CHAP. XIV. employed the precious hours, while the Army of the Potomac was coming up, to turn every hill and knoll about the place into an almost impregnable fortress.

Lee, when he found that Grant was not on the way to the rear, attempted no offensive movement, and during two days Grant occupied himself in bringing his army into position in front of the Confederate works, and preparing for the desperate struggle he saw was before him. To free himself from annoyance from Lee's cavalry, he ordered Sheridan to cut loose from the Army of the Potomac, to go south by the rebel right flank, so as to draw after him the Confederate mounted force, to do all the harm possible to the railroads and stores in Lee's rear, and then to communicate with Butler on the James, replenish his supplies, and rejoin Grant by whatever road should at the time seem May, 1864. practicable. Early on the morning of the 9th Sheridan rode away on the most formidable and important cavalry expedition of the war. He soon got past the right flank of Lee's infantry, and drew after him, as was intended, the main body of the rebel horse. Custer's brigade went to Beaver Dam Station on the Virginia Central Road, of which he destroyed ten miles, a large amount of rolling stock and supplies, and recaptured some four hundred Union prisoners, who were on the way to Richmond. Sheridan himself crossed the South Anna at Ground Squirrel Bridge on the 10th, and the next day pushed on towards Richmond.

J. E. B. Stuart, by that time seeing the folly of the stern chase, had by desperate riding made a detour, and succeeded in concentrating a great part

of his forces at the Yellow Tavern, on the Brooke CHAP. XIV. pike, six miles due north of the city. Sheridan promptly attacked him, Merritt, Wilson, and Custer leading the assault with equal gallantry and success, while Gregg defeated an attack made by James B. Gordon upon Sheridan's rear. This was one of the fiercest cavalry fights of the war, and one of the most important in results; Stuart and Gordon were killed, and the Confederate horse were so roughly handled that they never again met the National cavalry on equal terms. Sheridan, pursuing FitzHugh Lee's division towards Richmond, passed through the outer line of fortifications, and in his own opinion might have entered the city. But rightly judging that he could not sustain himself there with cavalry alone, he recrossed to the north side of the Chickahominy, and after another brisk engagement with a force which made a sortie from the Confederate works, he made his way to the James, where General Butler supplied his wants. He remained there for three days, and then started on the 17th to rejoin Grant, which he succeeded in doing without further adventures on the 24th of May.

1864.

CHAPTER XV

CHAP. XV.
May, 1864.

SPOTSYLVANIA AND COLD HARBOR

OTH armies had marched during the night

Bo the 7th 8th
BOTH

of the 7th-8th under misapprehensions which were full of hope and encouragement. Lee, imagining that Grant was repeating the retrograde movement of Hooker, threw forward his right to cut off his enemy's retreat to Fredericksburg; while, on the other hand, when Grant, in the deepening night, rode with his staff in advance of Warren's corps behind Hancock's troops in position, and it was seen the line of march pointed to Richmond instead of Washington, the enthusiasm of the troops burst out in long and vociferous cheering; it was thought that the sanguinary struggle in the Wilderness was over, and that an honest fight on a fair field would soon give them the fruits of a victorious campaign. An equally bitter disillusion greeted both commanders on the morning of the 8th. Lee found that Grant was neither beaten nor retreating; and Grant, who had hoped to pass round the right wing of Lee, so as to force a battle in the open or a race for Richmond, found, before the day ended, the whole Army of Northern Virginia fortressed on the hills of Spotsylvania, directly in his path. He did not indeed recognize

Hum

phreys,

The Virginia Cam

and '65," pp. 66, 67.

CHAP. XV. this unwelcome fact until afternoon, and had actually directed an order of march southward to be prepared before he was convinced that Lee was paign of 64 concentrated before him. The necessity of battle was not so strong here as at the Wilderness; General Humphreys says," sufficiently good roads southward lay open to us on either side, by which, if we did not attack in front, we could have moved Ibid., p. 71. to turn either flank." But Grant's genius was

May, 1864.

essentially offensive; if the advantages of fighting or not fighting were evenly balanced, he was sure to fight. He determined to attack Lee in position, and at least twice during the week of battles that followed his furious assaults came so near to overwhelming success that most military critics have been led to justify his resolution.

It was half-past eight on the morning of the 8th before Warren's advance made its way through the dense woods, impeded at every step by the gallant resistance of Fitz-Hugh Lee's cavalry, to the more open ground of Alsop's, about two and a half miles from the Court House; and from that point there was continuous and heavy fighting for a mile to the forks of the Brock and Old Court House roads, when the Union troops came upon the intrenched division of Kershaw and made no further progress. The Sixth Corps, under Sedgwick, came up later, on Warren's left, and both these able commanders were ordered to attack. It was, however, late in the day; there was no adequate time for preparation, the ground was ew, and the at

tack failed. Bot

strengthening the

cock went inte

e night in day Han

the