Bloodiest Soil in America

Four major battles in Northern Virginia, a total of only 66 square miles; a radius of only 17 miles.  Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. Three generals for the Union – Burnside, Hooker, Grant; one general for the Confederates - Lee. Two back-to-back battles each. Fredericksburg in December, 1862 followed by Chancellorsville in April/May of 1863. Two years later, during General Grant’s Overland Campaign, the Wilderness of May 5-6 followed by Spotsylvania Court House occurring May 8 – 21, 1864. These four battles generated total casualties in excess of 110,000 soldiers. By definition casualties are killed, wounded, missing, or captured. The total number of days these four battles covered is 28, but not all 28 days saw fighting. These are astronomical numbers. Comparing the population of our country then to our population now would equate to over 660,000 today. Obviously, some of the bloodiest and hardest fought battles of the entire Civil War.

The first two battles, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville were decisive Confederate victories, while the Wilderness and Spotsylvania were draws.

Having already addressed these first two battles, I will condense the other two as they were nearly the same battle but moved from one location to another – from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania Court House. The Wilderness ended on May 6, 1864 with Grant pulling his troops on the evening of May 7^th moving southeast in an attempt to get behind Lee and to Richmond. Spotsylvania started on May 8.

The Wilderness was the first major battle between General Grant’s Army and General Lee’s Army. As you can guess by the name of this battle, the landscape played a tremendous role. The conflict began at Saunders Field and worked its way southeast through the underbrush and woods. For two days the Yankees and the Rebels fought. Much of this fighting took place in dense thickets and tangled bushes. On the 6^th, Longstreet hurried his late arriving troops into position and saved the Confederate right from collapsing. Oddly, Longstreet was wounded by his troops on this day, echoing the same action of two years earlier when Stonewall Jackson was fatally wounded by his troops. Longstreet did recover from his wound. Due to the heavy fighting by both infantry and artillery in the woods, fires were prevalent and many wounded soldiers suffered death in this manner. This battle was horrendous. Victory was achievable by either side, but ultimately the Wilderness won. The fighting ended in a fiery standoff. 

In the past, the Union Army would retreat after a battle with General Lee, but Grant was different. He ignored this stalemate and moved on, to the cheering and jubilation of his troops. The night of May 7, Grant moved his Army south toward Richmond and would battle Lee again starting the next day in a sleepy little hamlet called Spotsylvania Court House.

On the 8^th of May, Union Generals Warren and Sedgwick were unsuccessful in their attempt to remove Confederate General Anderson’s troops from Laurel Hill in order to advance through Spotsylvania Court House. By the 10^th, Lee had his Army entrenched across a four mile front. Grant gave orders to attack this front, including a salient known as the Mule Shoe. Even though another failure to break the Confederate line occurred, Union General Emory Upton’s temporary success at the Mule Shoe gave Grant hope. On the 12^th, Grant ordered 15,000 troops under General Winfield Scott to attack the Mule Shoe again. Initially successful, the Confederates rallied, counterattacked, and repulsed the Union. The next 22 hours were filled with some of the worst hand-to-hand combat of the war. Dead and wounded bodies, both Rebel and Yankee were stacked two, three, and four high in the salient. This became known as  “Bloody Angle.” Grant attempted two more attacks in the next few days, both again unsuccessful. Disengaging from Lee, Grant again moved southeast in an effort to get around Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. They would meet again, shortly, at North Anna River.

Thus, the first two major battles of Grant’s Overland Campaign had come to indecisive endings. Grant and his Army of the Potomac would continue their assault on Lee in their effort to bring this costly War Between the States to an end.

Ellwood, pictured here, was a quiet country farm situated near the intersection of Germanna Highway and Orange Turnpike. Sitting on a grassy knoll overlooking its 5,000 acre estate, Ellwood saw more than its share of the Civil War. Owned by the Lacey’s, owners also of Chatham at Fredericksburg, Ellwood was used and abused by both the Federals and the Confederates through the course of the war. Leading into the Chancellorsville battle, skirmishing occurred here as the Confederates attempted to delay the Union approach.  Following the battle at Chancellorsville, the Rebels used Ellwood for months as a field hospital. General Lee then camped on these grounds on his march to Gettysburg.

