Battles of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
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Jump to navigationJump to searchBattles of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia - Multiple units engage at and around Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia from May 8-21, 1864. Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant disengages from Confederate General Robert E. Lee and attempts to move his army around the Confederate flank. Lee understands what Grant intends to do and manages to shift all of his units to Spotsylvania first, digging in and forcing the Union to pay a costly price for control of the junction.
- Also referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House or the Battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia - many unit profiles list these as two separate battles from May 8-12 (Spotsylvania) and 12-21 (Court House)
- This battle includes several smaller battles and skirmishes in addition to the almost daily fighting in the vicinities of Spotsylvania Court House, Laurel Hill, Ny River, and Fredericksburg Road
Sub-Operations
- This action is a sub-operation of
The Overland Campaignfrom May 4-June 12, 1864 - The following actions occur during this series of engagements:
- May 8, 1864 -
Combat at Alsop's Farm, Virginia - May 8, 1864 -
Action at Corbin's Bridge, Virginia - May 8, 1864 -
Combat at Laurel Hill, Virginia - May 10, 1864 -
Combat at Po River, Virginia - May 10, 1864 -
Combat at Ny River, Virginia - May 12, 1864 -
Assault on the Salient at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia - May 18, 1864 -
Skirmish at Guinea Station, Virginia - May 18, 1864 - Action at Spotsylvania?[1]
- May 19, 1864 -
Engagement at Harris Farm, Virginia - May 21, 1864 -
Skirmish at Guinea Station, Virginia
- May 8, 1864 -
Union Troops (Main operations about the Court House)
- Ulysses S. Grant (Lieutenant General, General-in-Chief of the Union armies
- 5th United States Cavalry / Companies B/F/K[2]
9th Corps
- Ambrose E. Burnside, Major General[3]
- Chief of Staff: John G. Parke, Major
(AoP) Staff/HQ
- George G. Meade, Major General
General Staff:
- Chief of Staff: Andrew A. Humphreys, Major General
- Assistant Adjutant General: Seth Williams, Brigadier General
- Chief Quartermaster: Rufus Ingalls, Brigadier General
| Division | Brigade | Regiments and Smaller Units |
|---|---|---|
| General Headquarters | Provost Guard Marsena R. Patrick, Brigadier General |
|
| Engineer Troops | ||
| Guards and Orderlies |
(AoP) 2nd Corps
- Winfield Scott Hancock, Major General
Escort:
- 1st Vermont Cavalry (Company M)
(AoP) 5th Corps
- Gouverneur K. Warren, Major General
- Provost Guard
- (II) 12th New York Infantry (battalion)
(AoP) 6th Corps
- John Sedgwick, Major General
- Horatio G. Wright, Brigadier General
Escort:
- 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry / Company A
(AoP) Cavalry Corps
- Philip H. Sheridan, Major General
Cavalry Corps absent on expedition toward Richmond from May 9, 1864 - Order of battle not included here
(AoP) Artillery
- Henry Jackson Hunt, Brigadier General[33][34]
| Division | Brigade | Regiments and Smaller Units |
|---|---|---|
| Artillery Reserve[35] Henry S. Burton, Colonel |
1st Brigade[36] J. Howard Kitching, Colonel |
|
| 2nd Brigade John A. Tompkins, Major |
||
| 3rd Brigade Robert H. Fitzhugh, Major |
||
| 2nd Brigade Horse Artillery Dunbar R. Ransom, Captain |
| |
| Artillery Park Freeman McGilvery, Lieutenant Colonel |
Other Units
- Other units listed on Dyer summary or other part of order of battle (likely joined battles on 17th/18th, many of these unit profiles in particular specify this)
- 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery[37]
- 1st Maine Heavy Artillery
- 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery
- 1st New Hampshire Light Artillery Battery
- 4th New York Cavalry[38]
- 5th New York Cavalry
- 4th New York (Independent) Light Artillery Battery
- 2nd New York Heavy Artillery
- 7th New York Heavy Artillery
- 8th New York Heavy Artillery
- 15th New York Engineers[39]
- 45th New York Infantry
- 46th New York Infantry
- 155th New York Infantry
- 164th New York Infantry
- 170th New York Infantry
- 182nd New York Infantry
- 1st Vermont Light Artillery Battery
- 36th Wisconsin Infantry
- 4th United States Artillery / Battery C
- 4th United States Artillery / Battery E
- 4th United States Artillery / Battery I
- 4th United States Artillery / Battery M
- 5th United States Artillery / Battery D
Confederate Troops
- This feature is not yet available. Check back soon for updates!
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotsylvania_Court_House_Confederate_order_of_battle
Casualties
- Union:
- 2,725 killed, 13,416 wounded, 2,258 captured and missing = Total 18,399
- May 8 - Alsop's Farm (1,800)
- May 8 - Corbin's Bridge (?)
