A Position Strong by Nature

A Position Strong by Nature (HM329)

Location: Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 Jefferson County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 19.375', W 77° 45.988'

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Inscription
In 1862 Union Colonel Dixon Miles thought that the ridge in front of you, Bolivar Heights, was the perfect place to defend Harpers Ferry. However, in September of '62, Colonel Miles and 14,000 Union soldiers found themselves surrounded by 24,000 Confederates led by "Stonewall" Jackson. From the Confederate position behind you on School House Ridge, one of Jackson's officers described Bolivar Heights as "a position strong by nature." Jackson agreed. He had no time for a siege and did not want to risk an attack up the steep slope of Bolivar Heights. Jackson planned a fake attack here on the southern end of Bolivar Heights. Following a full afternoon of artillery bombardment on September 14, the Confederate plan began to unfold.

"In the afternoon, General Hill was ordered to move along the left bank of the Shenandoah, turn the enemy's left, and enter Harper's Ferry....General J.R. Jones was directed to make a demonstration against the enemy's right."
"Stonewall" Jackson
Details
HM NumberHM329
Tags
Placed ByHarpers Ferry National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014 at 5:27pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 261521 N 4356261
Decimal Degrees39.32291667, -77.76646667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 19.375', W 77° 45.988'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 19' 22.50" N, 77° 45' 59.28" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)304
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 450 Bakerton Rd, Harpers Ferry WV 25425, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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