The horrible fighting around Spotsylvania Court House on May 12 left the men of both the Federal Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia exhausted. Nevertheless, Federal General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant sought to slide Major-General George G. Meade’s Potomac army to the left, or southeast, to try turning Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s right flank.
Major-General Gouverneur Warren’s Fifth Corps of Meade’s army had begun moving from its spot on the far right of the Federal line to the left on the night of 13th. But the exhaustion and confusion that came with a night march through rain after engaging in brutal combat meant heavy delays in getting where the men needed to go. By the morning of the 14th, only about 1,000 of Warren’s men were on the left flank. They were posted beside Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside’s Ninth Corps, on a line running roughly north to south. Major-General Horatio G. Wright’s Sixth Corps had followed Warren and took positions on Warren’s left, securing the high ground on Myers Hill after an all-day skirmish on the 14th.
Grant reported to Chief of Staff Henry W. Halleck: “The very heavy rains of the last 48 hours have made it almost impossible to move trains or artillery. Two corps were moved last night from our right to the left, with orders to attack at 4 A.M., but owing to the difficulties of the roads have not got fully into position. This, with continued bad weather, may prevent offensive operations today.”
Both Burnside’s corps and the Second Corps under Major-General Winfield Scott Hancock held their positions in front of what was once the Mule Shoe salient of the Confederate line. Hancock now held the extreme Federal right. Heavy rain fell for several days, suspending any plans Grant had to renew his large-scale attacks.
The Federals had inflicted heavy damage on Lee’s army, but they had not scored any major advantages. The Confederates still held Spotsylvania Court House, including the vital intersection of the Virginia Central and the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac railroads. This enabled supplies to continue reaching the Confederate troops without interruption. Even so, President Jefferson Davis learned of Lee riding to the front during battle and asked him to better protect himself because “The country could not bear the loss of you…”
Lee did not immediately react to the new Federal threat to his right. As Wright’s corps got into position on the 14th, Lee left Spotsylvania Court House undefended. But the Federals were too exhausted to capitalize, and Lee finally directed Major-General Richard H. Anderson’s First Corps to shift from the Confederate left to the right. Lieutenant-General Richard Ewell’s Second Corps now faced Hancock, with the men from Major-General Jubal Early’s Third Corps and Anderson’s corps facing Burnside, Warren, and Wright.
Skirmishing took place throughout the 15th, as the Federals continued shifting their positions to the southeast and the Confederates continued moving to block them. Grant sent an update to Halleck: “The very heavy rains of the last three days have rendered the roads so impassable that but little will be done until there is a change of weather, unless the enemy should attack, which they have exhibited but little inclination to do for the last week.” Grant gave a more detailed assessment of the situation the next day:
“We have had five days of almost constant rain without any prospect yet of it clearing up. The roads have now become so impassable that ambulances with wounded men can no longer run between here and Fredericksburg. All offensive operations necessarily cease until we can have twenty-four hours of dry weather. The army is in the best of spirits, and feel the greatest confidence of ultimate success. The promptness with which you have forwarded reinforcements will contribute greatly to diminishing our mortality list and ensuring a complete victory. You can assure the President and the Secretary of War that the elements alone have suspended hostilities and that it is in no manner due to weakness or exhaustion on our part.”
Halleck sent the latest news to Grant on the 17th. He told Grant of the Federal defeat at New Market in the Shenandoah Valley, adding that Major-General Franz Sigel would be replaced in the Valley by Major-General David Hunter. Halleck also informed Grant that Major-General Benjamin F. Butler, commanding the Federal Army of the James that had just been defeated at Drewry’s Bluff, was in retreat: “Butler has fallen back to-day. Do not rely on him.”
Grant issued orders for another movement to the left, which would include transferring the current supply base at Belle Plain on the Potomac River to a closer one at Port Royal on the Rappahannock River. Grant also continued looking for a vulnerable point in Lee’s line. Information obtained from Confederate prisoners, along with surveillance by Wright and Major-General Andrew Humphreys (Meade’s chief of staff), gave Grant what he was looking for.
Lee was shifting troops from his left to his right to counter the Federal movement. This supposedly made his left flank vulnerable. Grant therefore ordered Wright’s Federals to countermarch from their position on the Federal left to the position they had held four days ago, on the right of Hancock’s troops. They had orders to attack on the morning of May 18.
Bibliography
- Catton, Bruce, The Army of the Potomac: A Stillness at Appomattox. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1953.
- Catton, Bruce, Grant Takes Command. Open Road Media, Kindle Edition, 2015.
- Freeman, Douglas Southall, Lee. Scribner, (Kindle Edition), 2008.
- Grant, Ulysses S., Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. New York: Da Capo Press, 1982 (original 1885, republication of 1952 edition).
- Jaynes, Gregory, The Killing Ground: Wilderness to Cold Harbor. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1983.
- Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971.
- Sears, Stephen W., Lincoln’s Lieutenants: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books, (Kindle Edition), 2017.