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Jackson Attacks
"You can go forward then." With those words "Stonewall" Jackson unleashed one of the most famous and successful attacks of the Civil War. On the afternoon of May 2, 1863, Jackson led 30,000 men of his Second Corps to a point just beyond the Union army's right flank, located in this vicinity. He deployed his men astride the Orange Turnpike (modern Route 3) in three lines of battle, each one-half mile or more in length.
Two hours before sunset, Jackson struck. As his men struggled through the tangled woods, they drove deer, rabbits, and turkeys ahead of them. The frightened animals bounded into the Union camps, causing the Northern soldiers there to cheer. Their merriment quickly turned to fear as the Confederates stormed out of the woods screaming the Rebel Yell. Jackson was upon them! |