Lee's Hill

From this position, Generals Lee, Longstreet, and other staff members watched the columns of Union troops approach their lines from the outskirts of the city on December 13, 1862. While Lee may have uttered one of his famous quotes from here – “It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it” – there is some question over whether he would have had a clear view of the ground in front of Marye’s Heights, which is what this quote is often connected to and referenced with.

While these hillsides would have been largely cleared of trees during the war, this specific position has a bit of an obstructed and altered view toward the city and the plain below the Heights. Nevertheless, Lee may very well have been watching the lines to the south in front of Stonewall Jackson's troops on Prospect Hill. This spot also allows you to reflect upon the command decisions that were made as events transpired.