From Thoburn's Redoubt we headed to the barn at the Belle Grove mansion for lunch. Our organizing team planned a lovely lunch of sandwiches, chips, drinks, and goodies. We had great company, excellent discussions, and even fun door prizes!
After lunch many of our members went on a tour of well preserved 19th Corps trenches while some of us opted to tour the Plantation and it's property. It is important to remember that the Belle Grove Plantation was the Union headquarters and was at the heart of the battlefield. Fighting raged all around it. After routing the Army of WV the Confederate forces kept pushing west and north, engaging the 19th Corps that were camped in the fields south of the Plantation and then struck the 1st and 3rd Divisions of 6th Corps on Red Hill west of the property. The 2nd Division of the 6th Corps was able to work it's way north to the town cemetery which was on a hill that formed a natural defensive position.
At Belle Grove Plantation:
1. The barn we had lunch in. Looking southwest; the 6th Corps was camped in the far background to the right of the barn and under the tree. 19th Corps camps would be below the tree on the left.
2. A view of the back door, looking north.
3. A view from beside the barn looking east northeast. The back of the plantation is on the right. The fields with the cows are along the Valley pike (Rt 11), the town of Middletown is off the left side of the picture. Ramseur's and Pegram's Divisions would have crossed the far fields from right to left as they pursued retreating Union soldiers and Getty's 2nd Division of the 6th Corps which was retreating toward the cemetery. The far tree line would be where Thomas Carter set up his thirty cannon on the valley pike firing them at the cemetery to dislodge Getty's Division off the left edge of the picture.
4. A view due north from the back yard garden of the plantation (the house would be to the right). The far hill and tree line, behind the little red roofed birdhouse in the distance, is the town cemetery where Getty made his heroic stand for nearly two hours.
5. Looking due south from the plantation (the house is behind the camera position). The fields beyond the white fence would have been filled with 19th Corps tents. The preserved trenches that were toured are in the trees in the distance.
6. The original Isaac Hite farm house east of the Plantation. The far tree line is the valley pike beyond which was Hayes AWV camps and where the 8th Vermont made it's gallant stand.
7. Looking east southeast from the front door of the Plantation house. The entire Army of West Virginia was camped in the woods of the far distance. The Confederate onslaught would have poured out of the distant woods and flowed toward this position and past it. Kershaw's and Gordon's troops would have pushed past on the right and Ramseur, Pegram, and Wharton's would have swirled around the Plantation and passed from right to left.
8 & 9. The room that Confederate general Stephen Dodson Ramseur was in when he died of his mortal wounds. The picture on the wall depicts Ramseur in bed with his West Point friends George Custer and Henry Dupont with a physician in the background.
10. Our Muster members discussing the Plantation with docent Scott Terndrup.
11. The classic front view of the Belle Grove Plantation.
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