A.P. Hill's March

A.P. Hill's March (HMM1)

Location: Shepherdstown, WV 25443 Jefferson County
Buy West Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 23.764', W 77° 45.855'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 1175 views
Inscription

"Not a moment too soon"

— Antietam Campaign 1862 —

About two o'clock in the afternoon of September 17, 1862, Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill's 3,000-man division began crossing the Potomac River at Boteler's Ford about two miles northwest of here, en route to the battle raging at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Two days earlier, Stonewall Jackson had captured Harpers Ferry. When Jackson's command was ordered to rejoin Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in Maryland, Hill's division remained behind to parole Federal prisoners and secure supplies and equipment. Hill was summoned, too, and got his division on the march within an hour. He took five brigades, leaving one to finish removing the captured equipment.

Hill pushed his men hard during the 17-mile trek from Harpers Ferry to the Antietam battlefield. The late-summer day was warm and humid, and some of the men fell exhausted by the way on this "long and fatiguing march." But they arrived on the battlefield less than eight hours after leaving Harpers Ferry, just in time to be thrown into the fight. When Hill reported, Lee exclaimed, "General Hill, I was never so glad to see you." Wearing a bright red shirt and waving his sword, Hill directed his men to strike the flank of the oncoming Federal line. As Hill later put it, "My troops were not a moment too soon." They turned back the Union assault and saved Lee's army from a crushing defeat on the bloodiest day in American history.
Details
HM NumberHMM1
Series This marker is part of the West Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByWest Virginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 10th, 2014 at 11:12pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 261960 N 4364375
Decimal Degrees39.39606667, -77.76425000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 23.764', W 77° 45.855'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 23' 45.84" N, 77° 45' 51.30" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)304
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 6174 Bakerton Rd, Shepherdstown WV 25443, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us