of themostghastly scenes of the war.Lack-inga file, the Federals improvisedby cram-ming twigs into the vent hole and breakingthem off, which might at least delay theConfederates should the guns be retaken.43

The portion of Upton's command thathad turned to the right to widen the breachnext encountered Junius Daniel's brigade.The brunt of Upton's Attack fell upon theflank of the 32nd ~orth Carolina, and theircommander,Col. Edmund C. Brabble, waskilled. The right wing of the 2nd NorthCarolina Battalion was bent back upon the

left wing, and theircommander,Maj.JamesJ. Iredell, was also killed. When artillerySgt. William S. White was forced to aban-don the guns of Smith's company, hegrabbed the rifle and accoutrements of a"demoralized infantryman" and proceededto the second line of works, where the fivecompanies of Daniel's infantry, displacedby his battery,had been repositioned.Ewelland his staff were rallying the men at theseworks and ordered them to charge. Whiteobserved that the first counterattack madeit to his battery's caissons, parked about 40

yards in the rear of the cannon, but the in-fantrymen could advance no farther. "Theenemy are too strong for us," White la-mented, "and we are literally wiped OUt."44

Daniel's brigade had either to endure anenfilade fire or fall back. The North Caro-linians grudgingly withdrew firing. Theyfell back to the earthworks that had beenabandoned by Gordon's men earlier in theday,a position at right anglesto the trenchesfrom which they had just been driven.45

Continued on Pg. 46

BLUE & GRAY MAGAZINE-AUGUST 2001 25

ORDER OF BATTLE 16th Massachusetts; Second Brigade IX Corps Second Corps Third CorpsSPOTSYLVANIA CAMPAIGN 5th New Jersey; 6th New Jersey; Col. Emory Upton Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell Maj. Gen. lubal A. Early7th New Jersey; 8th New Jersey; 5th Maine.

NOI part of the Army or the Potomac. Early's Division Anderson's DivisionTo Brigade level. except certain units par- II th New Jersey; 26111Pennsylvania; 12151 New York*Burnside reported directly to Gen. Grant. Brig. Oen.lohn B. Gordon Brig. Gen. William Mahonelicipaling in Upton's AUack and the De. I 15th Pennsylvania 95th Pennsylvania*

First DivisionPegram's Brigade Perrin's Brigade

fenseofDolcs' Salient.lbc listing is as of96th Pennsylvania*

May 8, 1864. Those killed, mortally Second Brigade Brig. Gen. Thomas G. Stevenson (K) Col. John S. Hoffman Brig. Gen. Abner Perrin (K)wounded, wounded or captured are not Cot. William Brewster Third Brigade Col. Daniel Leasure13th Virginia; 31st Virginia;

Mahone's Brigadenecessarily casualties of Upton's Attack. 11th Massachusetts; 70th New York; Brig. Gen. David A. Russell Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden 49th Virginia; 52nd Virginia;71st New York; nnd New York; Brig. Gen. Henry L. Eustis

581h VirginiaCo!. David A. Weisiger

Commander of aU U. S. Forces 73rd New York; 741h New York; 6th Maine* Firsl BrigadeHarris' BrigadeLt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant IZOth New York; 84th Pennsylvania 49th Pennsylvania* Lt. Co/. Stephen M. Weld, Ir. Gordon's Brigade

Brig. Gen. Nathaniel H. Hams119th Pennsylvania* Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie Cot. Clement A. EvansArmy of the Potomac Fourth Division (Heavy Artillery)5th Wisconsin*

Second Brigade 13th Georgia; 26th Georgia; Wright's BrigadeMaj. Gen. George G. Meade Brig. Gen. Robert O. Tyler31 st Georgia; 38th Georgia; Brig. Gen. Ambrose R. WrightFourth Brigade Co!. Daniel Leasure60th Georgia;61st Georgia

Artillery Artillery BrigadePeny's BrigadeBrig. Gen. Henry 1. Hunt Co/. lohn C. Tidball Co!. Nelson Cross Second Division

Brig. Gen. Edwatd A. Perry65th New York*; 67th New York Brig. Gen. Robert B. Potter Johnston's BrigadeSecond Brigade V Corps 12Znd New York Brig. Gen. Robert D. lohnston (W) Heth's DivisionMaj. John A. Tomkins Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren 82nd Pennsylvania First Brigade 5th North Carolina;Maj. Gen. Henry HethCo/. lohn I. Curtin IZlh North Carolina;Third Brigade First Division Second Division

Second Brigade 20th North Carolina; Davis' BrigadeMaj. Robert H. Fitzhugh Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin Brig. Gen. Thomas H. NeillCol. Simon G. Griffin 23rd North Carolina Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Davis

