Chapter 55: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Begins

While Grant hopes to arrive at Spotsylvania before Grant and fight a defensive battle there, Lee cleverly anticipates the move. 

On the evening of May 6 he orders his I Corps – now under Richard Anderson with Longstreet down – to move 11 miles along a military route prepared by his artillery chief, Richard Pendleton, and arrive before Grant. Once there they construct trench works and batteries astride the Brock Road, about 3 miles northwest of the Courthouse. 

Meanwhile the Union advance is impeded throughout May 7 by Gray cavalry units under Lee’s nephew, Fitzhugh. This logjam is broken around dawn on May 8, and the lead units — Warren’s V Corps and Sedgwick’s VI – arrive and begin an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge Anderson around 7:00pm.