THE BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE
General John B. Gordon said that Spottsylvania furnished the longest roll of incessant musketry; the most splendid exhibition of heroism and personal daring by large numbers who, standing in the freshly spilled blood of their comrades, faced for so long a period and at so short a range the flaming rifles as they heralded the decrees of death during the entire war. Such examples of heroism, shown by both armies in that hand-to-hand struggle at Spottsylvania Court House, will not be lost to the Republic.
After the undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant again tried to get his army between that of Lee and Richmond, and on the afternoon of May 7th began to move his army in the direction of Spottsylvania Court House. Lee had anticipated this movement on the part of Grant, and began at once to devise plans to throw his army across the path of his adversary. He therefore ordered General Anderson, who was now in command of Longstreet's corps, Longstreet having been wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness, to march by a shorter route to Spottsylvania Court House, hoping to reach the same before it was occupied by the troops of Grant. This movement was begun by Anderson on the night of May 7th. General Ewell was ordered to follow up Anderson's corps. This he did by taking a longer and more indirect route. When the Federals, under Warren, reached Todd's Tavern they found their cavalry in terrible conflict with Fitzhugh Lee's division of the Confederate cavalry. Fitzhugh Lee was reënforced by the advance division of Anderson's corps, which by this time had come up. General Warren was finally repulsed and fell back, thus giving the Confederates possession of Spottsylvania Court House which was gained only by the timely arrival of Anderson's corps.
The Federals tried again and again throughout the day to break the Confederate lines, but were repulsed in every attack. Thus Lee had again blocked the path of Grant.
Both armies began to entrench themselves, as it was very evident that a great battle was near at hand. The Confederates formed their entrenchments in the shape of a huge V, forming a salient angle against the center of the Federal line. This particular place has since been known as the "Bloody Angle." The Confederate left was commanded by Anderson, the center by Ewell, the right by Early, who was temporarily in command of A. P. Hill's corps, on account of Hill's sickness. The Federal left was commanded by Burnside, the center by Sedgwick and Warren, and the right by Hancock.
May 9th was spent by both armies in getting position and by some fighting between the outlying divisions of the armies. In one of these skirmishes General Sedgwick was killed by a sharpshooter's ball. He was succeeded in command by H. G. Wright. His death was a great loss to the Federal forces.
On the next day General Grant ordered a general attack on the Confederate line. This attack was led by General Warren, whose progress was very slow owing to the dense thickets of low cedar and the walls of abatis, which were thrown in their way by the Confederates. This advance of General Warren was met by a heavy artillery and musket fire from Longstreet's corps, under command of Anderson. Warren's troops came on notwithstanding the heavy fire from all sides. Some of his soldiers even crossed over the breastworks and were either killed or taken prisoners by the Confederates. The Federals finally retreated with heavy loss.
Grant now thought it best to attack the Confederate lines in front of Wright's corps. This was done late in the evening by several divisions under Upton. He advanced quickly through a terrible fire and gained the entrenchments, where they had a terrible hand-to-hand conflict with bayonets fixed. The Confederates were overpowered by numbers and gave way and fell back to their second line of entrenchments. For this brave act, Upton was made a brigadier-general. The Confederates, however, were reënforced, and Upton retired from the position which he had gained.
The battle was yet indecisive and both armies had suffered great loss. Owing to the heavy rains, the armies lay inactive on the 11th. It was during this battle that Grant sent a message to Washington saying that he would fight it out on this line if it took all summer.
Grant, in the meantime, had sent General Sheridan with his cavalry to threaten Richmond.
He was closely followed by General Stuart, and on May 11th they fought a hard battle at Yellow Tavern, in which General Stuart was killed. His death was a severe loss to the Confederacy. His experience as a cavalry leader, obtained on many battlefields, was such that his place could not be filled. A large statue has been erected to his memory in the Hollywood cemetery at Richmond, on which is recorded his feats of valor on many fields.
Grant decided on another attack on the Confederate lines at Spottsylvania on May 12th, the objective point being the sharp angle in Lee's entrenchments. This had been anticipated by General Lee, and he had been making ready. This attack was made at daybreak by General Hancock's corps. It was the most severe and the most bloody hand-to-hand conflict of the entire battle. The attack was received by General Johnston's brigade of Ewell's corps, which was finally overpowered and captured. This was the "Old Stonewall Brigade." This was a serious loss to Lee's army.
