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Battle of Spotsylvania • Tour the Battlefield • Monuments & Markers • The Armies

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The Fight for the Fences wayside marker is on the Laurel Hill Trail on the Spotsylvania battlefield. It is just north of the monument to the Maryland Brigade. From this point the trail angles back to Brock Road and returns to its starting point at the entrance to the park.

Fight for the Fences

General Gouverneur K. Warren le the Army of the Potomac’s march to Spotsylvania. As morning dawned, Warren was optimistic he could take the village. “The oposition to us amounts to nothing as yet,” he informed superiors. “If there is nothing but cavalry, we shall scarcely halt…”

When Union troops reached this ridge, however, they encountered not cavalry, but Confederate infantry and artillery. Warren was undeterred. “Never mind bullets! Neber mind cannon!” he roared, “Press on and clear this road!” The Maryland Brigade charged across the field behind you and engaged the Confederates here in hand-to-hand combat over a hasty barrier made of fence rails, loose timber, and even household furniture. But their momentum was spent. After a brief struggle, the Marylanders and the rest of Warren’s command retreated.

From the caption to the background photo:

The Maryland Brigade lost 189 men in its assault on Laurel Hill. As the survivors streamed toward the rear, General Warren seized a flag and attempted to rally them.

From the note on the bottom right:

Please help the National Park Service preserve these and other Civil War earthworks for future generations by not walking on them.

Location of the marker

The marker is on the Laurel Hill Trail, a mile-long loop trail that begins at the park entrance at the corner of Brock Road and Grant Drive. (38°12’43.0″N 77°36’55.9″W) It is a few steps south of the Maryland Monument. The monument can also be reached from the south from Pritchett Road (County road 685).

(return to the Laurel Hill Trail page)
(return to the main Battle of Spotsylvania Auto Tour page)