SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE, Battles of. The battle of the Wilderness (q.v.) was fought 5 and 6 May 1864, and a reconnois sance made by General Birney's division down the Orange plank road, on the morning of the 7th, developed the fact that the Confederates had fallen back to their intrenched lines, with pickets to the front, covering a part of the battlefield. "From this," says General Grant, "it was evident to my mind that the two days' fighting had satisfied him (Lee) of his inability to .further maintain the contest in the open field, notwithstanding his advantage of position, and that he would await an attack behind his works. I, therefore, determined to push on and put my whole force between him and Rich mond, and orders were at once issued for a movement by his right flank." The first ob jective was Spottsylvania Court House, 15 miles southeast of the Wilderness field, which, by a night march it was proposed to reach early on the morning of the 8th. As a preliminary to the movement Sheridan's cavalry was to seize Todd's Tavern, on the Brock road, midway be tween the Wilderness field and Spottsylvania Court House, and hold the place and the roads crossing Po River. This was done on the 7th, the Confederate cavalry being driven from the place, Wade Hampton's division retreating south to Corbin's bridge over the Po, and Fitz hugh Lee's eastward on the Brock road to ward the Court House. (See TODD'S TAVERN, ENGAGEMENT AT). At 3 P.M. the trains began their movement toward Chancellorsville and Piney Grove Church; Warren's Fifth corps started after dark and, marching on the Brock road, along the rear of Hancock's Second corps, arrived at Todd's Tavern at 3 A.m. of the 8th, much impeded and delayed in its march by the mounted provost guard of the army which immediately preceded it; Sedgwick's Sixth corps followed, marching eastward to Chancel lorsville, then southward to connect with War ren ; and Burnside's • Ninth corps followed Sedgwick. Hancock's Second corps did not march until daylight when it moved to the left on the Brock road to Todd's Tavern, which it reached at 9 A.m. of the 8th, and intrenched. When Warren arrived at Todd's Tavern he found Merritt's cavalry division engaged with that of Fitzhugh Lee. At 6 A.M. Merritt was withdrawn and Robinson's division of War ren's corps took its place and, slowly driving back Lee's cavalry, had reached open ground one and one-half miles from the Court House, when from a piece of wood 200 to 300 yards in front it received a heavy musketry and artillery fire, which severely wounded Robinson, and so staggered his division that it fell back to the woods in its rear. Robinson had encountered
two brigades of R. H. Anderson's corps, the advance of Lee's army, which had beaten Grant in the race for Spottsylvania Court House. Lee had divined Grant's intention and, on the 7th, had cut a military road through the forest from the Orange plank road to the highway by Shady Grove Church, thence eastward to the Court House; and being informed by Stuart, late in the day, that Grant's trains were in motion southward, that night he gave orders for the movement of his army to the Court' House, on roads nearly parallel to the Union line of march, and but a mile from the Brock road. Gen. R. H. Anderson, who commanded Longstreet's corps, had been ordered to move on the morning of the 8th, but being much troubled by the fire and suf focating smoke in the Wilderness woods, con cluded to avoid it, set out at 11 P.M. of the 7th and, marching all night, arrived near the Court House at 8 o'clock next morning. There, find ing Lee's cavalry engaged with Warren's in fantry, he marched part of his corps to Lee's support, and two brigades marched on to the Court House and occupied it, Wilson's cavalry division, that had been sent by Sheridan to seize it, and that had been in possession two hours, withdrawing. Lee's cavalry withdrew as Anderson came up, and Anderson took up the fight with Warren. Griffin's division of War ren's corps, which had advanced on Robinson's right, was repulsed, and both fell back upon Crawford's and Cutler's divisions, which had now reached the front. Cutler advanced and drove the Confederates from Griffin's right, and Warren threw up intrenchments from 200 to 400 yards from those of the enemy. It was now about noon. About 1 P.ut. Sedgwick came up, under Meade's order to support Warren in an assault upon the Confederate position, the right of which rested on the Brock road. It was late in the day when the assault was made. Penrose's New Jersey brigade of the Sixth corps charging over open ground was repulsed by the right of Anderson's corps. A little later Crawford's division of Warren's corps went forward, passed the right of Anderson and struck Rodes' division of Ewell's corps, which was going into position on Anderson's right. Rodes, taken at a disadvantage, was driven back some distance, but rallied and drove Craw ...4 ford back to his intrenchments. Ewell's entire corps came up during the evening and formed on Anderson's right. The Union loss during the day was about 1,300.