The Battle of Payne’s Farm
Stalemate at the Crossroads
“Gen. [Edward] Johnson … cheered us on to the fight with ‘Hurrah for North Carolina, go it North Carolina—give it to them boys!’ … The Federals were as thick as black birds in our front.” — Capt. Thomas Boone, 1st North Carolina Infantry, CSA
“Our battery was doing fine execution, planting their shell into the very midst of the rebel masses, and dealing death and dismay to their troops.” — Thomas E. Cook, reporting for the New York Herald, USA
Union Gen. Henry Prince’s Second Division, III Corps, marched in advance of the Federal army on the day of battle. Uncertain of which roads to take and encountering Confederates in force near the intersection, Prince halted, allowing his enemy precious time to concentrate near the battlefield. Prince advanced two brigades into a clearing of several acres on both sides of the road to your right front. At the same time, Confederate Gen. George H. Steuart spread his brigade out along the Raccoon Ford Road and attacked.
The fight seesawed back and forth as charge met countercharge. The dense underbrush made the advance far more difficult and, despite his numerically superior force, Prince was unable to exploit his advantage. Calling for reinforcements, Prince adopted a defensive position near the clearing and waited. For their part, Steuart ‘s men had exhausted their ammunition and were in no position to resume the offensive. His 1st and 3rd North Carolina regiments lost more men killed and wounded than any other Confederate units during the Mine Run Campaign.
Marker can be reached from Zoar Road (Virginia Route 611) east of Indiantown Road (Virginia Route 603).
Courtesy hmdb.org
