The 26th Virginia and Indian Hollow

The 26th Virginia and Indian Hollow. The Confederate Left Flank. , Time: Early Afternoon , You are standing on River Road, at the point where it crosses over Manor's Hill. The Confederates paused on this line after pushing the Federals off this ground., In the new alignment, skirmishers from the 30th Virginia Battalion were to your front. Half of the 51st Virginia was to your right, the other half in wooded ground to your left. Hart's Engineers (a small, 37-man unit fighting as infantry on this day) was on the left of the 51st. Beyond them, at the end of the line, 500 yards to your left, was the 26th Virginia Battalion., At the beginning of the battle, the 26th Virginia, commanded by Col. George Edgar, had been behind the main line on Shirley's Hill, 3/4 mile behind you. But when the Confederates pushed down that hill and paused in the valley at the foot of this height, Confederate commander Gen. John C. Breckinridge shifted them to the left end of his front line., After pausing here for an hour to realign his units and ensure that the town was clear of Federals, Breckinridge ordered his entire force to resume their advance around 2pm. On this front, the skirmishers from the 30th Virginia moved first, exchanging fire with Union skirmishers from the 18th Connecticut. The main line quickly followed., On the left flank, the 26th Virginia moved through a narrow valley called Indian Hollow, named after the Native tribes who had once traveled through this area. The route was challenging, with the ground ankle-deep in mud from heavy rain, and rainwater likely washing down from high ground to sluice through the ravine. But the wooded terrain and rising ground to their right screened them from enemy view, and enemy fire. Not all of the attackers would be so fortunate., (Captions):, Confederate Maj. Peter Orey, who led the 30th Virginia Battalion skirmishers., Confederate Col. George Edgar, commander of the 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion., This marker was made possible through the generosity of John and Georga Bracken.