After two fierce days of battle, Lt. General Thomas Jackson's men had nearly reached their limits of endurance. Union Major General John Pope, frustrated in his plans to flank the Confederates the day before, ordered Major General Fitz-John Porter to initiate a massive frontal assault on Jackson's men whom he thought must now be retreating. Through these fields they surged forward. On these fields, they suffered the shock and mayhem of a rain of shot and shell coming from Lt. General James Longstreet's artillery on Battery Heights. Although some of Stonewall Jackson's men were now hopelessly out of ammunition, their fighting spirit never wavered as they resorted to throwing rocks at the on-coming Federals.

Old Pete, as he was known, described the use of his guns to repel the attack. "At 3.30 o'clock in the afternoon I rode to the front for the purpose of completing arrangements for making a diversion in favor of a flank movement then under contemplation. Just after reaching my front line I received a message for re-enforcements for General Jackson, who was said to be severely pressed. From an eminence near by one portion of the enemy's masses attacking General Jackson were immediately within my view and in easy range of batteries in that position. It gave me an advantage that I had not expected to have, and I made haste to use it. Two batteries were ordered for the purpose, and one placed in position immediately and opened. Just as this fire began I received a message from the commanding general, informing me of General Jackson's condition and his wants. As it was evident that the attack against General Jackson could not be continued ten minutes under the fire of these batteries I made no movement with my troops. Before the second battery could be placed in position the enemy began to retire, and in less than ten minutes the ranks were broken and that portion of his army put to flight."

Unable to sustain the attack, General Porter's men withdrew through that same shower of crushing iron. Before this phase ended however, General Irvin McDowell, commander of the Union forces at the Battle of First Manassas, ordered General John Reynolds to move his men from the currently unengaged Union left to the support of Porter's men. This rendered the Federal left flank dangerously undermanned, allowing for the thunderous Confederate assault Lee and Longstreet would send crashing down on the few blue coats remaining on that part of the field.

The image of the monument shows the current day cover of trees that did not exist at the time of the battle. Union veterans positioned the monument on the open ground near the top of the rise as they approached Jackson's men in the deep cut (If you look at the picture shown at the beginning of this page, the monument is situated at the end of the long clearing at the top of the rise in ground.) You can compare how the ground appeared then to how it looks today by clicking on the link just under the picture. This shows how the fields appeared in 1865 at the monument's dedication.