Fort Edward Johnson
On April 19, 1862, General Johnson, with General Lee’s approval, moved our regiment from Allegheny Mountain to Shenandoah Mountain. To protect ourselves from Yankee bullets, we dug about a mile of trench in this rocky ground. We then opened our field of fire by cutting down trees on the western slopes – the direction the Union Army was coming from.
We made breastworks by first piling logs laid on the downhill side of the trench, and then piling dirt on the outside of the logs. Our regiment could kneel in the trench and fire our rifles without being exposed to Yankee fire. Can you see what remains of the trench where I knelt behind the breastworks?
Marker can be reached from U.S. 250, on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
