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| Union Cemetery across the way where over 6,000 Union Soldiers were buried |
Confederates massed an attack about noon on the Union soldiers. Confederate soldiers drove them off from either side of Sheridan and Negley(Union Officers) that left them surrounded on three sides. They held their ground for 2 hours using natural rock formations as trenches.
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| Stock Photo from National Park Planner of Slaughter Pen |
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| Notice the rock formations giving cover for the Union Soldiers |
Their ammunition was running low and they feared being totally surrounded so they started retreating. The Confederates started picking them off leaving so many bodies piled among the rocks, it reminded the soldiers of cattle pens where cows were held while they awaited slaughter. Thus the name
Slaughter Pen.
This battle saw some of the highest casualty rates of the war. The Union lost approximately 13,000 troops either killed, wounded or captured. The Confederates had approximately 10,000 killed,wounded or captured. There was a total of about 23,000 casualties. Making it one of the bloodiest battles of the war!
It is so hard to even imagine 23000 bodies laying all over the ground.
ReplyDeleteThere were so many lives lost during the Civil War...brothers against brothers. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteNever knew that little tidbit of American History. Thanks, now will have to visit this place since it is just down the road (120 miles) from me.
ReplyDeleteHistory is so awesome to read and study. This Park is well done and very clean. It is a good half day outing...maybe a little longer depending on how much you want to do the trails.
DeleteWe have visited lots of these battle grounds. all are shocking but great history. Will add this one to the list.
ReplyDeleteThe battlefields of the Civil War are very eye opening as to what took place back in the mid 1800's. Sad but incredible history. Thanks for your comments.
DeleteOh my gosh. This is me goose bumps just reading about the battle. I just love learning about the Civil war. I have never seen a re-enactment but would love to.
ReplyDeleteWe are headed to Gettysburg in two weeks. Can't believe we lived in Ohio most of our lives and neither one of us have ever been there. Paul isn't all that excited about the trip, but I am on cloud 9. We will be staying right on the battle ground at the campground. Let the good times roll.
Your trip to Gettysburg will be awesome and I can imagine how excited you are. There is so much history there and maybe you can get up in the early hours of the morning and just imagine the battlefield and pre-battle time back then. We enjoyed our stay at Gettysburg and would love to go back there.
ReplyDeleteA Terrific post, I appreciate the History lesson..very telling photo's. Going to Civil War Battle fields always is a somber experience for me...Just walking those same grounds that soldiers fought and died on is daunting to say the least. I never tire of visiting these eye opening memorials. Thanks for sharing. Horst
ReplyDeleteHorst, thanks for your comments. Yes it is very sombering to walk through the battlefields that so many people died on. That was a very difficult time in our history...brother fighting brother. We too enjoy experiencing the history.
DeleteIt is hard to imagine even with the stats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment...it is hard to imagine the thousands of people in the battle and the number of people that died during the battles.
DeleteI was not familiar with this particular battle. I, too, am fascinated with that period in history and would love to visit those sites. We wouldn't be able to visit during enactment days, however. We would have to leave Taz in the car and she would come apart at the sound of the guns.
ReplyDeleteNice photos and story. Thanks.
Being from Virginia, I've seen a lot of battlefields, some preserved, others not and many re-enactments. I wonder how these will be affected by the removal of the confederate flag from many places including southern state houses and now the statues controversy. Very interesting post and serendipity to have been there on this day.
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