Stop 3 - 19th Corps - 128th New York Monument

Stop 3 – 19th Corps – 128th New York Monument

Now located at Stop #3, on the auto tour, the 128th New York monument, which is located just behind me here. This monument was dedicated in 1907, 43 years after the battle by the surviving members of the regiment. And it is located here along the original bed of the Valley Pike. This regiment held the far left end of the 19th Corps' battle line, and the 19th Corps would be the next corps in line that would face the Confederate attack that morning. Located just behind you and behind the trees would be the northern end of the Massanutten Mountain range including Signal Knob that we discussed at Stop #2. So after the 8th Corps is crushed and sent fleeing, the 19th Corps now faces the Confederate attack. Fugitives from the 8th Corps would come streaming over the ridge that you see behind you and through the 19th Corps battle line and the fire brought on by the Confederate attack is going to alert the 19th Corps that the attack is underway along with those fugitives. One member of the 19th Corps would later recall the beginning of the Confederate attack that morning when he later wrote this, “I was awakened at the first signs of day by the terrific clap of the thunder and sprang into a sitting position and listened. The thunder was the tremendous volley of the enemy that was pouring into the 8th Corps devoted camp. I listened for the yell of our men but alas it never came, instead the Ay-yi-yi of the Confederate yell and horror of horrors it seemed to me as if our whole left was enveloped and enfolded by this cry." So the 19th Corps realizes they face two distinct threats. The main Confederate attack is coming from the left, or behind you, unexpectedly, but they also are going to face another Confederate attack from their front. The rest of the 19th Corps battle line is located on a ridge, a high bluff above Cedar Creek, for about a mile their line stretches on these bluffs behind me. Cedar Creek is below you less than a half a mile, to your south, or to your left. So that threat is coming from their front still the south, but now a new threat is coming from their east, or behind you. So to counter this new threat, troops from the 19th Corps will be shifted over here, and form a new line along the Valley Pike, to face east. It’s called refusing your line. So they face two directions. The main line still faces south, or in this direction. The new line is going to stretch up the road to face east. To face that new threat – refusing your line. To buy time, to conduct this new maneuver, another part of the 19th Corps, a brigade of just over 1,000 men, will be sent across the Valley Pike in order to basically sacrifice themselves and slow the Confederate onslaught up. Will talk about that action at our next stop, stop 4. After the 8th Corps fugitives come streaming through this new line, they are followed by the Confederate attack, they come springing out of the dense fog, and strikes the 19th Corps line here along the Valley Pike. Despite this new line being formed it wasn’t enough and it is going to start driving the 19th Corps back up their entrenchment line and eventually back towards Belle Grove. They conduct a fighting withdrawal and eventually, as we will discuss at a future stop, back towards Belle Gove itself. From here we will move to our next stop, stop 4. As you leave this area and turn left on the Valley Pike or Route 11 today, be extremely careful as traffic comes along very quickly along the Valley Pike or Route 11, especially from your left.