Setting the Trap
Confederate Major General "Stonewall" Jackson faced three enemies - the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry, its formidable position on Bolivar Heights, and time. On the second day of the battle, although pummeled by a Confederate bombardment, the Federals still stood firm. Jackson knew he had to force the issue. He devised a three-point plan. First, to "turn" the Union flank, he ordered Major General A.P. Hill to march 3,500 men and 20 cannon, under the cover of night, to a position behind the Federal lines. Meanwhile, one mile to the north, Jackson staged a fake attack against Bolivar Heights to distract the Federals from Hill's maneuver. Finally, Jackson ordered that 10 cannon be moved from Schoolhouse Ridge across the Shenandoah River to a plateau on Loudoun Heights. By Monday morning, September 15, all was accomplished. The trap was set.
Marker can be reached from Bloomery Road (County Road 27), on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