First Brigade Horse Artillery First Brigade Firsl BrigadeThird Division Johnson's Division Cooke's BrigadeCapt. James. M. Robertson Brig. Gen. Romeyn B. Ayres Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton

Brig. Gen. Orlando B. Willcox Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson Brig. Gen. lohn R. CookeSecond Brigade Horse Artillery Second Brigade Second BrigadeFirst Brigade Stonewall Brigade Walker's BrigadeCapt. Dunbar R. Ransom Col. Jacob B. Sweitzer Cot. Lewis A. Grant

Co!. John F. Hartranfl Brig. Gen. James A. Walker (W) Brig. Gen. Henry H. Walker (W)II Corps Third Brigade I st Vermont Heavy Artillery 2nd Virginia; 4th Virginia; Archer's BrigadeMaj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock Brig. Gen. Joseph 1. Bartlett 2nd Vermont*; 3rd Vermont Second Brigade

5th Virginia; 27th Virginia; Brig. Gen. James 1. Archer4th Vermont; 5th Vermont* Col. Bejamin C. Chrisl 33rd VirginiaFirst Division Second Division 6th Vermont.Fourth Division Kirkland's BrigadeBrig. Gen. Francis C. Barlow Brig. Gen. John C. Robinson (W)

Steuart's Brigade Brig. Gen. William W. KirklandCo!. Richard Coulter Third Brigade Brig. Gen. Edward FerreroBrig. Gen. George H. SteuartFirst Brigade Cot Daniel D. Bidwell

1st North Carolina; Wilcox's DivisionCot. Nelson A. Miles First Brigade 7th Maine First Brigade3rd North Carolina; Maj. Gen. Cadmus M. WilcoxCol. Peler Lyle 43rd New York*; 49th New York Col. Joshua K. SigfriedSecond Brigade

10th Virginia; 23rd Virginia; Lane's BrigadeCol. Thomas A. Smyth Second Brigade 77th New York* Second Brigade37th Virginia Brig. Gen. James H. LaneCol. Richard Byrnes Col. Richard Coulter 61st Pennsylvania Co!. Henry G. Thomas

Jones' Brigade McGowan's BrigadeThird Brigade Col. James L. Bates Fourth Brigade Artillery Reserve Col. William Wilcher Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan (W)Col. Paul Frank Third Brigade Brig. Gen. Henry L. Eustis Co!. John Edwards, Jr.21 st Virginia; 25th Virginia; Col. Joseph N. BrownCo/. Hiram L. Brown (C) Cot. Andrew W. Denison (W) Col. Oliver Edwards

Provisional Brigade 42nd Virginia; 44th Virginia;Scales' BrigadeCol. Clinton D. MacDougall Co/. Charles E. Phelps (W.C) Third Division Col. Elisha G. Marshall 48th Virginia; 50th Virginia

Brig. Gen. Alfred M. ScalesFourth BrigadeCol. Richard N. Bowerman Brig. Gen. James B. Rickeus

Louisiana Brigade (Consolidated)Co/. lohn R. Brooke Third DivisionFirst Brigade

*****Brig. Gen. Harry T. Hays Thomas' Brigade

Brig. Gen. Edward L. ThomasSecond Division Brig. Gen. Samuel Crawford Brig. Gen. William H. Morris (W)Army of Northern Virginia

1st Louisiana; 2nd Louisiana;Co/. lohn W. Schall 5th Louisiana; 6th Louisiana; ArtilleryBrig. Gen. John Gibbon First Brigade

Col. William S. Truex Gen. Robert E. Lee 7th Louisiana; 8th Louisiana; Col. R. Lindsay WalkerCol. William McCandless (W)First BrigadeCo/. William C. Talley (C) Second Brigade First Corps 9th Louisiana; 10th Louisiana; Cavalry CorpsBrig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb (W)

Cot. Wellington H. Ent Co!. Benjamin F. SmithMaj. Gen. Richard Anderson 14th Louisiana; 15th Louisiana

Maj. Gen. I. E. B. Stuart (MW)Co/. H. Boyd McKeenKershaw's Division Rodes' Division

Second Brigade Third Brigade Artillery BrigadeBrig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes Hampton's DivisionCo!. Joseph W. Fisher Co!. Charles H. Tompkins Maj. Gen. Wade HamptonBrig. Gen. Joshua T. Owen

Co!. Silas M. BaileyKershaw's Brigade Daniel's Brigade

Young's BrigadeThird Brigade Cavalry CorpsCol. John W. Henagan Brig. Gen. Junius Daniel (MW)Col. Samuel S. Carroll (W)

