Last Friday was the 169th anniversary of the Battle of Snows Hill. The Civil War skirmish took place along our road the morning of April 3, 1863, involved as many as several thousand troops. I’ve got a copy of the New York Times from later that month which has a front page headline and account of the battle.
The story is based on dispatches from a correspondent traveling with the Union Army of the Cumberland. As much an anecdotal account of the battle and its aftermath as the actual skirmish. Looking out at these hills, it’s hard to imagine soldiers racing through here. chased by minie and cannon balls.
Over the years I’ve done a lot of research on the battle, also combed the hills with a metal detector. Found shards of cannon balls, used and unused lead shot of every size and description, breastworks and fox holes. A friend once found a complete parrot shell that had hit the road embankment, drove into the dirt where its fuse was extinguished. When he found it it cracked open in half, exposing the grape shot and powder as if cut in half.
But i think the luckiest find was made by my son Marcus. He was 11 or 12, walking through the woods near our house, metal detector under arm, when he found a union boot spur sticking up out of ground.