The Battle of the Wilderness was focused on and around this property. Both Union infantry and artillery were placed here during that encounter. It was also used as a staging area for the Union Army to feed into the battle. Although General Grant’s headquarters were located just a few hundred yards from the house, Generals Burnside and Warren moved into Ellwood itself and used it for their headquarters. Following this horrendous battle, the Federals used Ellwood as a field hospital. The floors were stained with blood, the gardens ruined, and the fences were gone following the Wilderness.  

Berkeley Plantation

Taking a slight deviation from my Civil War Battle sites campaign, I decided to visit a couple plantations resting on the beautiful James River. After all, this area is the location of some of the very first plantations built in the “new world”. I did use the Civil War criteria to help me pick one of the two plantations I visited.

Berkeley Plantation was used by General George McClellan as his headquarters during that portion of his Peninsula Campaign where he was retreating from General Lee. Little Mac, as he was affectionately called by his troops, felt it was important to hurry to Harrison’s Landing in order to save his Army and supplies from the aggressive Confederates, even though the Union decisively won the last battle of the Seven Days’ Battles - Malvern Hill - between the two armies before his final retreat to Harrison’s Landing.  If he had attacked the Rebels on the second day, instead of leaving the battlefield, McClellan very possibly would have done serious damage to Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. All of McClellan’s officers agreed to stay and fight as the Rebs seemed confused and disorganized, but McClellan overruled them.

McClellan and his troops of over 140,000 men stayed at Berkeley for two months before loading on ships and heading back to Washington, D.C. McClellan stayed in the main house, living and working on the second floor while the first floor was used as a hospital for his wounded men.  

But, yet again, I drift from the topic at hand– Berkeley Plantation.

The entrance drive to Berkeley Plantation was a wonderful sight. Driving down the quarter mile of the tree-lined carriage path helped to set the tone for a visit with the past.

This plantation holds so much history, it is incredible. Starting on December 4, 1619 when the first English settlers landed on this ground and observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. That’s right. Eighteen months before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Approximately 40 Englishmen were commissioned by Berkeley (pronounced Barkeley) Castle in England to settle the new world. Several years later, this settlement along with all the other white settlements located on this area of the James River were nearly wiped out by the local Indians. This land was eventually purchased by Benjamin Harrison IV.

Benjamin Harrison IV, in 1726, built Berkeley Plantation with bricks fired on site and trees from his land which was approximately 1,000 acres.  The date and the initials of the builders/owners still exist in a datestone that was built into the home over a side door.  This beautiful three story brick Georgian-style mansion is said to be the oldest in Virginia that can prove its date of construction. It is also the first that used a pediment roof. Harrison selected a site on a hill that overlooks the James River with an entrance from both the river side and the land side. This was done so that regardless of how Harrison’s guests arrived, by either boat or carriage, they would be coming through a main door and feel welcome.

The furnishings in this home are period furniture and beautiful. Unfortunately I was not permitted to take photos of the interior. Much of the furniture had been destroyed during the Revolutionary War and Mrs. Harrison replaced her loss with furnishings from Westover Plantation, her neighbor.

Benjamin Harrison IV was father to Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and three times Governor of Virginia. In addition to Benjamin V being born in this mansion, likewise, so was William Henry Harrison. He was Benjamin V’s third son. William Henry was famous as an Indian fighter and known as “Tippecanoe” and became the ninth President of the United States. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was the 23^rd President.

Due to the prominence of the Harrison Family in Virginia and the United States, the first ten Presidents visited Berkeley Plantation and enjoyed the warm hospitality. In addition, so did the 16^th President, Abraham Lincoln, as he visited General McClellan during McClellan’s encampment in 1862 at the end of his Peninsula Campaign.

The gardens for this plantation are beautiful and still well manicured. The terraced boxwoods and lawn cover 10 acres and extend a quarter mile from the front door to the James River. I found this area very peaceful and serene.

After the Civil War, the Harrison’s were not able to regain possession of the property, and after moving through several owners, fell into disrepair.  In 1907, the plantation was purchased by a New Yorker, John Jamieson. Jamieson was in the wood business and bought the property solely for the trees; he never visited Berkeley. Malcolm, John’s son, and Malcolm’s wife Grace eventually restored the plantation to its glory years.  Malcolm’s grandson, also named Malcolm, and his wife live in the upper two floors as they still allow the public to tour the first floor and the grounds.

