Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Here Fell General Alexander Hays

Gen. Alexander Hays Mortuary Cannon image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 10, 2007

1. Gen. Alexander Hays Mortuary Cannon

The Clover on the monument is the symbol of the 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

Inscription. Here
fell
General
Alexander Hays
3rd Div. 2nd Corps. U.S.V.
May 5, 1864.

Erected by
General Alexander Hays Post No. 3
Department of Pennsylvania G.A.R.
and
Davis Star Camp, Sons of Veterans

Erected by General Alexander Hays Post No. 3 Department of Pennsylvania G.A.R. and Davis Star Camp, Sons of Veterans.

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1814.

Location. 38° 18.171′ N, 77° 42.557′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Memorial is at the intersection of Brock Road (Virginia Route 613) and Plank Road (County Route 621), on the right when traveling south on Brock Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10901 Bugle Ct, Spotsylvania VA 22551, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 12th Regiment New Jersey Volunteers 1862 - 1865 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); No Turning Back (about 700 feet away); On to Richmond! (about 700 feet away); Horror on the Orange Plank Road (about 800 feet away); The Climax (approx. 0.2 miles away); Valuable Crossroads (approx. 0.2 miles away); Echoes Homeward

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Hell Itself (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.

More about this marker. A very small pull off area allows one or two cars at a time to view this mortuary monument. However traffic on this section of the battlefield is often very heavy. Visitors are encouraged to walk to the site from the Brock Road-Plank Road Intersection tour stop.

Also see . . .
1. Battle of the Wilderness. (Submitted on March 8, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
2. General Alexander Hays. Short biographical sketch. (Submitted on March 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

3. Hays' Grave Site. More cannon surround Hays' grave site in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. (Submitted on March 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Additional commentary.
1. 42-pounder Seacoast Gun Pattern of 1845
The gun used for the mortuary monument here is a large seacoast gun made from a pattern dating to 1845. On the right trunnion the markings are "R.P.P." and "W.P.F." for Robert Parker Parrott owner of West Point foundry where the weapon was produced.

Close Up of Inscription image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, February 16, 2008

2. Close Up of Inscription

On the left trunnion is the date of manufacture, 1859. This indicates the gun was one of 34 produced by the foundry in that year. A reinforcing band around the breech (where the cannon meets the base), similar to those used on rifled Parrott guns. Presumably the gun displayed here had rifling applied after manufacture. Such was common early in the Civil War when the need for large caliber rifled guns outpaced production. Older models were taken in hand for conversion to fill the gap.

— Submitted March 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.

Base of Gen. Hays Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 10, 2007

3. Base of Gen. Hays Monument

Gen. Hays Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 10, 2007

4. Gen. Hays Monument

This monument marks the spot where Gen. Alexander Hays was killed on May 5, 1864, during the Battle of the Wilderness.

Gen. Hays' Death Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 10, 2007

5. Gen. Hays' Death Site

Hays' mortuary monument is on the Brock Road, just north of the strategic intersection with the Orange Plank Road.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,675 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 8, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 2. submitted on March 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 8, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.