Fourth DivisionMaj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan

Col. Bryan Grimes Brig. Gen. Pierce M. B. YoungCol. Theodore G. Ellis Brig. Gen. Lysander CutlerFirst Division Wofford's Brigade 32nd North Carolina; Rosser's BrigadeCo!. Thomas A. Smyth First Brigade Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford 451h North Carolina Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Rosser

Fourth BrigadeCol. William W. Robinson

First Brigade Humphreys' Brigade53rd North Carolina

Butler's BrigadeCol. Mathew Murphy (W) Second Brigade Brig. Gen. George A. Custer Brig. Gen. Benjamin G. Humphreys 2nd North Carolina Battalion Brig. Gen. Matthew C. ButlerCol. James P. Mcivor Brig. Gen. James C. Rice (K)Second Brigade Bryan's Brigade Ramseur's Brigade Fitzhugh Lee's DivisionThird Division Col. Edward B. Fowler

Co!. Thomas C. Devin Brig. Gen. Goode Bryan Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur Maj. Gen. Filzhugh LeeMaj. Gen. David B. Birney Third Brigade Field's Division 2nd North Carolina;Reserve Brigade 4th North Carolina Lomax's BrigadeFirst Brigade Co/. Edward S. Bragg Co/. Alfred Gibbs Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field

14th North Carolina; Brig. Gen. Lunsford L. LomaxBrig. Gen. I. H. Hobart Ward Artillery BrigadeSecond Division Jenkins' Brigade 301h North Carolina

Wickham's BrigadeCo/. Thomas W. Egan Co!. Charles S. WainwrightBrig. Gen. David McM. Gregg

Co!. John BrattonBattle's Brigade Brig. Gen. Williams C. WickhamSecond Brigade VI Corps

First Brigade Anderson's Brigade Brig. Gen. Cullen A. Battle William H. F. Lee's DivisionCo/. lobo S. Crocker Maj. Gen. lohn Sedgewick (K)Brig. Gen. George T. Anderson 3rd Alabama; 5th Alabama; Maj. Gen. William H. F. LeeCo/. Elijah Walker Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright Brig. Gen. Henry E. Davies, Jr.

6th Alabama; 12th Alabama;Second Brigade Gregg's Brigade 61stAIabama Chambliss' Brigade

Fourth Division First DivisionCo!. 1. Irvin Gregg Brig. Gen. John Gregg Brig. Gen. John R. ChamblissBrig. Gen. Gershom Mott Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright

Benning's Brigade Doles' BrigadeGordon's Brigade

Brig. Gen. David Russell Third DivisionBrig. Gen. George Doles

Molt's Division was to support Upton'sCo!. Dudley M. DuBose

Brig. Gen. James B. GordonAUack on the left. but due to complications Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson 4th Georgia; 12th Georgia;didnot advanceinconcert with Upton. Not Russell's and Neill'sdivisions providedthe First Brigade Law's Brigade 44th Georgia Horse Artilleryall regiments listed below participated in troOpsfor Upton's Altack. An asterisk (*) Col. John B. Mcintosh Brig. Gen. Evander Mci. LawArtillery Maj. R. Preston ChewMou's ineffCClualadvance. indicates a unit in the attack.

Artillery Brig. Gen. Armistead L. LongFirst Brigade Second Brigade Brig. Gen. E. Porter Alexander (K)-Killed (W)- WoundedCo!. Robert McAllister First Brigade Col. George H. Chapman(MW)-Mortally Wounded1st Massachusetts Co!. Henry W. Brown

(C)-Captured

Continued from Pg. 25

While riding into the works of Smith'sartillery, Upton saw Daniel's troops vanishinto the woods. The works beyond the bat-tery were vacant as far as he could see. Theonly signs of Confederate presence were afew tents. Upton estimated that his attackhad created a gap in the Confederate line ahalf-mile wide, and several other partici-pants gauged the breach at that distance aswell. Upton's Attack had advanced acrossopen ground, broken through the Confed-erate line, captured a battery, widened thebreach, and sent prisoners to the rear.46

Upton had accomplished everything hehad set out to do, but he might have beenable to do more. At that point, Upton feltthat his command could have continued

down the Confederate line all the way tothe Brock Road. To do so would have

opened the gap wide enough for the rest ofthe VI Corps to drive through and seize theSpotsylvania Court House crossroads.47

But Upton did not view his attack as anindependent operation. He expected Mott'sdivision to corne up on his left, and he ap-parently felt his job was to maintain thebreach and await Mott, then exploit thebreach. Without the knowledge that Mott'seffort had already been made, and had beenunsuccessful, Upton decided to hold the gap

