Military
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From May 8-18, 1864, Union troops battered Gen. Robert E. Lee's lines at Spotsylvania Court House. Unable to defeat the Confederates by direct assault, Union commander Ulysses S. Grant determined to head south, drawing Lee out of his Spotsylvania defense. Suspecting Grant's move, Lee ordered Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell to locate the Union army's right flank. On May 19, 1864, Ewell sent his entire corps, reduced by recent fighting to just 6,000 men, on a reconnaissance-in-force toward the Fredericksburg Road, modern Route 208. Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur's North Carolina brigade led the march. About 4:00 p.m., Ramseur's men encountered elements of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery one mile west of here and slowly drove them back to this point. Ewell's advance caught Grant off guard. Fearful that the Confederates might seize the Fredericksburg Road and turn his flank, Grant ordered nearby troops into action, resulting in a short but fierce fight at Harris Farm.
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