Mine Run: A Campaign in Photos

On Saturday, the weather was spectacular in Virginia, and I decided to take a break, go for a drive, and see what history I could find along the way. I headed for Orange County, Virginia, since there was already a site I had promised to revisit for another research discussion. I took Raccoon Ford Road (Route 611) and ended up passing by Payne’s Farm battlefield, the preserved and accessible part of the battlefield from the Mine Campaign in November 1863.

I’ve been here quite a few times already this year and even got to co-lead a tour at the site. The trail is good, and the lighting was near perfect for photos so I decided to go for a walk. The results are a collection of photos that representatively tell the story of the military operations. I hope you find them meaningful, too.

Here is Mine Run…visually through the lens of my phone camera:

  • The confusion and lack of focus along the road
  • The open fields of fighting
  • One lone stander for facing an ultimate decision decisions
  • Looking and waiting for death
  • The realization that life might be greater than needless sacrifice



6 Responses to Mine Run: A Campaign in Photos

  1. This is really good, Sarah. Nice photos. I like the Payne’s Farm shots. 🙂 What’s the caption on the last one?

      1. No fighting there to speak of. The heavy fighting was on the 27th at Payne’s Farm, an accidental engagement that may well have saved Lee’s army.

  2. I have a letter from Private William, Clark, Company B, 10th Vermont, that began November 25 and continued until December 3, 1863.when they returned to Brandywine Station.
    In this letter he states that the regiment had 50 wounded and 12 killed and his company had one killed, Ted Stores of Montpelier, VT. Two of the wounded were from Barre, VT, John Blanchard and Ripley.

  3. Thank you, Sarah, for the photos. I visited the preserved site in March, 2022; read Chris Mackowski’s helpful book; watched a lecture on Mine Run given by Ted Savas; and watched some ABT you tube video. Your pictures add to my growing appreciation of this gem.

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