In the Campbell Brown papers he leaves us a description of a meeting at the Harrison House on the afternoon of May 11, 1864. Supposedly Gen. Lee orders the guns removed from the salient at this time, and for the … 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
Recently I was back out at Spotsylvania with the camera. If you’re like me, fascinated by the earthworks, and the story they can tell us, the Stonewall Brigades line across the McCoull field is quite interesting. At first glance it … 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
“Pop, Pop, Pop,” those words were written by Brig. Gen. James Walker, commander of the Stonewall Brigade in May of 1864. What the General was evidently attempting to explain at least partly explain the ineffectiveness of the Confederate defense the morning … 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
“The chief cause of the capture of the division was the absence of the artillery from the line, the removal of which was ordered and carried out on the afternoon of May 11th.” (1) Written years later this was Colonel … Continue reading
“Tanner’s battery was placed into the line being in a small offset”. The words of Wilfred Cutshaw who commanded the battalion. For more time than I am willing to admit I have tried to fit those words into what I … 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 last of the Second Corp’s five battalions of artillery to arrive in the vicinity of Spotsylvania Courthouse was Cutshaw’s. His three batteries arrived late in the morning of May 10th, having trailed the battalions of Hardaway and Nelson along … Continue reading
The Mule Shoe, Facts and Myths 