A little tease to show we really have begun. But this is just the introduction. The rest is much larger. Not Gordon or Bill but pretty inclusive. A deafening quiet settled over the little salient. Of course quiet was a … Continue reading
Of all the events during the Overland Campaign of 1864 those of May 12 at Spotsylvania stand out. Perhaps the only true rivals for the title of the most significant event of the campaign are Grant’s decision not to … Continue reading
Sometimes when we read about history it seems that everybody did the right thing, and at exactly the right time. And generally that it was a perfect plan, brilliantly executed by super humans. It was only the fact that somebody … Continue reading
In March of 2014 I was exploring the area adjacent to the West McCoull Lane looking for the elusive traces of the location of Tanners Battery May 11-2, 1864. This battery had been very near Carrington’s battery that day. In … Continue reading
If you were to ask a group of a hundred people what was the most important single thing that effected the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse I believe that overwhelmingly you would get one answer. The fact that the artillery which … Continue reading
In all my studies of Spotsylvania there is one statement that I keep returning to. Two sentences that could unlock so much, yet never will. They were written in a letter from Wilfred Cutshaw to James McDowell Carrington in 1905. … Continue reading
Contrary to what some people may think there were actually two batteries left along the line of Edward Johnson’s division on the night of May 11/12, 1864. Both Carrington’s battery and Tanner’s battery were with Cutshaw’s battalion and had been … Continue reading
Of the two artillery batteries in the Mule Shoe the night of the 11th of May 1864 we know the least about Tanner’s Battery. While we know exactly where Carrington’s Charlottesville Artillery, we cant say the same about Tanner. However … Continue reading
The centerpiece to the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse was Hancock’s assault on the Mule Shoe in the early morning hours of May 12th. This assault initially exceeded even the most optimistic Federal expectations, and came close to a defeat of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 23 photos.
Looking out from the trench at the apex of the East Angle toward the Landrum house. Note the rolling terrain. During my explorations on the area within the Muleshoe I have taken a bunch of pictures. Most of them the … Continue reading
The Mule Shoe, Facts and Myths 