Near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Third Battle of Winchester

Confederate Defense

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Inscription. In the mid-morning of September 19, Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon's infantry, veteran troops from Georgia, Louisiana, and Virginia, took position to your right on the other side of Hackwood Lane. At 11:40 a.m., at the sound of artillery fire, infantry of the Union Nineteenth Corps advanced upon the Confederates. During the assault, Confederate Col. Carter M. Braxton brought seven guns to the hill on which you are standing.

Braxton positioned his guns wheel to wheel, loaded with double canister - two cans each filled with dozens of iron balls - and waited. When the Union troops were within 60 yards, recalled one Confederate, "the guns fired as one, when the front line of the enemy was almost close enough to feel the flame of the powder." These cannon, along with Confederate horse artillery firing from the other side of Red Bud Run, devastated the Union line. An Iowa soldier called it, "one of the most withering fires of shot, shell, and canister I have ever witnessed." Another soldier wondered how "so many of us got off alive."

Erected by Civil War Preservation Trust.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is September 19, 1848.

Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed.

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It was located near 39° 12.051′ N, 78° 7.752′ W. Marker was near Winchester, Virginia, in Frederick County. Marker could be reached from Redbud Road (County Route 661), on the right when traveling east. Located at the Confederate Defense Setup Wayside, along the Battle Trail, inside the CWPT Third Winchester Battlefield site. The closest trailhead to this marker is along Redbud Road. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Winchester VA 22603, United States of America.

We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Bloody Repulse (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hackwood And Patton (about 500 feet away); Fury On The Fence Line (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alabama (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sheridan Renews The Attack (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Cost of Battle (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of Gilcin F. Meadors III (approx. 0.2 miles away); Breaking the Deadlock (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.

More about this marker. On the lower left is a battle map showing the tactical situation between 11:40 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 1864. On the right is a drawing depicting Braxton's position - "This sketch by J.E. Taylor shows Braxton's position after the battle."

Credits. This page was last revised on November 4, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2007. This page has been viewed 91 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on November 3, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.