Sculpted by Gary Casteel
 
1863 Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Monument Replicas
 
The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, and featured the highest number of casualties of any battle in Culpeper, Virginia. It is also known as the only battle in which Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson pulled his sword to rally his troops.  During the battle, Union Army forces under the command of Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate forces under Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson near Cedar Mountain as the Confederates marched on Culpeper Court House to prevent a Union advance into central Virginia.  
 
The Confederate artillery was positioned along an intersection at the Orange-Culpeper Road and Crittenden Lane (named for a prominent family in the area).  This spot became known as “the Gate.”  Despite being outnumbered, the Federals attacked first.  Although Confederate guns fired repeatedly from this position for nearly two hours at the start of the battle, Union cannon returned deadly fire which slowed any possible advance of Confederate infantry through the area.  Confederate infantry and artillery dug in around the area of "the Gate" were unable to counterattack after being pinned down by Union cannon.  Union men of the 46th Pennsylvania, the 28th New York, and 5th Connecticut Infantry units nearly seized this position before the arrival of Confederate reinforcements on the battlefield. 
 
One soldier later described the events in his local paper as follows:
Here is where our men suffered a heavy loss, turning the fortunes of the day. The 46th Pennsylvania, 5th Conn., and 28th N.Y., were ordered to charge on the battery and take it if possible. The rebel infantry was concealed in woods, our men not seeing them, thought the Battery could be taken with but little loss of life, the order was given to fix bayonets and charge, on the started; but they were mistaken. They were almost surrounded with three times their number, it was plainly to be seen that desperation was the order of the day. 
 
Following the arrival of reinforcements, the Confederate brigades reformed and began to retake their lost ground.  With thousands of fresh troops facing them, the Union soldiers began falling back with terrific losses—every one of the field officers in the 5th Connecticut, the 28th New York, and the 46th Pennsylvania were dead, wounded, or fell into enemy hands.
 
Despite the Union brigade’s earlier success in its attack on the Confederate artillery position, they were nearly surrounded after Jackson organized a strong counter-attack.  As a result of this battle and its charge across a wheat field against Stonewall Jackson’s troops, August 9th, 1862, was the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry’s bloodiest day.  Of the more than 500 engaged, 244 were lost.
 
After nearly being driven from the field in the early part of the battle, a Confederate counterattack broke the Union lines, resulting in a Confederate victory.  The battle was the first combat of the Northern Virginia campaign and was the first serious clash between the Army of Northern Virginia and Maj. Gen. John Pope's new Army of Virginia.
 
The monument was dedicated in 1901 and is located in a wooded area off of Dove Hill Rd, on private property.