Tag Archives: barrier to battle

History in Our Backyard Chapter 11: the Unfinished Railroad in the Battle of the Wilderness

Chapter 10 described the history of the “unfinished railroad.”  This article tells how it was used during one of the Civil War’s battles.

Exhibit 14 General Wadsworth Monument

May 6, 1864 was a day of changing fortunes as the Union fought the Confederates along Orange Plank Rd.  It began with a 5 AM attack by the Union II Corps, reinforced by divisions from V and VI Corps, under command of General Hancock.  The attack drove General A.P. Hill’s III Corps from its positions.  They fled west towards Parker’s Store.  The 7 AM arrival of General Longstreet’s I Corps stemmed the rout.  Longstreet’s counter attack at Tapp Field drove the Federals back toward their starting positions to the east.  By 10 AM the two armies were at a standstill facing each other astride Orange Plank in the vicinity of the monument to Union General James Wadsworth.

Exhibit 15: Unfinished Railroad Cut

General Lee sent his Chief Engineer, General Smith, to see if there was a way to break the stalemate.  Smith and his party walked east along the unfinished railroad, which lay south of the Union’s flank. Both armies were aware of the unfinished railroad about ¼ mile south of and parallel to Orange Plank.  In the chaos of battle, neither army had thought about using it as an attack route, or about defending it against such an attack, until Smith’s reconnaissance.  Smith found the railroad grade undefended.  He returned and reported his findings to Longstreet. 

Longstreet sent four brigades to attack the Union flank under the command of his aide Lt. Col. Sorrel.  Sorrel arranged the men along the railroad grade and, when all men were in position, began the attack shortly after 11 AM.  It burst upon the Union flank in total surprise.  In addition, as soon as the fighting started on the flank, Longstreet’s remaining troops attacked the Union’s front.

McAlister’s brigade on the Union flank was first to feel the Confederate onslaught.  It was quickly routed.  Soon all eight Union brigades south of Orange plank had collapsed like dominos.  Union General Wadsworth, in command of Union forces north of Orange Plank, heroically attempted to organize a defense on the north side of the road.  It was to no avail leaving him mortally wounded.  By 12:30 PM, all Union positions had been overrun with the defenders withdrawing east to Brock Road or north to the Lacy House (Ellwood Manor).

The Confederate’s success quickly turned to failure.  While riding to the front to direct a continued advance, General Longstreet was accidentally shot by soldiers of the 12th Virginia of Mahone’s Brigade. While he survived, it wasn’t until four hours later that the Confederates were able to reorganize and resume the attack.  By then the Union had strengthened its defenses along Brock Road.  The renewed attack failed.  In addition to the short term loss, it would be months before Longstreet recovered sufficiently to resume command.

Author: John Bell

Date: July 2018

Read Previous Chapter. Chapter 10: The Unfinished Railroad

Continue to Chapter 12: Beef on the Hoof

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Civic Club Hosts Reception for LOWA BOD Candidates

Civic Club Hosts Reception for LOWA BOD Candidates
by Pat Licata, President

receptionPlease join the Civic Club on Wednesday, July 11th, at 5:30 PM, as we host a Reception for the Candidates in the Great Hall of the Clubhouse.  We encourage you to mingle with the candidates from 5:30-6pm, with the forum beginning at 6pm.  Each candidate will have 2-3 minutes to deliver his/her message to the audience.  A cash bar will be available, and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.
 
The Lake of the Woods Board candidates are Heidi Brown, Pete Brown, Ralph Debnam, Walt Diercks, Bill Feterle, Bill Logan, Allen Priester, and Adrien Terrenoiere. The candidates will be vying for 3 Board of Directors vacancies on the 7 member Board.  LOWA will mail ballots to lot owners near the end of July and the balloting will conclude on September 1st at the Association’s Annual Meeting.
 
The Reception for the Candidates is open to all members of the community.  Please plan to attend so you may become better acquainted with the candidates.  We look forward to seeing you on the 11th

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods Va or Waterfront property in Virginia or homes for rent we are your professionals for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove and Central Virginia, we are your proven Real Estate professionals. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, that’s the #1 question asked by home sellers. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. The Question is how much is it worth? Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.
To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site!
 

Visit Fort Germanna & the Enchanted Castle in Locust Grove!

Visit Fort Germanna & the Enchanted Castle in Locust Grove!

 
If you have ever wanted to visit Fort Germanna and the Enchanted Castle, your chance is here! There will be multiple days throughout summer that the Germanna Foundation is hosting free public access days at their archaeology site. Typically this site is not open to the public!
You can see the progress being made while they work to uncover the historic fort commissions by Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood.
Visitors are able to stop by anytime between the scheduled hours – and while there is no fee – registration is required and donations are encouraged!! You can visit the Fort Germanna Visitor center to pick up a map with directions.
What can you expect from this visit?
-Tour of the dig site with Germanna archaeologist Dr. Eric Larsen
-Learn about frontier life
-View active dig sites
-Talk with interns and field students about their recent finds and experiences!
Closed toed shoes and bug spray are highly recommended!
The dates & times of the tours are listed:
Friday, August 10th,   10am to  to 2pm
Tuesday, September 11th, 9AM – 12pm
For the most up to date information make sure to check out their Facebook page!
Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods Va or Waterfront property in Virginia or homes for rent we are your professionals for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove and Central Virginia, we are your proven Real Estate professionals. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, that’s the #1 question asked by home sellers. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. The Question is how much is it worth? Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.
To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site!
 

Adaptive Watersports Training Day in Lake of the Woods

Adaptive Watersports Training Day in Lake of the Woods

 
Did you see our blog post about Wounded Veterans Watersports 2018 at Lake of the Woods!?
Well if you did and you were wondering who helps with these events and if you can too, the answer is volunteers make these events happen and you CAN help!
During this training day on Saturday, June 9th from 11 AM – 3 PM you can join Lake of the woods Adaptive Watersports Foundation & Therapeutic Adventures, Inc while they train volunteers to assist with the adaptive paddling and adaptive water-skiing!
If you were interested in this upcoming event or any of the upcoming events – this is your time to learn what you need to so you may help. They will have more events throughout summer, check out their Facebook page for their full list of events!
Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods Va or Waterfront property in Virginia or homes for rent we are your professionals for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove and Central Virginia, we are your proven Real Estate professionals. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, that’s the #1 question asked by home sellers. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. The Question is how much is it worth? Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.
To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site!
 

Germanna Ford: Barrier to Battle History at Sunset Tour

Germanna Ford: Barrier to Battle History at Sunset Tour

The Germanna Foundation is partnering with the National Park Service for their first ever History at Sunset tour! It will be held on Friday, June 8th from 7PM to 8:30PM.
Please dress appropriate – durable, comfortable walking shoes for walking on trails and bug-spray!
This program is a part of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park “History at Sunset” series that is held every Friday evening over the course of the summer season.
You will park at the Germanna Community College (2130 Germanna Hwy, Locust Grove VA 22508) and everyone will gather at the end of the college parking lot closest to Route 3 and the entrance to the lot.
Keep an eye on their Facebook page here for any postings of cancellations due to inclement weather.
This event is FREE! So take a moment to reserve your spot so you can learn about some of our local history right here in Locust Grove!
Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods Va or Waterfront property in Virginia or homes for rent we are your professionals for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove and Central Virginia, we are your proven Real Estate professionals. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, that’s the #1 question asked by home sellers. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. The Question is how much is it worth? Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.
To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site!