The Federals pushed on to the Confederates' second entrenchments, but were here repulsed by fresh troops under General Gordon. General Lee himself rode up with Gordon, but was forced back again by the cry of his own men: "General Lee to the rear!"
The fighting was kept up all day along the line. The trenches had to be cleared frequently of the dead to give room for the living. The slaughter continued until late in the night and was undecisive. The Confederates finally fell back within their entrenchments.
General Grant was deeply moved by the terrible loss of life at the "Bloody Angle."
The total loss to the Federals exceeded 18,000; the Confederates, about 9,000. Grant found that no ordinary methods of war would overcome the Army of Northern Virginia, and that his only hope was in the long drawn-out campaign with larger numbers. For the next five days short battles were fought at intervals between the outlying divisions of the armies.
Grant's army still moved to the southeast, with Lee following close along in their front, always ready to dispute any move that the Army of the Potomac should make toward Richmond.
THE BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR
With this battle terminated the Wilderness campaign, and was one over which Grant expressed regret, and said that Cold Harbor was the only battle that he ever fought that he would not fight over again, and he always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was made.
The Federal commander had failed in his plan to pass around Lee to Richmond, and now saw that he must cross the James River and make Petersburg his objective point.
Early on the morning of May 26, 1864, Grant set his army in motion toward Cold Harbor. The next day Lee moved his army by a shorter route over the telegraph road to the Virginia Central railroad. The two armies were stretched across this low country parallel to each other and at times they came in contact.
On the 31st day of May, General Sheridan reached Cold Harbor. He had orders from Meade that he should hold this place at all hazards until the main army should arrive. Both armies had received reënforcements. The Confederates were reënforced by Breckinridge from western Virginia, and by Pickett from North Carolina. The Federals were reënforced from the army of General Butler from down the James River. Thus Grant's army was brought up to more than 100,000 men, and Lee's to about 75,000.
On May 31st Sheridan fought a severe battle with Fitzhugh Lee at Cold Harbor, but it was undecisive. On the next morning the Federal army arrived on the field and immediately took position. They were confronted by Longstreet's corps and that of A. P. Hill, and the divisions of Hoke and Breckinridge. Late in the evening the Federals made a fierce attack on the Confederate position and the Confederate lines were broken in many places, but before night they had succeeded in regaining some of their position.
It was well known to both armies that this battle would decide Grant's last chance to get between Lee and Richmond, and preparations were made the next day for a decisive battle on the morrow. The Federals were reënforced during the night of June 2d by Hancock's and Burnside's corps. The Confederates, being on the defensive, had orders from General Lee to rest on their arms and be ready to receive a fierce assault which he was anticipating from the Federals. It goes without saying that the Confederate soldiers under such orders on this particular night, and on account of the apparent danger of their position, did not close their eyes in sleep. The Federals were faced by Ewell's, A. P. Hill's and Longstreet's corps, the latter being under the command of Anderson, as Longstreet was severely wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness.
Both armies lay very close to each other, and Lee's position was exceptionally strong, as it must be approached through swampy ground, and his batteries were set in position to give both a front and an enfilading fire. Yet Grant determined to make a general attack on the Confederate lines, and passed word to his corps commanders to make ready to execute the same at about five o'clock on the morning of June 3d.
This order was carried out, and they had marshaled their soldiers in large numbers into lines ten columns deep, and at the appointed hour began with a determined step to move toward the Confederate entrenchments. The silence of the early morning was broken by the Confederate batteries and their musketry that raked the open country over which the Federals were advancing, which made the same appear as a fiery furnace. The columns of blue were swept by this fierce fire, which mowed them down in great numbers. They succeeded in crossing into the Confederate entrenchments in a few places and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, but the Confederates had orders to hold their position at all hazards, and the Federal leaders soon found it was impossible to stand the raking fire from the Confederate batteries and ordered a retreat, and in doing so they took with them a few hundred prisoners. Thus the field was left in the possession of the Confederates.
