Near Battlefield in Greene County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Anchor of the Union Line
| | Wilson's Creek National Battlefield | |
Photographed by Jason Armstrong, July 30, 2023
1. The Anchor of the Union Line Marker
...he [Gen. Sterling Price] would gladly have given his life to have taken Totten's battery in that fight and that he had vainly endeavored by three distance charges to capture the said battery ... As recalled by Lucien J. Barnes, Major, Southern Army
During the rise of the morning's heat, the eighty-six men of Battery F, Second U.S. Artillery strained to keep up a steady fire against determined attacks by Southern infantry desperate to drive them from this position. Major Sturgis reported: "Captain's Totten's Battery... supported by the First Iowa and regulars, was the main point of attack. The enemy could frequently be seen within 20 or 30 feet of his guns, and the smoke of the opposing lines was often so confounded as to seem but one."
During the lulls between attacks, Totten's gunners fired repeatedly at the flashes of enemy cannons seen through the trees east of the creek, or through the haze of battle-smoke downhill.
(caption) Captain Totten was, for a brief time, in command of the Little Rock Arsenal prior to Arkansas' secession from the Union. There he assisted Captain William Woodruff and his men with artillery training. Little did either man know they would one day face off on the battlefield at Wilson's Creek.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is August 10, 1861.
Location. 37° 6.366′ N, 93° 24.83′ W. Marker is near Battlefield, Missouri, in Greene County. It can be reached from Tour Road 0.9 miles south of West Farm Road 182, on the right when traveling north. This marker is located on the Union Line trail about 1/4 mile east of the Bloody Hill parking area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brookline MO 65619, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Springfield. It is also in the American Ozarks, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Missourians, Never Run (within shouting distance of this marker); "We drove them back with great slaughter..." (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); U.S. Model 1841 12 Pounder Gun (about 300 feet away); Bloody Hill (about 500 feet away); Taking a Stand for Missouri (about 500 feet away); I will gladly give up my life for victory. (about 500 feet away); Action, Front! (about 500 feet away); Laid to Rest In Mass Graves (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Battlefield.
Also see . . . Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on September 2, 2024.)
Photographed by Jason Armstrong, July 30, 2023
2. Looking out from the Anchor of the Union Line
Photographed by Jason Armstrong, July 30, 2023
3. The Anchor of the Union Line - Totten's Battery"
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2024, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. This page has been viewed 196 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 2, 2024, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