The gazebo that Benjamin spent quite a bit of time in is called the Tea & Mint Julep House.

During the Union occupation of these grounds in 1862, General Daniel Butterfield summoned his bugler to his tent one afternoon. Butterfield had composed a few musical notes and wanted to hear them played on a bugle. He was searching for a new way to signal lights out for his troops. Oliver Norton, his bugler, played the notes, Butterfield tweaked them just a bit, and that simply they created what is perhaps the most well-known military sound – TAPS. I find this to be the most stirring of tunes I have ever heard.

One other historical fact connected to the Berkeley Plantation is that the first bourbon whiskey in America was distilled here in 1621.

I visited another plantation located on the James River which I will blog about later.

Battle of Chancellorsville

Having driven the auto tour and walking much of the trails at the Chancellorsville Battlefield, I still had a difficult time putting it all together. The battlefield covered miles upon miles upon miles of terrain, much of which is now a four lane divided highway or wooded areas that were open fields 150 years ago. The “new” trees were a bigger problem for me as I could not get a feel for the battles or the maneuvering of the troops because my views were often blocked.  

Following the disaster at Fredericksburg, President Lincoln removed General Burnside and put in his place General Joseph Hooker. Fightin’ Joe Hooker, in my opinion, talked tough but didn’t follow it up with action. Hooker had a great plan to get behind the Confederate Army of General Lee, but at the first sign of difficulty, it seems Hooker would turn tail and run.

One of Hooker’s famous quotes after being given the command is “May God have mercy on Lee, because I will not.”

Leaving 30,000 troops with General Sedgwick at Fredericksburg to occupy Lee, Hooker moved the balance of his army west with the intention of crossing the Rappahannock River and close in on the Rebel Army from the west, while Sedgwick would move from the east. A brilliant plan.  Having crossed the river, Hooker started moving his troops east toward Fredericksburg. Lee, having learned of Hooker’s movement, split his forces, leaving some at Fredericksburg, and headed toward Chancellorsville. On May 1, 1863, they clashed.

With this resistance, Hooker elected to retreat back to the Chancellorsville area. He far outnumbered Lee’s troops, but none the less, backed away. He then formed a formidable defensive line at and around Chancellorsville. Chancellorsville, by the way, was not a town by rather an Inn located on the Orange Plank Road (current route 3).

During the night of May 1^st, Lee learned that Hooker’s right flank was unprotected and this presented an opportunity for the Confederates to turn this flank and inflict serious damage on the Union Army. On May 2nd Lee, in a daring move, split his army of 60,000 troops and directed Stonewall Jackson to take his Corps on a 12 mile march over country roads and attack Hooker’s exposed right flank. Lee’s army was outnumbered 2 to 1 and with the orders he had given, was now outnumbered approximately 4 to 1 on the front.  The surprise maneuver worked for the Rebels as Jackson’s Corps crushed the right flank of Hooker’s as bloody fighting was taking place on the front and the left flank of the Union Army.

The night of May 2^nd witnessed one of the most devastating events of the entire Civil War. As General Stonewall Jackson was doing reconnaissance, he was shot by one of his troops. He lost his left arm to amputation the next day, and 10 days later died of pneumonia as a result of his injury. General Lee, no doubt, lost his most reliable subordinate and Jackson was never adequately replaced.

Hooker, not understanding the importance of occupying Hazel Grove, the high ground of the battle, simply withdrew from this area. It was quickly taken by the Confederates who deployed artillery and was in an excellent position to shell the Union lines. Another example of Hooker not being a war time general under fire.

On May 3^rd, J.E.B. Stuart was given command of Jackson’s Corps, resuming the relentless offensive against fortified Union positions. South of the highway, Stuart’s men attacked Fairview, an elevated clearing defended by nearly 40 cannon. In only five hours of fierce combat, more than 17,500 soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured. This amounts to one every second of fighting.

Eventually the Confederate artillery was shelling Chancellorsville, where Hooker had his headquarters. One of the shells that hit the house, as Hooker stood on the porch, caused a piece of wood to knock Hooker to the ground and dazed him. He  ordered a retreat and fell back about one mile toward the river.