This battle is said to have lasted but twenty minutes, and during this short time Grant lost 10,000 men. This is said to be the greatest loss in the shortest time during the entire war.
With this battle ended the series of battles beginning with that of the Wilderness, all having been fought within a month, and nothing like it has yet been known to warfare.
Grant's entire loss in all these engagements in killed, wounded and missing was about 55,000 men, and that of the Confederates much less. If Lee's loss had been equal to that of Grant's, his army would have been almost annihilated.
The soldiers, either living or dead, who stood in the dense columns of blue and marched across that shell swept field toward the Confederate entrenchments, and those who stood in the Confederate ranks and successfully repulsed that awful onslaught of the Federals on that bright June morning at Cold Harbor, for these reasons are possessed of a rich heritage which their posterity should be proud to receive.
SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA
General Sherman was given command of the Western army, which was to operate against Joseph E. Johnston, who was in command of the Confederate army in the West. Johnston was reckoned second to Lee in military genius. Sherman found under his command 120,000 men, while that of Johnston's army numbered about 75,000. The Federals were concentrated around Chattanooga, while the Confederates were massed at Dalton, where they had been in winter quarters.
Sherman moved his army on May 6, 1864, against Johnston, and thus the beginning of Sherman's march to the sea and a series of battles fought, viz.: Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and the Battle of Atlanta.
Sherman's army was divided into three divisions commanded by Generals McPherson, Schofield and Thomas. His army was in good spirits and seemed anxious for the opportunity to move forward, after a long wearisome winter in camp, and rejoiced at the journey before them, though their mission was to be one of strife and bloodshed.
General Johnston had succeeded General Bragg in command of this Confederate army, which was now divided into two corps, commanded by Generals Hood and Hardee. He was later reënforced by General Polk.
On account of the strong position occupied by Johnston at Dalton Sherman thought best to refrain from attacking him there and moved round to the right of the Confederate army to Resaca.
When Johnston discovered this movement on the part of the Federals he quickly evacuated Dalton and moved with all speed to Resaca, which place he succeeded in reaching before it was occupied by the Federals. On his way to Resaca his cavalry, under General Wheeler, fought a desperate battle with that of the Federals, under General McCook, in which Wheeler was successful.
The Confederates were strongly entrenched at Resaca by the time Sherman's army came up.
On May 14th Sherman ordered a general attack on the Confederate stronghold, which was done by Thomas' division and a part of Schofield's. This attack was received by Hood's corps. There was desperate fighting and the advantage first lay with one and then the other, when at length the Federals were reënforced by General Hooker, and the Confederates fell back to the second line of their entrenchments.
There was terrible fighting on the next day during which the outworks were captured by General Butterfield, but he was unable to hold his position gained on account of the raking fire from Hardee's corps, which galled him very much.
During the night Johnston withdrew his army from Resaca toward Atlanta, and was closely followed by Sherman, who sent a part of his army under General Davis to capture Rome, a small town in Georgia, where there was quite a number of iron factories.
This he did, and destroyed the factories, which were a serious loss to the Confederates, for they were used for the manufacture of cannon and other munitions of war.
Johnston brought his army to a halt at Adairsville, at which place he had fully decided to give battle to Sherman, and had so informed his officers. After skirmishing with the enemy for some time he suddenly changed his mind and withdrew his army to Cassville, where he took a strong position and issued a spirited address to his army, and had fully decided to give battle to Sherman, but, on account of his superior numbers, Sherman had been able to turn the right flank of the Confederate army.
On the advice of Hood and Polk, Johnston again withdrew his army from its position and took a much stronger position a few miles south on Kenesaw Mountain.
On account of these several retreats, gave rise to a cause of a great deal of dissent among his soldiers, as well as the inhabitants of the country through which he passed, which left them in the hands of the enemy, but it is conceded that Johnston did the best he could, as his army was inferior to that of Sherman both in numbers and equipment, and he was waiting for an opportunity to catch Sherman's army divided, or to get a strong position which would help him in repulsing any attack made by Sherman. This strong position he found at Kenesaw Mountain, and here made ready for battle in earnest.
