Battle of the Wilderness • Tour the Battlefield • Monuments & Markers • The Armies
The State of Texas monument is on the east side of Tapp field along the north side of the Orange Plank Road. The small “Lee to the rear!” monument and the “The Texans Attack” wayside marker are nearby.
Text from the front of the monument:
Texas
Remembers the valor and devotion of
her sons who served at the Wilderness
May 6, 1864
From near this spot the Texas Brigade
pleaded with General Lee not to
expose himself to Federal fire and
then after seeing him to safety,
launched a vigorous counterattack
that stemmed the advance of Hancock’s
Corps and saved the right flank of
the Confederate army. Of approximately
800 troops involved the Texas Brigade
counted over 500 casualties.
Texas troops at the Wilderness were
1st Texas Infantry Regiment, Lt. Col.
E.S. Bass, 4th Texas Infantry Regiment,
Col. J.P. Bane; 5th Texas Infantry
Regiment, Lt. Col. K. Bryan, the Texas
Brigade included the Third Arkansas
Infantry Regiment
(Brig. Gen. John Gregg’s Texas Brigade
Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field’s Division,
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s Corps).
Text from the rear of the monument:
Texans
At the Wilderness
“Who are you my boys?” Lee cried as he
saw them gathering.
“Texas boys,” they yelled, their number
multiplying every second.
The Texans – Hood’s Texans, of
Longstreet’s Corps, just at the right
place and at the right moment! After
the strain of the dawn, the sight of
these grenadier guards of the South
was too much for Lee. For once the
dignity of the Commanding General was
shattered for once his poise was shaken.
“Hurrah for Texas,” he shouted, waving
his hat, “Hurrah for Texas.”
The willing veterans sprang into
position…He would lead them in the
countercharge…He spurred… Traveler
…on the heels of the infantry men.
…”Go back, General Lee. Go back!”
They cried
…”we won’t go on unless you go back!”
-Douglas Southall Freeman
There is a State of Texas monument on the Gettysburg battlefield and another on the Antietam battlefield, identical in appearance but with different inscriptions.
The monument is in the trees at the edge of Tapp Field, with the Lee to the Rear! monument in the foreground
Location of the monument
The State of Texas monument is on the east side of Tapp field along the north side of the Orange Plank Road. It is on the Tapp field trail that can be reached from Tour Stop 6 of the Wilderness Battlefield Auto Tour, about 0.25 mile across the field.
The monument is on the northwest side of Orange Plank Road (38°17’28.6″N 77°43’22.9″W) about 45 feet back from the road. It is about 500 yards southwest of the road’s intersection with Hill-Ewell Drive, and about 400 yards northeast of the Widow Tapp’s Field parking area, which is not a Tour Stop. There is no paved pull-off at this spot and “No parking” is posted on that side of Orange Plank Road, although the opposite side of the road has some room to pull off the pavement.
(return to the Stop 6 page)
(return to the main Auto Tour page)