Pressing South: The Battle of Spotsylvania, Part I

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Feb 25, 2000

The Wilderness Campaign had gained Grant's army no strategic and little military advantage. In regards to Grant's success over Lee, the only positive outcome of the Wilderness was the reducing of Lee's numbers. But the Rebels' will to fight had not diminished with their numerical loss. And Lee and his men were prepared to take on Grant wherever necessary, regardless of their opponent's numerical superiority.

But unlike any previous Virginia Campaign, the first battle did not lead to retreat or reduced morale. Contrarily, Grant put his men out on another march south. Thus, whatever spirits were lost during and immediately after the horrid experience at the Wilderness, they were quickly regained when the troops began to march further from the usual haven of the Rapidan River and Washington, D.C. itself. They also knew that, also unlike previous campaigns, their true objective was not necessarily a city--namely Richmond--but rather the destruction of Lee's army. The capture of Richmond was a secondary objective.

Grant's plan was simple. On the evening May 7 he would begin his army's march toward Spotsylvania Courthouse, a small crossroads village about 12 miles to the south of their present position. Spotsylvania's strategic importance was twofold. First, the village was en route from the Wilderness to Hanover Junction, where the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad and the Virginia Central Railroad--Lee's chief lines of supply--were located. Second, the crossroads at Spotsylvania would be the best route around Lee's right flank (Jaynes, 1986). If successful, this would place Grant's army between Lee and Richmond, compelling Lee to choose between assault or retreat (McPherson, 1988).

Lee was quite aware of the likelihood of Grant's next move being toward Spotsylvania. He was thoroughly convinced of this during the day of May 7 when he received reports of Federal cavalry in and around the crossroads village. To ensure the most expeditious of marches, Lee "ordered a rough track cut through the forest, connecting his right on the Orange Plank road to a branch of the Catharpin Road that have access to Spotsylvania. It would give him the shortest route for a covering march to the Courthouse" (Jaynes, 1986, p. 83). He then ordered General Anderson, who had taken over Longstreet's corps, to march two divisions toward Spotsylvania during the night. Ewell and Hill would follow.

Anderson began moving around 11 p.m. But the Army of the Potomac started south two-and-a-half hours before that. The plan was for Warren's V Corps to begin south on Brock Road past Hancock's entrenched troops. Hancock's II Corps would hold position until Warren's had passed and then follow. Sedgwick's VI Corps was to head in the direction of Chancellorsville and then turn southward; Burnside was to follow Sedgwick (Jaynes, 1986).

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