Following its failure to take Laurel Hill on May 8, 1864, General Gouverneur K. Warren's Fifth Corps entrenched here in a crescent-shaped work that protected two Union cannons. Warren's line extended from the Po River, one mile to the right, to the Brock Road, a short distance to the left, while the Confederates held a strong position on the opposite edge of the field, one-quarter mile ahead. Warren again attacked the Confederate line unsuccessfully on May 10 and on May 12. With each repulse, casualties mounted and enthusiasm waned. One Union officer said, "It is not a matter of surprise that they had lost all spirit for that kind of work, as their previous experience had taught them that to [attack] was certain death on that front." Stymied at Laurel Hill, Grant turned his attention to the Muleshoe Salient, one mile to the left, where Union arms enjoyed greater success.