Field Fortifications
Those earthworks were built in October 1864 by the 2nd Division, VIth U.S. Corps under the supervision of its adjutant general, Capt. Hazard Stevens. The crescent shaped positions, called "lunettes" because of their resemblance to a new moon, were built to protect an artillery piece and its crew. The three guns placed here composed half a battery and were designated a "section." An infantry trench line extended eastward.
The devastating effect of Civil War weapons made the use of field fortifications routine by 1864. They provided protection to defenders while increasing problems for the attacker. Construction was conducted within procedures developed at West Point prior to the war and was fully standard on both sides.
Marker can be reached from Valley Pike (U.S. 11), on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
