From this position,
the view is looking northward from the Smoketown Road,
a short distance west of the East Woods,
looking along the western face of the woods.
The North Woods can be seen in the distance on the left;
the famous Miller Cornfield is about two-thirds the distance
to the North Woods.
The position shown here was the scene of relentless attack and counterattack as Federal and Confederate forces struggled to control the Miller Farm. Between 6:00 am and 8:30 am both sides drew on whatever reserves or reenforcements were available to secure this ground. By 9:00 am, Federal XIIth corps troops had driven all Confederates from this area; thereafter, the East Woods became a staging area for numerous assaults directed toward the West Woods and the Sunken Road. A strong line of Federal artillery was placed along the woodline shown here, in order to protect the right flank of the Union Army.
Of the three woodlots on the northern portion of the battlefield, only the East Woods still stand, although they have been cut back extensively. Today, the East Woods reach no farther south of the Cornfield. This view offers a rare glimpse of what the woods looked like at the time of the battle.