HISTORY
The Slaughter Pen Farm portion of the Fredericksburg battlefield often receives less attention than the fighting that occurred at Marye’s Heights. In turn, the Latimer’s Knoll section at Slaughter Pen Farm sometimes gets overshadowed by actions on other parts of the field by Gen. George Meade and Maj. John Pelham. However, Latimer’s Knoll is certainly significant in its own right. Being on the north end of the fighting at Slaughter Pen Farm—opposite the Union right flank—Lattimer’s Knoll was a key position for Confederate Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s defensive line.
After Federal artillery established its superiority by knocking out numerous Confederate guns during the mid-morning of December 13, 1862, Jackson’s chief of artillery, Col. Stapleton Crutchfield, ordered five pieces under the command of 19-year-old Captain Joseph W. Latimer moved to support those previously damaged. Latimer positioned them at a rise just north of Capt. Greenlee Davidson’s guns, which were situated at Bernard’s Cabins. Latimer’s choice of ground provided excellent aim at the Federal right flank. Latimer described the location in his official report: “It was a small rising in an open field, with a wood to the right . . . and on the left was a ditch and bank running parallel with the railroad
During the fighting, Davidson and Latimer blasted the advancing Union division under Gen. John Gibbon with shots of double canister as they approached the tracks of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac railroad. Davidson, elder to Latimer, praised the young officer: “he was one of the coolest and bravest boys I have ever met with,” and noted that Latimer appeared “as if he had been a holiday frolic.”
Later in the day, another Federal advance challenged Latimer’s composure. Gen. Evander Law’s mixed Alabama and North Carolina brigade received orders from Gen. John Bell Hood to support Gen. Dorsey Pender’s North Carolinians as a Federal infantry division under Gen. William Brooks continued to attack toward the railroad and Latimer’s position. Pressed by the Federals and felling abandoned, Latimer rode to Law’s Brigade and yelled, “Don’t come up here unless you will promise to support me.” Reassured Law’s men would protect his guns, Latimer returned to direct them. Advancing with two of his regiments, the 57 th and 54 th North Carolina, Law moved forward “to attack the enemy, who had now gained the line of the railroad which crosses the plateau directly in front of [Latimer’s] battery and about 200 yards from it. The enemy was promptly driven from the railroad by the 57 th North Carolina, which was in the advance. . . .” Latimer’s guns and Law’s Brigade held the position until after dark.
I was kept constantly engaged at this point from 11 a.m. (when I gained it) until night, repelling repeated advances of the enemy by use of canister.
Capt. Joseph White Latimer, Artillery, Ewell’s Division
PRESERVATION STORY
In December 2004, CVBT and Lansdowne Properties, LLC, a group of local developers, agreed to place a conservation easement on 104 acres of land at Latimer’s Knoll. Just over two years later, CVBT transferred custodianship of the easement to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. These historic acres, which played a significant role in the Battle of Fredericksburg are now protected forever.
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