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was sent that morning, with a heavy cavalry force, to break up Lee's communications with Richmond, and the greater part of the day was spent chiefly in intrenching, and making other preparations for battle. There was skirmishing now and then, when troops moved to take new positions; and the Confederate sharp-shooters, having convenient places for concealment. were particularly active. One of these inflicted irreparable injury upon the Union army, by sending a bullet through the brain of the gallant Sedgwick,

while he was giving directions for strengthening the intrenchments on his front. He fell dead; and then there was sincere mourning throughout the army, for the soldiers loved him; and the loyal people of the land felt. bereaved, for a true patriot had fallen. He was succeeded in the command of the Sixth Corps, on the following day, by General H. G. Wright. On the same day Brigadier-General W. H. Morris, son of the lyric poet, the late George P. Morris, was severely wounded.

May, 1864.

Every thing was in readiness for battle on the morning of the 10th. By a movement the previous evening, having for its chief object the capture of a part of a Confederate wagon-train moving into Spottsylvania Court-House, Hancock had made a lodgment, with three of his divisions, on the south side of the Ny, and he was proceeding to develop the strength of the enemy on the National right, when General Meade suspended the movement. It had been determined to make an attack upon an eminence in front of the Fifth and Sixth Corps, known as Laurel Hill, whose crest was thickly wooded, and crowned with earth-works, which had been. previously constructed as a remote defense of Richmond, and Hancock was ordered to recall two of his divisions from the south side of the Ny, to assist in the assault. The divisions of Gibbon and Birney at once retired, when that of the latter was sharply assailed in the rear. The remaining division. (Barlow's) was left in a perilous condition, for his skirmishers had just been driven in. With great skill and valor their commander managed his troops, when a new peril appeared. The woods, between his column and the river,

1 This is from a sketch made by the author in June, 1866, taken from the breast works in front of the Union line. Toward the right is seen the logs of the battery, the construction of which Sedgwick was superintending, and near which he fell. The bullet came from the clump of trees on the knoll seen more to the right, on rising ground.

BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE.

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had burst into flames, and the brigades of Brooke and Brown were compelled to fight Confederates and fire at the same time. They succeeded in repelling the assailants, and recrossed the stream, but with a heavy loss of men and one gun.

Arrangements were now made for assailing Laurel Hill across the Ny. the most formidable position of the Confederate line. It had been attacked, at eleven o'clock in the morning, by the brigades of Webb and Carroll, and, at three o'clock, the divisions of Crawford and Cutler had assailed it, in order to prepare the way for the grand assault, in aid of which Hancock's troops had been recalled. In both attacks the Nationals were repulsed with heavy loss.

Now came the more desperate struggle. At five o'clock in the evening, when the Second Corps had joined the Fifth, both moved to the attack. The conflict that ensued was fearful. The Nationals struggled up the slopes in the face of a terrible storm of deadly missiles, and penetrated the breastworks at one or two points. But they were soon repulsed, with dreadful loss. The assault was repeated an hour later, with a similar result. In the two encounters nearly six thousand Union troops had fallen, while not more than six hundred of the Confederates had been disabled. Among the Union killed were Generals J. C. Rice and T. G. Stevenson. The enterprise was abandoned, but fighting was not over. Still later, two brigades of the Sixth Corps, commanded respectively by General Russell and Colonel Upton, attacked and carried the first line of Confederate works on their front, and captured over nine hundred prisoners and several guns. They were too far in advance to receive immediate support, expected from General Mott, and were compelled to fall back, taking with them their prisoners, but leaving the guns behind. So ended, at dark, the first day of the Battle of Spottsylvania Court-House. It had been a day of awful strife and slaughter. Not less than nine thousand Unionists and eight thousand Confederates were lost to the service by death, wounds, or captivity. Yet the respective commanders, each comprehending the value of victory in the strife upon which they had entered, determined to renew it on the morrow, and made preparations accordingly. Although a vast number of Unionists had fallen or had been captured within the space of five days, the Lieutenant-General was hopeful, and, on the morning of the 11th, he sent a cheering dispatch to the Secretary of War, closing with words characteristic of the man,-"I propose to fight it out on this line, if it takes all summer."1

The 11th was mostly spent in preparations for another battle. There were reconnoiterings and skirmishes, but no serious engagements. The afternoon was rainy, and the night that followed was dark and dismal, for the moon was in its first quarter, the clouds were thick, and the rain still fell. Grant had determined to strike Lee's line at its right center, not far from Mr. Landrum's house, which seemed to be its most vulnerable point, and Hancock was chosen to give the blow. At midnight he left the front of

1 The dispatch was as follows, dated at eight o'clock on the morning of the 11th: "We have now ended the sixth day of very heavy fighting. The result, to this time, is much in our favor. Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy. I think the loss of the enemy must be greater. We have taken over 5,000 prisoners by battle, while he has taken from us but few, except stragglers. I propose to fight it out on this line, if it takes all summer."

