Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Flying Dutchmen
The Battle of Chancellorsville
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
1. The Flying Dutchmen Marker
The target of Jackson's attack was General Oliver O. Howard's Eleventh Corps, which extended for more than a mile along the Orange Turnpike. The Eleventh Corps was relatively new to the Army of the Potomac. Its 11,000 men included a large percentage of German immigrants - men with names like Peisser and Buschbeck, Schurz and Schimmelfennig.
Union pickets had warned Howard of the enemy's approach, but he had ignored their reports. Headquarters had assured him that the Confederate army was in retreat. Now, as the Southerners bore down upon Howard's flank, the men of the corps broke ranks and fled. Although the general and his officers eventually restored order, they could not restore the corps' reputation. From then on, the Eleventh Corps would be known derisively as "the Flying Dutchmen."
"Why did we run? Well, those who didn't are there yet!"
-Private William B. Southerton, 79th Ohio Volunteers
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. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area, in Northern Virginia, and in the Piedmont. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this
Photographed by Craig Swain
2. Three Markers at the Jackson's Flank Attack Tour Stop
More about this marker. On the lower left, "Clutching a Union banner under the stump of his amputated right arm, General Howard endeavored to rally his panic-stricken troops near Dowdall's Tavern. 'I felt...that I wanted to die,' Howard wrote, '...and I sought death everywhere I could find an excuse to go on the field."
On the lower right, "The Eleventh Corps, caught off guard by Jackson's unexpected attack, fled toward Chancellorsville in panic."
Regarding The Flying Dutchmen. This is one of several markers for the Battle of Chancellorsville along the Jackson's Flank March and Attack trail.
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 10, 2007
3. Orange Turnpike
The present day Virginia Highway 3 follows the path of the historic Orange Turnpike. Originally the 54th New York and 152nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments were posted as the extreme right flank of the Eleventh Corps. The regiments managed three volleys before giving way to overwhelming numbers.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. New Marker At This Location titled "Recipe for Union Disaster".
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Chancellorsville. National Park Service website entry (Submitted on December 2, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Jackson's Flank March and Attack Virtual Tour by Markers. This virtual tour covers the optional Jackson Flank Trail route of the driving tour and concludes at Jackson's Flank Attack (stop 8) of the driving tour, tracing the route of Jackson's march to deliver the decisive attack of the battle. (Submitted on December 8, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,786 times since then and 50 times this year. Last updated on November 11, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 2, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
