STOP 3A
Williamson's Hill
It is possible if you are in a private automobile to drive to the final
assembly areas of Wharton's Brigade, occupied before the attack. Turn
south from the Tourist Association parking lot and drive .8 mile along
CR 619, which parallels the Interstate. Go to the first dirt driveway on
your left, just before the white frame house. Make a "U" turn in the driveway
and halt on the side of the road. The driveway is a private road; do not
block it, and be alert to traffic as you turn. Your route has taken you
along one side of Shirley's Hill and behind it.
The Confederates left US 11 about a half mile southeast of this point
and marched to the southern base of Shirley's Hill. The 30th Virginia Battalion
and 51st Virginia advanced north onto the slope of the hill and moved around
to give the impression of greater strength. The cadets took up a position
along the fence line extending east from the driveway where you turned.
The 26th Virginia Battalion took up the line farther east, out onto the
flats extending to the Pike, where it linked with Echol's Brigade. Breckinridge
came up to this part of the line and encouraged the cadets, as recalled
by Cadet Howard.
We were ascending the slope of the long hill with the ridge in view,
and our next stopping place was after crossing a fence several hundred
yards below this ridge and out of the range of all hostile fire. At this
point ti Confederate lines began their advance. . . . When the cadet battalion
reached this position by the fence, it was put in to fill a space, and
became then part of the second line of battle, halting with the other troops
while they watched the advance of the first line of battle over the ridge
in front. Just at this point, General Breckinridge, in command of the Southern
troops, rode up with his staff and halted near. He was greeted with something
of a cheer, and said to the battalion of cadets: "Young gentlemen, I hope
there will be no occasion to use you, but if there is, I trust you will
do your duty." The instant thought in my mind was: "What do you mean by
that? Here we are, a part of the second line, and if it advances, we will
have to advance with it." My thoughts, however, had nothing to do with
the situation, and I was engaged, like the rest, in watching the advance
on the first line of battle, some hundreds of yards away, that was moving
over the high crest of the hill. We had heard in some way that the range
from point to point of artillery had been obtained by the Federals all
along where they thought the battle was likely to be fought. This was probably
true. At any rate it was true as to that particular hill, and we saw the
bursting of a number of shells as the first line passed over. I think there
was but little damage done by this fire.
Return .8 mile to the Tourist Association.
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page created 20 December 1999
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