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BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE.

Hill's corps, and moving silently to the left, guided only by the compass, he took post between Wright and Burnside, near the house of Mr. Brown, to be in readiness for work in the morning. Then in two lines, the first composed of the divisions of Barlow and Birney, and the second of those of Gibbon and Mott, he moved, under cover of a dense fog, swiftly and noiselessly over the broken and thickly-wooded ground, toward the salient of an earth-work occupied by the division of Edward Johnson, of Ewell's corps. At a proper moment the silence was broken by loud cheers, as the brigades of Barlow and Birney dashed upon the works in a fierce charge, fought hand to hand with bayonets and clubbed muskets, and captured Johnson, with almost his entire division, who were breakfasting. With these, General George H. Stewart' and his two brigades were made prisoners, and nearly thirty guns and many colors were the trophies. Hancock sent over three thousand prisoners back to Grant, with a note, written in pencil, saying: "I have captured from thirty to forty guns. I have finished up Johnson, and am going into Early." It afterward appeared that he had almost captured Lee, and cut the Confederate army in two.

Hancock failed to "go into Early" in the way he anticipated. The enthusiasm of his troops after their success, was unbounded, and seemed equal to any demand. Indeed, they could not be restrained. They pushed forward after flying Confederates through the woods toward Spottsylvania Court-House, for a mile, when they were checked by a second and unfinished line of breast works, behind which the fugitives rallied and turned upon their pursuers. The entire Confederate line had been aroused by the surprise, to a sense of great peril, and the most desperate efforts were made to prevent further disaster, and to recover what had been lost. Ewell was immediately re-enforced by troops from the corps of Hill and Longstreet, and Hancock's victors were thrown back to the line they had captured, and upon them these heavy masses of the foe were thrown.

Grant had anticipated this, and provided for it. Wright was ordered up with the Sixth Corps to the assistance of Hancock. He arrived at six o'clock, and, at eight, Warren and Burnside gallantly attacked the whole Confederate line on their front. Charge followed charge in quick succession, and with great slaughter on both sides, but without avail to the assailants; and, at length, the attack was intermitted, and the divisions of Griffin and Cutler, of Warren's corps, were sent to the assistance of Hancock, who was firmly holding the prize he had won, against great odds. The position of the Confederates in front of Warren and Burnside was so strong, that they not only held it firmly, but sent aid to their friends in front of Hancock, where the battle was raging furiously, for Lee was determined to retake the works Johnson and Stewart had lost. Five times he hurled a tremendous weight of men and weapons upon Hancock, in order to dislodge him. The combatants fought hand to hand most desperately, and the flags of both

1 Stewart was a Maryland rebel, who was conspicuous in Baltimore at the time of the massacre of Massachusetts troops there in the spring of 1861. See page 415, volume I. His fine house and grounds in Baltimore, at this time, were used as an asylum for the sick and wounded, known as the Jarvis Hospital. He was an old army friend of Hancock, and it is related that the latter, on the occasion we are considering, cordially offered his hand to the prisoner, saying: "How are you, Stewart." The absurd rebel haughtily refused it, saying: "I am General Stewart, of the Confederate army, and under the circumstances I decline to take your hand." Hancock instantly replied: "And under any other circumstances, General, I should not have offered it."

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were several times seen planted on each side of the breast works, simul taneously, and within a few feet of each other.

Lee's assaults were repulsed with dreadful carnage on both sides, and yet he persisted, notwithstand

ing rain fell heavily all the afternoon. It was midnight

before he ceased to fight, when he sullenly withdrew with his terribly-shattered and worn columns, after a combat of twenty hours, leaving Hancock in possession of the works he had captured in the morning, and twenty guns. So ended the BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE, one of the bloodiest of the war. It had been fought chiefly by infantry, and at short range, although artillery was freely used. Probably there never was a battle in which so many bullets flew in a given space of time and distance. When the writer visited the scene of

⚫ June 7, 1866.

strife, two years afterward, full one-half of the trees of the wood, at a point where the fiercest struggle ensued, within the salient of the Confederate works, were dead, and nearly all the others were scarred from the effect of musket-balls. At the War Department, in the National Capital, may now be seen a portion of the trunk of a large oak-tree, which was cut in two by bullets alone. Its appearance is given in the annexed engraving.'