- May 8 - Laurel Hill (5,000)
- May 10 - Po River (?)
- May 10 - Ny River (?)
- May 12 - The Salient (8,500)
- May 18 - Guinea Station (?)
- May 18 - Spottsylvania (800)
- May 19 - Engagement at Harris Farm, Virginia (1,400)
- May 21 - Guinea Station (?)
- 2,725 killed, 13,416 wounded, 2,258 captured and missing = Total 18,399
Notes
- ↑ Specifically listed 800 casualties this day (see Casualties section), but no separate skirmishes/actions indexed in Dyer
- ↑ Referenced on Wikipedia, but not Dyer summary
- ↑ The IX Corps was under the direct orders of Lieutenant General Grant until May 24, 1864, when it was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 3, page 169)
- ↑ Assumed command May 12, 1864
- ↑ Disabled by sickness May 8, 1864
- ↑ Assumed command May 13, 1864
- ↑ Commanded the Division May 10–12, 1864; disabled by sickness May 14, 1864
- ↑ Injured May 11, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7 and 12, 1864, The Order of Battle)
- ↑ 1st and 2nd Companies Michigan Sharpshooters attached, Wikipedia
- ↑ Not originally referenced on Dyer summary but referenced on unit homepage
- ↑ Disabled from command May 11, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7 and 12, 1864, The Order of Battle)
- ↑ Assumed command May 12, 1864
- ↑ Left army May 13, 1864
- ↑ 9th and 10th Companies Ohio Sharpshooters attached, Wikipedia
- ↑ Not originally referenced on Dyer summary but referenced on unit homepage
- ↑ In reserve guarding trains
- ↑ Originally listed on Wikipedia as 30th Connecticut (Colored) Infantry, not listed in Dyer summary
- ↑ Not engaged; ordered to Washington May 16, 1864
- ↑ Discontinued as an unattached command and assigned to the First Division May 12, 1864
- ↑ Joined army May 15, 1864
- ↑ Relieved for drunkenness on May 10, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864, The Order of Battle)
- ↑ Assigned May 10, 1864; captured May 12, 1864
- ↑ Provost duty at Fredericksburg
- ↑ Relieved for drunkenness on May 12, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864, The Order of Battle)
- ↑ Assigned as the 3rd and 4th Brigades of the 3rd Division May 13, Mott taking command of the former and Brewster of the latter brigade (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 2, pages 709 and 711)
- ↑ Robinson was wounded on May 8, 1864. On May 9, 1864 the Division was temporarily disbanded:
- the 1st Brigade being attached to the 4th Division
- the 2nd Brigade to the 3rd Division
- the 3rd Brigade served as an independent command under direct orders of the corps commander
- This arrangement continued until May 30, 1864
- ↑ Joined May 16, 1864
- ↑ Coulter assumed command of the division and Bates of the brigade May 8, 1864. The former returned to the brigade May 9, 1864
- ↑ Left army May 15, 1864 - Originally listed in Dyer summary as 9th Pennsylvania (Reserve) Infantry, likely not correct
- ↑ Joined May 14, 1864
- ↑ Assumed command May 14, 1864
- ↑ Originally referenced in Dyer as 4th United States Artillery / Battery M, likely incorrect
- ↑ Chief of Artillery to the whole Army
- ↑ 1st Brigade Horse Artillery detached with Cavalry Corps; 2nd Brigade Horse Artillery attached to the Artillery Reserve (see: Hunt's report)
- ↑ Disbanded and distributed among the infantry corps May 16, 1864
- ↑ Transferred to 5th Corps on May 13, 1864
- ↑ Not originally listed on Dyer summary
- ↑ Not originally listed on Dyer summary
- ↑ Not originally listed on Dyer summary
Sources
- Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. The Dyer Publishing Company (Des Moine, 1908). (Pages 649, 892, 934)
- Wikipedia - Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Categories:
- Engagements in the War of the Rebellion
- Engagements in Virginia
- Engagements in Fairfax County, Virginia
- Engagements in Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- Battles in Virginia
- Battles in Fairfax County, Virginia
- Battles in Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- Engagements in 1864
- Engagements on May 8, 1864
- Engagements on May 9, 1864
- Engagements on May 10, 1864
- Engagements on May 11, 1864
- Engagements on May 12, 1864
- Engagements on May 13, 1864
- Engagements on May 14, 1864
- Engagements on May 15, 1864
- Engagements on May 16, 1864
- Engagements on May 17, 1864
- Engagements on May 18, 1864
- Engagements on May 19, 1864
- Engagements on May 20, 1864
- Engagements on May 21, 1864
- Source: ACWR 649
- Source: ACWR 892
- Source: ACWR 934
