TJodter
Private
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2021
The other week I explored a little-visited section of the Second Manassas battlefield near Chinn Ridge where then Col. Evander Law's brigade features on many maps of the battle on August 30, 1862. It was a bit off trail but all on NPS property.
Col. Law's Brigade of Hood's Division consisted of the 4th Alabama, 2nd Mississippi, 11th Mississippi and 6th North Carolina regiments.
Law described his movements on the afternoon of August 30 in his official report:
General Jackson's right, in full view of my position, was no sooner repulsed than the whole line was ordered forward, and my brigade advanced to Groveton in support of a battery which was placed at that point. Here it remained for half an hour or more under a terrific fire of artillery, when I received orders from General Hood to move across the turnpike to the left of the Texas Brigade. On reaching an eminence a few hundred yards to the right of the road, which commanded a view of the field, I perceived large numbers of our troops pressing into the right toward the Blackburn Ford road. Unable to distinguish the locality of the Texas Brigade, and seeing that the enemy was pushing a heavy force into the ravine and pine thickets directly in front of me, and just below Dogan's house, apparently for the purpose of securing their formidable battery posted there, I carried forward three regiments to that point. Placing the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama in the pines and the Second Mississippi on their left and at the foot of the hill on which the house is situated, I waited a short time for the Eleventh Mississippi, which had been directed to move upon the battery from the left of the turnpike, intending to attack at the same time from the right with the Second Mississippi. While in this position the enemy advanced on the right of the house, but was repulsed by a well-directed and destructive fire from the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama. The Eleventh Mississippi not coming up, I united the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama with the Second Mississippi and moved upon the battery, which, taking time by the forelock, escaped, when the infantry was beaten. The enemy's wounded and a few prisoners were left in our hands. I continued the advance beyond Dogan's house, driving the enemy backward until after dark, when, by General Longstreet's order, I halted for the night.
The general lay of the land is probably pretty much still the same but the vegetation does not match as e.g. there are no longer any pine thickets.
Mostly I was interested to find where the "eminence a few hundred yards to the right of the road, which commanded a view of the field" was. There is a fairly high ridge on the south and west side of Youngs Branch there that seems to match the description and has a nice vista in winter towards that Dogan's house and fields.
I am attaching:
1. detail from Troop Movement Map
2. detail from John McAnaw Map
3. detail from MNBP Historical Marker Map
4. screenshot of LIDAR from the area
5. photo from the ridge looking northeast to the Dogan House area
6. photo looking ESE along the ridge over Young's Branch
7. photo looking WNW in the opposite direction along the ridge over Young's Branch
The bluffs along Youngs Branch appear too steep to have allowed troops to maneuver into position in the specific path-location indicated on some battle maps; it seems more plausible that they would have approached from either the north or the south around the ridge. Wandering around Chinn Ridge made me think about about how significantly the bluffs, ravines and streams along the mile-long front impacted Longstreet's Attack that afternoon, potentially disrupting a cohesive advance of the Confederate forces.
Col. Law's Brigade of Hood's Division consisted of the 4th Alabama, 2nd Mississippi, 11th Mississippi and 6th North Carolina regiments.
Law described his movements on the afternoon of August 30 in his official report:
General Jackson's right, in full view of my position, was no sooner repulsed than the whole line was ordered forward, and my brigade advanced to Groveton in support of a battery which was placed at that point. Here it remained for half an hour or more under a terrific fire of artillery, when I received orders from General Hood to move across the turnpike to the left of the Texas Brigade. On reaching an eminence a few hundred yards to the right of the road, which commanded a view of the field, I perceived large numbers of our troops pressing into the right toward the Blackburn Ford road. Unable to distinguish the locality of the Texas Brigade, and seeing that the enemy was pushing a heavy force into the ravine and pine thickets directly in front of me, and just below Dogan's house, apparently for the purpose of securing their formidable battery posted there, I carried forward three regiments to that point. Placing the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama in the pines and the Second Mississippi on their left and at the foot of the hill on which the house is situated, I waited a short time for the Eleventh Mississippi, which had been directed to move upon the battery from the left of the turnpike, intending to attack at the same time from the right with the Second Mississippi. While in this position the enemy advanced on the right of the house, but was repulsed by a well-directed and destructive fire from the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama. The Eleventh Mississippi not coming up, I united the Sixth North Carolina and Fourth Alabama with the Second Mississippi and moved upon the battery, which, taking time by the forelock, escaped, when the infantry was beaten. The enemy's wounded and a few prisoners were left in our hands. I continued the advance beyond Dogan's house, driving the enemy backward until after dark, when, by General Longstreet's order, I halted for the night.
The general lay of the land is probably pretty much still the same but the vegetation does not match as e.g. there are no longer any pine thickets.
Mostly I was interested to find where the "eminence a few hundred yards to the right of the road, which commanded a view of the field" was. There is a fairly high ridge on the south and west side of Youngs Branch there that seems to match the description and has a nice vista in winter towards that Dogan's house and fields.
I am attaching:
1. detail from Troop Movement Map
2. detail from John McAnaw Map
3. detail from MNBP Historical Marker Map
4. screenshot of LIDAR from the area
5. photo from the ridge looking northeast to the Dogan House area
6. photo looking ESE along the ridge over Young's Branch
7. photo looking WNW in the opposite direction along the ridge over Young's Branch
The bluffs along Youngs Branch appear too steep to have allowed troops to maneuver into position in the specific path-location indicated on some battle maps; it seems more plausible that they would have approached from either the north or the south around the ridge. Wandering around Chinn Ridge made me think about about how significantly the bluffs, ravines and streams along the mile-long front impacted Longstreet's Attack that afternoon, potentially disrupting a cohesive advance of the Confederate forces.
Bringing the