Existing comment:
Surrender of the Hornets' Nest
In the woods to the right and behind you lay the heart of the Hornets' Nest, where Union infantry and artillery held out eight hours against the Confederate tide. The Federals repulsed a series of assaults across Duncan Field (ahead) and through the adjoining woods.
Late in the day, 62 cannon commanded by Brig. Gen. Daniel Ruggles began pounding the Hornets' Nest from across the field, while Confederate infantry pressed in on the flanks. Many Federals escaped the closing trap, but more than 2,000 men under Brig. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss held their ground. Isolated and outnumbered, the Union defenders surrendered.
The Confederates crushed the Hornets' Nest, but the effort cost them many lives, and allowed General Grant time to consolidate his forces for a successful counterattack the next day. |