Trapped in the Cut
July 1, 1863 - First Day
"Surrender, or I will fire."
Lt. Col. Rufus R. Dawes, U.S.A.
6th Wisconsin Volunteers
The railroad cut visible in front of you was the scene of a dramatic engagement on the first day of the battle.
On the morning of July 1, a Confederate attack crushed the Union line here, sending the surviving Federals streaming back toward town (to your left). But shortly thereafter, Union units counterattacked, forcing a number of the Southerners to take cover in the railroad cut in front of you.
Despite deadly Confederate fire from the cut, Union infantry led by Lt. Col. Rufus R. Dawes and Col. Edward B. Fowler crossed the turnpike in front of you, climbed the fence there, and charged the cut. Although many were shot in the attempt, the charging Federals reached the edge of the cut and shouted, "Throw down your muskets!" Trapped between the steep slopes, about 230 Confederates surrendered.
Marker is on Reynolds Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
