"Salem Church Battle-How high were (are) those ridges?" Topic

Planning on a re-fight of Salem Church this Sunday (2 days after the 150th anniversary of the battle).

A portion of the forces faced each other from two ridges, Salem Church on one, a toll gate on the Plank Road on the other.

Trying to get a sense of how high these ridges were and how much of an obstacle to movement/combat they should present.

(Yes, I know there are some topographic maps available, but I can never read those things).

Any insight appreciated.

They are not particularly high. I would allow them to provide cover but not seriously impede movement.

The battlefield is pretty much covered with houses and an immense shopping mall now so a modern map won't help you much.

One of the nice things about Google Earth is it shows how high above ground level you are and as you scroll across the countryside it shows terrain height changes. Using the path tool you can measure the distance between two points then scroll along the line and see how the height changes. And it's free.

They are higher than you think. You can see the far side of I-95 pretty clearly from up there. They are the most significant terrain feature around. As an obstacle, they are about the same height/ Steepness as the left flank of Marye's heights between Hanover Street and William Street, starting at Sunken Road.

The incline to the "ridge" is actually very gentle and should not impede movement. Ultimately, it is a high spot in the area and can provide an elevation for artillery to fire from. I should be represented with a long gentle slope and not be a challenge to movement or combat.

Thanks Doug!

From Scourge of War: Chancellorsville (http://www.matrixgames.com/products/447/details/Scourge.of.War:.Chancellorsville), looking west down the plank road from the toll gate to Salem Church:

We looked over that battlefield at last years' Historicon in Fredericksburg. The 'ridges' are high ground that will block line of sight but would not be any obstruction to movement.