The Battle of Cedar Mountain
The Artillery Duel
The road to Culpeper ran on the other side of the fence to your right. A line of Confederate cannon angled from this point back to the Crittenden farm lane, currently the paved road along the edge of the field to your right. A second grouping of guns was posted on the shelf of Cedar Mountain and more artillery pieces clustered on a small knoll mid-way between here and the shelf. About 3:30 p.m., a duel erupted with Federal gunners about 2/3 mile away across the field. The barrage continued for nearly two hours. As the cannon roared, more and more gray-clad infantry arrived upon the field, but Jackson and his subordinate Gen. Charles Winder showed more interest in assisting the cannoneers than positioning the rest of the army for battle. While shouting instructions to artillery private Edward A. Moore, Winder was mortally wounded when "a shell passed through his side and arm, tearing them fearfully." Gen. William B. Taliaferro, who succeeded Winder, did not like the placement of the troops he now commanded. Before he could correct the deficiencies in his line, the Federals attacked.
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This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
Marker can be reached from the intersection of General Winder Road (County Route 657) and James Madison Highway (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
