Spotsylvania Court House

At Spotsylvania Court House, fighting opened on May 7-8, 1864, as Sheridan's Union cavalry led the advance and Fitzhugh Lee's Confederate cavalry contested the movement through the night, while on May 8 Warren's Union V Corps supported the cavalry and Anderson's Confederate corps arrived early after an all-night march. That day, Hancock's Union II Corps and Heth's Confederate division engaged in flanking operations, and Anderson's men arrived on the run as Federals nearly broke through, then immediately built earthworks. On May 10, 1864, Union Colonel Emory Upton led 12 regiments to a local success. On May 12, a huge early morning Federal assault overwhelmed an unprepared segment of Lee's forces, and Lee personally led the effort to halt the attack. Federal reinforcements were held up at the earthworks, where hand-to-hand fighting raged in the rain for 20 hours at "The Bloody Angle." On May 12 and 18, Burnside's IX Federal Corps attacked but was easily repulsed. During the evening of May 12-13, the Harrison House line was constructed, and on May 18 massed cannon drove off a Federal attack. Unable to break Lee's position, Grant moved on to the southeast, ending two weeks of heavy fighting.

Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia · United States