The 8th New York Advances

The 8th New York Advances. "A Recipe for Disaster". Midday , Union commander Gen. John C. Fremont chose to make his main attack on this side of the battlefield, with hopes of outflanking the Confederate right and cutting off their line of retreat. Unfortunately, that flank had moved just 75 yards in front of you, a half-mile closer than where the Federals thought it actually stood., In addition, while Fremont later said he gave "all the strength practicable" to make the assault, only a single regiment, the 8th New York Infantry, would make the actual attack, against three regiments of defenders. Although Union Gen. Julius Stahel, who was assigned to make the attack, had five regiments in his brigade, only one would make the assault. Three would be peeled off for other assignments, while the 45th New York stopped short, for reasons not officially accounted for., That left only the 550 men of the 8th New York, out of an army with an official strength of 11,500, to make the key attack of the battle., Like much of Stahel's brigade, the 8th was largely made up of German-born immigrants. Although the regiment had been at First Bull Run, they had been in reserve and took no part in the fighting. This would be their first real combat., As they emerged out of the trees behind you, they exchanged fire with Confederate skirmishers, who hurried back to the main line. Many of the Germans mistakenly thought the southerners were fleeing. The inexperienced Federals had put out no skirmishers of their own, skirmishers which would have warned them of the trap ahead., An outmanned unit, untested in battle, marching blindly into an ambush. It was a recipe for disaster., (captions) , Members of the 8th New York in camp in Arlington, Virginia. June 1861. Library of Congress. , Union Gen. Julius Stahel. Library of Congress., This marker was made possible through the generosity of the Lee-Jackson Educational Foundation