Recreating E. P. Alexander’s View on July 21, 1861
Effective communication over great distances on a Civil War battlefield was a difficult achievement for both armies. General P. G. T. Beauregard and his Army of the Potomac realized this early in the war. By July 1861, Beauregard positioned his army behind the banks of Bull Run on a line that roughly stretched seven miles end to end. The conveying of messages was not timely.
To mitigate this detriment and facilitate quicker communication, Beauregard ordered four signal stations to be established behind his lines. Edward Porter Alexander, a member of the general’s staff, sighted each station. The stations at either end of the line–on Wilcoxen’s or Signal Hill behind the army’s right and at Van Pelt Hill on the army’s left–stood six miles apart, but had a clear view of the countryside on both sides of Bull Run.
Alexander placed himself at the Wilcoxen’s Hill station at the beginning of the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861. From there, he watched the opening skirmish at Stone Bridge. While looking through his telescope at wigwag activity coming from the Van Pelt Hill station, Alexander’s eye caught “a little flash of light in the same field of view but far beyond” the opposing battle lines. He recognized that “little flash” as a cannon. Soon, smaller flashes continued to shine off muskets and bayonets.
Now aware of an enemy flanking column moving around the Confederate left, Alexander quickly signaled a message back to the Van Pelt Hill station. “Look out for your left. You are turned.” Once deciphered, the message raced to Colonel Nathan Evans, whose small brigade held the army’s left at Stone Bridge. The message, though famous, confirmed earlier intelligence Evans already received indicating that the enemy’s game at the Stone Bridge was only to occupy his attention. Recognizing his perilous situation, Evans divided his command. He moved most of it to Matthews Hill to oppose the Federal column, kicking off in earnest the Battle of First Manassas.
The development in the Manassas area has made it impossible to recreate Alexander’s direct line of sight from Wilcoxen’s Hill (known officially as Signal Hill today) to the area around the Stone Bridge. Thankfully, modern viewshed analysis, which factors in terrain but not buildings, gives us some idea of what Alexander saw from atop Signal Hill.
Kevin, great article as always. I hope you will do one on Irvin McDowell’s parallel efforts at creating a signal system. Yes, yes, I know that will be a very short article because McDowell didn’t create a system. He did have Albert Myer, the creator of the system, who had trained Alexander, as his signal officer, but since Myer had no staff and had trained no one, the situation, as Myer’s biographer noted, was that. “In the beginning the Corps was enfolded in the enthusiasm and determination of Myer. In fact, there was no corps but Myer.”
Very nice. I’m just reading Alexander’s memoirs and they are fascinating. He was a West Point grad and had a keen eye for topography and detail. He analyzes all major battles of the 1st Corps and offers many what ifs. Great book and thanks to Dr. Gary Gallagher for editing.