This knoll is believed to be one of the Northern Artillery Positions with possibly as many as seven artillery pieces each. The two armies were within a few hundred yards of each other. The cannon firing was poorly directed and generally passed over the heads of the combatants, destroying the treetops, but causing little damage to the troops.

The Civil War battle fought here in 1861 was named after the nearby river ferry. Even though it was over a mile downstream, the ferry was the closest well-known landmark. Constructed by William Carnefix in the early 1800's, the ferry provided an important link...
There are at least three variations of the spelling of Carnifex. The heading above is the spelling found on the gravestone of Mr. Carnefix who died in 1856.