Echoes of the Civil War by Michael Falco

Author:Michael Falco
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Countryman Press
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Battlefield at Spotsylvania, Virginia

Reenactment at Spotsylvania Court House

“The lines and colors of both

armies stood waving

within twenty feet of each other

and there was a continuous

roar and crash of musketry.”

—Rufus Dawes

Fog shrouded tree line at Spotsylvaina

“Trees over a foot and a half in diameter were cut completely in two by the incessant musketry fire,” wrote Confederate General John Gordon. “We had not only shot down an army, but also a forest.”

In 2014, flowering dogwood trees dot the open space between the Confederate trench line and the forest where the Union attackers emerged. The battlefield is now a popular jogging and dog-walking area. The Mule Shoe and Confederate trenches at Spotsylvania are still plainly visible. The tree line that hid the attacking Union remains only a couple hundred yards from the trench remains.

In May 2014, reenactors gathered in Spotsylvania County to commemorate the bloody battle. Organizers had dug trenches across an empty field near the old courthouse. Jumping into the trenches with the Confederate reenactors, I had an unimpeded view of the attackers in Union blue as they coolly marched in battle lines toward us. Near a bulge in the trench line, reenactors engaged in hand-to-hand combat at their own Bloody Angle.

After initial Union success, the Battle at Spotsylvania devolved into another stalemate. Lee’s defensive lines were too formidable and Grant again sought to find a way around the Confederates, disengaging his army from Spotsylvania and leading it to the next vital crossroads on the map, the North Anna River.

North Anna River

At this point, Lee was well aware of what Grant was up to. The North Anna River flows past the railroad crossing at Hanover Junction, Lee’s main supply depot, and thus, a most crucial defensive line for the Confederates. Lee’s troops dug extensive trenches and earthworks along the river bluff, and they hoped Grant would take the bait.

The Confederate position along the North Anna River took the shape of an inverted “U”. Lee knew that Grant would have to split his forces to mount an attack, and prepared to seize the opportunity to destroy the two contingents piecemeal. Grant did what Lee thought he would do, but, realizing his predicament in time, Grant pulled his army back across the river in search of more productive ground to fight on.

Walking the North Anna Battlefield today, the reasons that events played out as they did are apparent. On the south side of the river, Confederate trenches still overlook the North Anna River. Rifle pits dug in along the steep bluff made crossing the river at Ox Ford a deadly endeavor. Union troops who crossed here were quickly caught in a trap. The bluff is entirely too steep to climb, and the assaulting Union troops had to re-cross the river under fire to escape.

I descended the bluff to the river’s edge and marveled at how close and difficult the fighting must have been. Lee’s brilliant defensive position would force Grant to again seek another route around the Confederates, leading to a place called Cold Harbor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.