Crisis in Tapp Field

On the morning of May 6, 1864, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army faced perhaps their greatest crisis here when a powerful Union assault drove hundreds of disorganized Confederates from the woods, leaving only Lee, his staff, and about 12 cannon between the Union army and Confederate disaster. Southern reinforcements under Longstreet were approaching, but their arrival was uncertain as Lee anxiously watched while Confederate artillery fired furiously and only slowed the Federals. As Union troops advanced into this field, the Texas Brigade, the first of Longstreet’s corps, trotted eastward up the Plank Road. Lee rode to the head of the column, intending to lead it personally into battle, but the Texans stopped him, shouting, “Lee to the rear!” and refusing to move forward until he withdrew to safety. After he did, they advanced and began a counterattack that drove the Federals away.

Virginia · United States