At this time, Lee was able to pull a portion of his troops and send them seven miles east to the Salem Church area where General Sedgwick was approaching with his 30,000 troops from Fredericksburg. Sedgwick was defeated in this battle.

After uniting all his forces in Chancellorsville on May 5^th, General Lee decided to again attack Hooker’s army with the intention of destroying it. As he moved  forward, Lee found only empty trenches as the Union Army had re-crossed the Rappahannock River during the night, thus ending this campaign.

This particular battle generated 18,000 casualties for the Union Army and 13,000 for the Confederates.

Once again, the Union Army far outnumbered the Confederate Army. But once again, General Robert E. Lee far outmaneuvered his Union counterpart and proved once again to be the far superior tactician.

Fredericksburg

Following General McClellan’s reluctance to pursue and destroy General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia following the battle at Antietam, President Lincoln assigned the task of commanding the Army of the Potomac to General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside, at first, resisted this promotion based on his lack of confidence in his abilities, but eventually accepted.

The armies, at this time, were going into winter quarters; a period of the year where little to nothing was done due to weather and road conditions, making it nearly impossible to move large armies. The roads were always soggy and muddy and the wagons would constantly get bogged down.

Because of undue pressure from the press and Washington politicians, General Burnside elected to move his army to Falmouth, just across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, Virginia and attack the city and move to attack the Confederate Army.

In order to cross the Rappahannock, Burnside had requested, from Washington, pontoon bridges. He had hoped to get across the river before General Lee could move his Confederate army to the area to resist and fight. But because of typical political red tape, the pontoons took longer than expected or was necessary. This delay allowed Lee to move his troops to Fredericksburg to confront the Union Army. 

Lee was able to secure the higher ground overlooking the city. With General Longstreet’s and General Stonewall Jackson’s corps, the Confederate Army controlled a front that stretched seven miles. Never the less, Burnside elected to be the aggressor and attack.

On December 11, 1862, Union troops shelled the town from Stafford Heights and then crossed the river on the pontoon bridges to challenge Lee’s Rebels which were holding the higher ground at Marye’s Heights, directly behind the city. On the 13^th, the Union launched a two-prong attack. On the south end of the line, at Prospect Hill, they were able to break through Stonewall Jackson’s line for a brief but bloody moment. To the north, behind town, wave upon wave of Union infantry attempted to traverse an open field of 300 to 400 yards as they charged the Confederate line. In all, about 30,000 Union soldiers attempted to cross this field. The Rebels were well entrenched behind a stone wall which protected them as they stood in the Sunken Road. The Union soldiers had no protection and, as they ran the open field, were easy targets for both the Rebel infantry and their artillery placed on the higher elevation. No union soldier reached the stone wall.  Behind the Sunken Road was the elevation known as Marye’s Heights. The Union Army did not stand a chance. It was like a slaughter pen. The open field was littered with dying and dead in blue uniforms.

It was a decisive win for the army of General Lee and a painful blow to the Union war effort. This lop-sided defeat discouraged Union soldiers and intensified public debate regarding the war and the wisdom of emancipation. The Confederates, on the other hand, were established as an Army that would and could fight and win.

Chatham, a plantation home built in 1771 in Stafford Heights, served as the Union headquarters during the Fredericksburg campaign. It sat on nearly 1,300 acres. The house was also used as a hospital after the battle. Chatham, too, suffered. Union soldiers tore paneling from its walls and used it as firewood, then scribbled their names on the plaster beneath. Outside they cut down trees, trampled the gardens, and destroyed fencing. By the war’s end, Chatham was a scene of desolation. This is just one example of the devastation the citizens felt as a result of the Civil War.

There is a story of a young confederate, Richard Kirkland from South Carolina, who braved both enemy and friendly fire and carried water to the wounded Yankee soldiers lying on the open field during the night. This was truly an angel of mercy.

This is a national battlefield park that is worth the visit.

I also managed to spend some time in old historic Fredericksburg. What an incredible downtown they have kept. I walked along Caroline Street, block after block, just looking in the shops and visiting many antique stores. The architecture is still in place from the 1800’s and the city is maintaining that style. Fredericksburg is a cozy, friendly, architecturally inviting town and definitely worth the visit.