Tactical Intelligence In The Army Of The Potomac During The Overland Campaign by Major Todd T. Morgan

Author:Major Todd T. Morgan [Morgan, Major Todd T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Military, Modern, 19th Century
ISBN: 9781782897590
Google: C5dvCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T05:01:46+00:00

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Overview

Lee quickly realized what Grant intended, and the race to Spotsylvania began. As the Army of the Potomac advanced along the Brock Road, intermittently challenged by elements of Lee’s cavalry and infantry, the Army of Northern Virginia moved along a parallel route. Unhindered, the lead corps of Lee’s army reached the area of Spotsylvania Court House first and entrenched.

On the morning of 8 May, the lead corps of the Army of the Potomac arrived at Spotsylvania Court House, not knowing that Lee had beaten them there, and attacked what they mistook as cavalry. They were repulsed while the remainder of both armies continued to arrive and entrenched into facing positions between the Po and Ny Rivers (see figure 6). Over the course of two weeks the battle occurred at a much slower rate, with little maneuver, and with less densely forested terrain then the Wilderness.

Though the Army of the Potomac would nearly achieve victory during the course of an assault that decidedly penetrated the Confederate lines, it did not have lasting success because the supporting corps’ failed to make their assaults in a timely and effective manner. Within days, Lee countered with his last large scale offensive for the remainder of the campaign, but his effort also failed. In the end, Grant would again make the decision to disengage and advance south by Lee’s right (eastern) flank and drive further into Virginia to the North Anna River and where Sheridan would return from his raid on Richmond.

During the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the majority of Sheridan’s cavalry corps, with Grant’s permission, detached and raided toward Richmond. Aside from the raid itself, the most significant event that occurred was the cavalry battle at Yellow Tavern. Here, Sheridan fought and defeated the famed Confederate cavalry leader, J. E. B. Stuart. The battle resulted in Stuart’s mortal wounding{129} and ended the dominance of Lee’s cavalry. Afterwards, Sheridan and his troopers destroyed rail and supplies, freed more than three hundred Union prisoners, and entered the outer entrenchments of Richmond before they moved to the James River for re-supply.{130} Once his troopers and horses had rested and replenished, Sheridan and his cavalry returned and linked up with the Army of the Potomac during its engagements with Lee at the North Anna River.{131}

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