Horror on the Orange Plank Road

Horror on the Orange Plank Road (HM2QT)

Location: Spotsylvania, VA 22551 Spotsylvania County
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 18.044', W 77° 42.572'

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Inscription

The Battle of the Wilderness

Some of the Civil War's heaviest fighting occurred along the Orange Plank Road on May 5 and 6, 1864. One of two major roads passing through the Wilderness, the Plank Road became a magnet for both armies as they struggled to maneuver through the tangled forests. Battle lines surged up and down the Plank Road corridor, littering the roadside woods with fallen men. Fires scorched the forest, consuming the dead and wounded indiscriminately. Though violent and horrifying, the fighting here ended in stalemate.

Loop Trail
A half-mile loop trail leads you through part of what one soldier called "a wilderness of woe." The trail begins and ends at the object of the soldier' toil and blood: the Orange Plank Road-Brock Road intersection, 50 yards to your left. Along the way, you will traverse the woods that were consumed by combat and fire, pass a monument honoring the Vermont Brigade, and see earthworks built by Union soldiers to defend Brock Road and the intersection.
Details
HM NumberHM2QT
Tags
Placed ByFredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 at 2:31am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 263064 N 4242656
Decimal Degrees38.30073333, -77.70953333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 18.044', W 77° 42.572'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 18' 2.64" N, 77° 42' 34.32" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 10717-10719 State Rte 621, Spotsylvania VA 22551, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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