1868.

On the morning of the 13th, the Confederates were behind an inner and shorter line of intrench

BULLET-SEVERED OAK. ments, immediately in front of Hancock. Their May, 1864. position seemed as invulnerable as ever, yet they had lost much ground since the struggle began. Notwithstanding the Army of the Potomac. had lost nearly thirty thousand men in the space of eight days, the commander saw much encouragement in the situation, and on that morning

1 This oak stood inside of the Confederate intrenchments, near Spottsylvania Court-House. It was presented to the Secretary of War by the gallant General N. A. Miles, who commanded a brigade of Barlow's division of the Second Corps, in the battle on the 12th of May. This section of the tree is five feet six inches in height, and twenty-one inches in diameter at the place where it was cut in two.

2 The official report of the National losses, since the passage of the Rapid Anna to the close of the battle on the 12th of May, was as follows: Killed, 269 officers and 3,019 enlisted men; wounded, 1,017 officers and 18,261 men; inissing, 177 officers and 6,667 men, mostly made prisoners, making a total of 29,410 men.

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EFFECTS OF THE BATTLES IN VIRGINIA.

he addressed a stirring congratulatory epistle to his troops, in which he recapitulated their achievements since the campaign began, during "eight days and nights almost without intermission, in rain and sunshine,” against a foe "in positions naturally strong, and rendered doubly so by intrenchments." He told them that the work was not yet over, but that every thing was encouraging. "We shall soon receive re-enforcements,” he said, "which the foe cannot expect. Let us determine to continue vigorously the work so well begun, and, under God's blessing, in a short time, the object of our labors will be accomplished."

May, 1864.

In the mean time the whole country was deeply stirred by the events of the campaign thus far, as reported by the electric and electrifying tongue of the telegraph. Upon Grant and Lee the thoughts of the whole nation were directed. From the office of Edwin M. Stanton, the successful rival in fame of L. M. N. Carnot, as a War Minister, went out bulletins, day after day, which produced the most intense anxiety and cheering hope; and on the 9th," when the Army of the Potomac had passed The Wilderness, and confronted its foe near Spottsylvania Court-House, the President issued an address "To the friends of Union and Liberty," telling them that enough was then known of the operations of the army to claim a feeling "of special gratitude to God;" and he recommended "that all patriots, at their homes, in their places of public worship, and wherever they may be, unite in common thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty God." At the National Capital the excitement on that day was intense, and the loyal people went by thousands in a procession, with music and banners, to the White House, to congratulate the President. Then came Grant's dispatch, declaring that he proposed to fight it out on that line if it took all summer, to which were added Meade's congratulatory address on the 13th, and cheering dispatches from Grant and Mr. Dana, the Assistant Secretary of War, sent on the same morning.

May 11.

b

From the 13th to the 18th of May, the two armies confronted each other with sleepless vigilance, engaged in maneuvers and counter-maneuvers, and watching for the appearance of some weak point in the position or disposi tion of each other that might warrant an attack. During these movements several sharp skirmishes occurred, and a vast amount of fatiguing labor was endured by the troops. Finally, Grant was satisfied that it would be almost impossible for him to carry Lee's position, so he prepared to turn it, and thereby bring him out of his intrenchments. This was resolved upon after an abortive attempt to carry a portion of the Confederate works, early on the morning of the 18th, by the divisions of Gibbon and Barlow, supported by the division of Birney, and another of foot artillerists, under General R. O. Tyler, which had just come down from the defenses of Washington. The movement was arrested at the abatis in front of the works by a heavy fire, which repulsed the assailants, and at ten o'clock Meade withdrew the assaulting force.

c

May.

4 May 19.

d On the following day preparations were made for the turning movement. Knowing or suspecting it, Lee made dispositions for

1 General Meade's address to his soldiers, May 13, 1864.

2 Grant spoke of the success of Hancock and the capture of prisoners, and said: "The enemy are obstinate, and seem to have found the 'last ditch." We have lost no organization, not even a company, while we have destroyed and captured one division (Johnson's), one brigade (Dobbs's), and one regiment entire, of the enemy."