Confederate Winter Huts
The Breakthrough Trail
The two mounds on the lawn in front of you mark the locations of winter huts built by soldiers of Brigadier General Samuel McGowan’s South Carolina brigade during the winter of 1864-65. McGowan’s troops established several camps in this area immediately behind the earthworks they were building. During the Breakthrough of April 2, 1865, there was some brief fighting among the huts as the men of the Union Sixth Corps pushed forward to the Boydton Plank Road and the Southside Railroad.
These huts were excavated by archaeologists during the construction of the Battlefield Center. The huts varied in size from 6 feet by 8 feet to 10 feet by 12 feet. They were heated by fireplaces with well-built chimneys and there is evidence to suggest that both had central roof supports.
Marker can be reached from Duncan Road (Virginia Route 670), on the left when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
