The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse

By the night of May 8, the Confederate army was in firm possession of Spotsylvania Court House. With Lee entrenching, Grant looked for opportunities to attack. Reports from the front indicated that the Confederates were in force on both their left and right flanks, leading Grant to believe that they must be weak in the center of the line. Hoping to exploit this weakness, he issued orders for a general assault to take place just before sunset on May 10.

Colonel Emory Upton, a brilliant 24-year-old brigade commander from Batavia, New York, was assigned to lead the assault. On the day of the attack, Upton assembled a strike force of 12 regiments—5,000 men—at the Shelton house, 400 yards behind you. Union troops meanwhile flushed Confederate skirmishers from these woods. Upton's men followed, moving undetected along this woods road to within 200 yards of the Confederate line.

To follow the route of Upton's attack, leave your car here and take the walking trail that follows the woods road in front of you.

Trail Length: Half mile round trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time: Thirty minutes

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Colonel Emory Upton

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Show me all markers in:  Spotsylvania, VA  |  Spotsylvania County  |  22553  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Upton's Charge
Doles Salient
Confederate Counterattack
Upton's Assault
Spotsylvania Campaign
Spotsylvania Campaign
The Muleshoe Salient
Attack on the Muleshoe
Bloody Angle, Crowded Ravine
Aftermath

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