The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-08
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
NAV ls-The Army Potomac Marching Southwark from the VII
dn Reached Spotania Courthouse Find in Possession Of
Corps from Lee, Amy-A Race Night Which Fortune Favored
the Confederates. ..'
Written Expressly for The Herald.


Corps was Fastening toward Spottsylva-
mia Court House The roads followed by
| the opposing troops here parallelcd each
other, a mile apart
Grant lay that night beside camp
\ fire by the road at Todd's Tavern. The
fields round about were scattered with
dead men. for 1t was here that Sheridan
had fought a few hours before.
! When Grant slept an officer covered
him, and thus lying in the dust Of the
roadside, and near a building that was
found in the morning to be a pigsty, the
Federal leader spent the night
|
Lee Wins '"e '"~
| The Federals had but twelve miles to
cover in all to reach their goal, but the
night march was beset with so many
difficulties that progress was painfully
slow 1t seemed to the exasperated OFF,
GERS in command of the troops that the
men never marched slower, or met with
more mischances in a given time.
The headquarters escort and baggage
wagons first blocked the road. The enemy
had felled trees across the road. which
must he cleared away. What was most
important Of all, Gen. Fitz Hugh Lees
cavalry division was in the road ahead
and was active in harassing the column.
On reaching Todd's Tavern at l a. m.
oeh. hea GU hiiuiue 20 49,. NJ.
80. 9,'lis,o tS - L. a. ro.d
IT, a,.,I5,o n,'.,o.os ,ho onemv's
cavalry, which. dismounted, and firing
| from behind trees, checked the Federal
advance. Finally the Federal horsemen
and infantry became mingled in confu-
A. s.9n ~, The boad n, ,ba Federal
oa,,,r,r raaoho5 cIaar;ng about two
.,5 ora-h,If ,,ir.s fro,, SnottsyIyapis
! Court Honsn called AIsop.s Farm. and
30 10 ,bo s,,rnrisa 81 oil they were
co,f1o,to6 hr infantr. Inpps,reet's
nan narcbir, al, NIGHT on an unob-
strncted road had swing about sharp
tn their Jeff short of Snottsv,yania
Court House had swent aside Gen. James
n Wilson'S cavalry division of Sheri-
dan.s command which bad tried IN hold
the Mace until tho federal infantry
cou,d arrive and had nIanted themselves
across the route of the Federals
Gen. Warren found them intrenching
on a range of hills that gave them a
nosition Of great strength Warren at
tackled and was driven hack. A second
assault resulted in his gaining an ad-
vanced position, where he at once in
trenched.
Gen. Grant, a few miles in the rear, at
Piney Branch Church, on hearing the
news from his front, hurried forward
Sedgwick's Corps, the Sixth, and Burn
sides. the Ninth, which had marched via
ChanceIIorsvilIe, to Join Warren
1t was near night before Sedgwick,
the first up. got into position. Gen. War
rem then led another assault with the
combined force; but he put into action
only one division at a time, and the
assault failed.
Night fell with Lonrstreet's Corps
firmly posted in front of Spottsylvania
Court House, and the rest of Lees army
marching rapidly to join II. Both sides
must now intrench. with Lee in the bet
ter position
The second move in the great game
between Grant and Lee had been played,
and Lee had won
Meade and Sheridan Quarrel.
,r, ,, $1,000. 49,. .x,
- -. ,5 ..,. -,
campaign.