The route back to camp

 

The works laid out in red overlaid over the terrain taken from LIDAR

 

We do not know exactly the route that the artillery took as it marched back to its camps. However, as we know the starting, midpoint and destinations we can make a very good hypothesis as to the route they took. Particularly since security was a primary goal. One of the primary obstacles to a withdrawal was Meadow Run which flowed between steep banks eastward from the McCoul spring.  It is certainly possible that roads had been cut through the woods and military bridges laid across the stream.  However two farm lanes already crossed the stream and ran out to and beyond the Confederate defenses. One ran toward each face of the salient. Regardless of whether they had been bridged before the troops arrived, any competent commander would have ensured that the stream was passable even if it might be difficult. Because of security it is likely that both battalions left their positions and moved eastwards behind the works, taking advantage of whatever concealment, the terrain offered until they reached the east McCoull Lane. They would then have followed this across the Run, past the McCoull House then followed the road past the Harrison House. At least one of Pages Batteries, the Morris Artillery, under Captain Montgomery, stopped at the Harrison House. They were told they were to move on to their camp. They would have continued following the lane which ran southeasterly in the direction of the Courthouse. Entering the woods near where work on a new defensive line had begun they came to a fork in the road. Pages battalion would have turned right and quickly reached the Brock Road. They would have reached the road almost opposite the path leading to the house of J.Trigg. This was near the western edge of a large cleared space which extended several hundred yards eastward. Nelson’s battalion could have continued straight ahead at the point where the road divided.  That would have taken them out to the Brock Road at a point several hundred yards closer to the Courthouse. They could then have followed this road until they reached a point where they could turn off to the right to go behind the Village. There amongst some orchards behind the village they found the battalion camp.