This marker commemorates a minor battle that occurred at this location in 1863 when men under the command of General George G. Meade and his army of the Potomac clashed with men under the command of Robert E. Lee along Mine Run in Virginia.
In the winter of 1863, General George Meade and his army came face to face with Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army. Under pressure from Washington after the Bristoe Campaign, Meade crossed the Rapidan to flank General Lee. Meade was wanting to move fast so he limited his troops to an eight-day ration to cut down on the need for heavy wagon loads of supplies. Meade's Army was made up of about 84,000 troops compared to Lee's 49,000 troops but the slow pace of some of Meade's subordinates allowed Lee to acquire a superior defensive position. At the end of the battle, both armies had suffered a great loss without a decided victory. Lee lost 680 while Meade had lost 1,272.