The Pennsylvanians Stand Firm

Five regiments of Pennsylvania troops, supported by artillery, held the high ground in front of this position. In 1862 the slopes were open with no trees to block the view. Lieutenant Colonel A. J. Warner of the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves was entrenched with his unit on the hill just upstream from Ellerson’s Mill. Warner later recalled that when Confederate attackers reached rifle range, his men opened a destructive fire from the rifle pits and the old mill dam, forcing them back with terrible slaughter, while the artillery continued firing shells when they were beyond musket range. Although Confederate infantry made several desperate attempts to reach the creek and force a passage, no attack ever got beyond the mill race. One Union observer attributed the success to a good position, plenty of artillery, rifle pits, and troops who were fresh, anxious, and determined.

Mechanicsville, Virginia · United States