The Battle of Payne’s Farm
The Confederate Wheel
“Several efforts were made to charge the hostile line, but as these attempts were made by single brigades, without proper deliberation and without co-operation on the part of the other forces to the right and left, they naturally resulted in nothing but the loss of a considerable number of lives.” — Lt. Henry E. Handerson, 9th Louisiana Infantry, CSA
“On they came in formidable gray columns, waving their red battle-flags in traitorous defiance, and screeching and yelling like demons.” — History of the 138th Pennsylvania Volunteers, USA
The battle reached its climax in the fields before you as Gens. George H. Steuart’s and James A. Walker’s Confederate brigades advanced through the woods to your left. To support them, Confederate Gen. Edward Johnson ordered Gens. Leroy Stafford’s and John M. Jones’s brigades to make a wide-wheeling movement from the Raccoon Ford Road into the Payne Farm lane, on which you are standing. From here, the Southerners attacked the Union position in the woods across the field in front of you.
Instead of a coordinated effort between the two brigades, however, Stafford’s Louisianans made the initial attack unsupported, suffering heavy casualties. When Jones’s Virginians arrived soon after, they also attacked with the same result. Jones was wounded in the head. The Confederates retreated to this lane until darkness ending the fighting. After dark, the Confederates fell back to the Raccoon Ford Road and eventually to a position behind the stream called Mine Run.
Marker can be reached from Zoar Road (Virginia Route 611) near Zoar School Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
