattack that drove back the Federal left flank.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.
Location. 38° 48.72′ N, 77° 33.422′ W. Marker is in Groveton, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker is on Lee Highway (U.S. 29) half a mile west of Featherbed
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Battery Heights (within shouting distance of this marker); Manassas National Battelfield Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Company B, 4th U.S. Artillery (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Battery Heights (about 700 feet away); 76th New York Infantry (approx. 0.2 miles away); 6th Wisconsin Infantry (approx. ¼ mile away); 7th Wisconsin Infantry (approx. ¼ mile away); 21st North Carolina Infantry (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Groveton.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 9, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 125 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 9, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