A few days prior to this, while Johnston's army was retiring from its former position at Cassville, they became engaged with a division of the Federal army at Pine Mountain, in which battle General Polk was killed by a cannon ball. This was a serious loss to the Confederacy. He was a graduate of West Point; but after being graduated he took work with the Episcopal church as bishop, but at the outbreak of the war he entered the Confederate army and served with distinction. Only a short time before his death it is reported that he administered the ordinance of baptism to Generals Johnston and Hood. It is said that he was rebuked by some of his church for taking up arms. He replied that he felt as a man plowing in a field and was called by his neighbor to help extinguish the flames from his house which was on fire, and after the fire would go back to work. He was succeeded in command by General Loring.
Sherman decided to attack Johnston at Kenesaw Mountain, this being anticipated by Johnston and, on account of his strong position, met with his approval. This desperate battle was fought on the 27th day of June. Sherman's army advanced against the strong Confederate works again and again during the day, but every charge was repulsed, the mountainside being swept by the musketry and artillery of the Confederates. Sherman's loss in this battle was more than 3,000 men, while that of the Confederates was less than 1,000.
Sherman was convinced that his success did not lay in attacking his antagonist in a strong position, and turned upon Johnston's right and attempted to pass around him to Atlanta in the same manner in which Grant was trying to pass around Lee to Richmond.
Sherman succeeded in drawing Johnston away from Kenesaw Mountain, and Johnston withdrew his army by shorter roads within the entrenchments before Atlanta, which was immediately confronted by the Federal hosts. This was a critical time for Sherman, as the North was in a presidential campaign in which it appeared that the success of the war party depended upon his capture of Atlanta; and on the other hand it was a critical time for the Confederates, for the loss of Atlanta would mean the loss of their iron foundries, where they manufactured most of their munitions of war, and besides would divide their country in two divisions again as Grant's capture of Vicksburg had divided it before.
General Johnston was removed from command of the army for the reasons assigned by the Confederate government that he had failed to arrest the advance of the enemy to the vicinity of Atlanta, and that he had expressed no confidence that he could defeat or repel Sherman, and for these reasons he was relieved and the same was handed to General Hood. It was said that when General Johnston received this information he informed General Hardee, who was with him, of the information received. Hardee replied, "I don't believe it." In answer Johnston said, "A thing may be unbelievable and a fact."
The removal of Johnston from the command is thought to have been a great mistake on the part of the Confederate Government, as his tactics had been in this campaign on the defensive on account of his inferior numbers and equipment to that of Sherman, while that of Hood was on the aggressive, and he maintained the idea of attacking Sherman's army, which proved to be the loss of Atlanta for the Confederacy.
Hood found himself in command of about 60,000 men, and on July 20th offered battle which was fierce and a decided loss to the Confederates, in which they were repulsed on every hand, but not without hard fighting and much loss to the Federals, for General Hood had the reputation of being a fearless, aggressive commander. This was known as the Battle of Peach Tree Creek.
Two days later, on July 22d, the Battle of Atlanta was fought, this being the greatest engagement of the entire campaign.
The Federals had closed in upon Atlanta and had succeeded in capturing some out entrenchments, but on the 22d was a general engagement of all the army, the attack being made by Hood to recapture some of his lost positions. In this engagement General McPherson was killed, which was a great blow to the Union army. General Logan succeeded to his command.
The Confederates achieved considerable success, but the Federals were presently reënforced, and Hood withdrew within the defenses of Atlanta. Again on the 28th the Federals were attacked by General Hardee and a fierce battle was fought at Ezra Church, in which the Confederates were defeated with heavy loss.
Sherman determined on besieging the city and if possible destroy the line of supplies for Hood's army. This he succeeded in doing late in August by destroying the Macon and Western railroad.
Hood determined to attack the Federals and sent General Hardee to make an attack near Jonesboro, while he himself should attack Sherman's right flank. These attacks failed, thus necessitating the evacuation of Atlanta, which he did on September 2d, after destroying all the supplies he could not take with him.
Hood kept his army between that of Sherman's and Andersonville, at which place there were confined many thousands of Federal prisoners. With the fall of Atlanta practically ended the points of interest of Sherman's march to the sea.
The command of Hood's army was later given back to General Joseph E. Johnston.