Carolina occupied the area to the north of the Plank Road leading
to wilderness —it is in this
local that the camps discussed in this paper are located. (map
with areas highlighted). The
brigade affiliation of this camp was initially determined through
discussions with local relic
hunters who recovered South Carolina palmetto buttons in this
area during the 1970s and early
1980s. Association with McGowan’s brigade was easily determined
as his was the only South
Carolina brigade encamped in the area. Research revealed that
prior to February of 1864,
McGowan’s brigade had been encamped in a location ½ mile
to the east and by late January they
were forced to move to the site locale due to the depletion
of their firewood supply (Caldwell
1992:168). Brigade history relates that during their occupation
of the camp, soldiers spent their
time foraging for firewood and supplies, conducting patrols
along the Rapidan river, and paving
a 10-mile stretch of the Plank Road with wooden planks (Caldwell
1992:168). All of these
duties were geared towards insuring the Union Army stayed to
the north and allowing for quick
deployment of soldiers and supplies in the event of aggressive
Union action—this action came in
May 1864 with Grant’s army crossing the Rapidan some thirty
miles to the east of McGowan’s
camps.
This move by Grant caused a rapid chain reaction down the
Confederate Line and within
a half an hour of receiving orders to march, the camps at Montpelier
were abandoned: a
description:
A universal stir ensued. In pursuance of a previous order,
the officers’ tents were torn
down and cut up for distribution among the men. Knapsacks
were packed, blankets
rolled up, half-cooked dough or raw meat thrust into haversacks,
the accumulated plunder
of nine months thrown into streets, accouterments girded on,
arms taken, and in a half an
hour we were on the march. It was a beautiful calm day (Caldwell
1992:173)