Junius Daniel,CSA

open, waiting for a supporting attack thatwould never come.48

The Federals holding the former posi-tion of the 3rd Richmond Howitzers no-ticed a Confederate line preparing to de-liver a volley into them. Robert Westbrookof the 49th Pennsylvania concluded that thesemen were "a new lot of rebels that we haveto contend with." While Upton looked forhelp from Mott, the Confederate gener-als were seeking help of their own, andreinforcements were indeed rushing to-ward Doles' Salient. As Daniel's brigade

reformed at the reserve line of earthworks,Ewell galloped up behind the 45th NorthCarolina. "Don't run boys," shouted theSecond Corps commander, "I will haveenough men here in five minutes to eat upevery d-d one of them." Daniel's men de-livered several volleys into Upton's menfrom this position when they suddenlyheard cheering behind them. True to hisword, "Old Baldy" Ewell had Battle's Ala-bama Brigade on the way.49

General Rodes had cantered up to theAlabamians, who were constructingearthworks along what would be calledLee's Last Line, and ordered them to dis-lodge the Federals quickly. The mendropped their shovels and picked up theirguns, and marched off to meet the crisis.The command entered the Harrison field,on the farm of EdgarW.Harrison, who wasthen serving in the 9th Virginia Cavalry.Upon entering the field the men inquired"Which way, general?" and Rodes pointedout the proper direction. While crossing aravine in the Harrison field, Battle's menencountered some artillery-men whocheered them on. These men were possi-bly from Smith's company, who may havebeen helplessly lookingon while their gunswere in the hands of the enemy. The can-noneers may also have been from theStaunton Artillery, under Capt. Asher W.Garber. The battery was located near Lee's

The Harrison House and outbuildings sat on a knoll overlooking the field where the armies clashed in May 1864.

46 BLUE & GRAY MAGAZINE-AUGUST 2001

-.-Edward Johnson, CSA

headquarters at the Harrison house waitingto be assigned a position when the break-through occurred. The battery quicklydropped trail and loaded their guns withdouble-canister,butapparentlyUpton's mennever ventured into the Harrisonfield.50

After hearing the words of encourage-ment from the gunners, the Alabamianspassed through a band of woods about30 yards wide, then emerged into a fieldwhere Upton's men were only 80 yardsaway. The outnumbered Alabamianswere forced to halt. Soon other Confed-

erate troops joined the fray. As the Ala-bamians advanced through the Harrisonfield they passed to the right of Daniel'smen, and the North Carolinians of bothDaniel and Ramseur followed in the wakeof Battle's brigade.51

Daniel's men encountered the enemyassembledaround Smith's guns.Sgt. CyrusB. Watson of the 45th North Carolina sawthat the cannon had been turned from their

original position and were now pointed inthe direction of Daniel's approach. Watsonwas astonished that the cannon were not

firing, the only discharges at the momentbeing from infantry.In front of the Federalline stood a prominent officer who wassoon shot t~rough the neck and killed. Af-ter the battle Watson learned that he hadwitnessed the fall of Co!. Thomas M.

Hulings, commanding the 49th Pennsylva-nia. Shortly after the fall of Hulings theFederals around the captured artillery be-gan to break, and retreated.52

As the cannonfell back into Confederatehands, Southern artillerymenreturned withrammersand other implementsnecessary to

BLUE & GRAY MAGAZINE-AUGUST 2001

fire the guns. Watson then understood whythe Federalshad been unable to fire thecap-tured guns themselves. Colonel Hardawaywas one of the first artillerymen to reclaimthe guns and the officer set about to fireone of the Napoleons himself when he ob-served that, "The dead were so thickaroundthe other Napoleon, we could not work it."The gunners rushing to service the cannonincluded some members of Smith's com-pany, some from Jones' 2nd Company ofRichmondHowitzers,and cannoneersfromGarber's battery. Robert E. Lee personallyinstructed Garber to leave his own artillerypieces under the care of his drivers and toadvance with his gun crews only to manSmith's recaptured cannon. With amplenumbers of artillerymen at hand, the gunsof Smith's howitzersonce again dischargedrounds in the direction of theYankees.TheFederals recoiled but were not defeated as

they poured lead in the direction of theirrelinquished trophies of war. One particu-larly devastating volley killed one gunner,wounded a second, and mortally woundedMaj. DavidWatson,"shot throughthe bow-els and pelvis."Near the positionof Smith'scompany an 80-yard-Iong earthwork ranbetween the front line of Confederateearthworks and the second line. The Con-federate infantry stopped at this "offset."The counterattackswere successful in turn-ing the tide, but the troops at hand coulddrive the Federals no farther.53

With Confederate reinforcements pouringin and no Federal assistance materializing,Northern offensive operations were over.The Federal troops now used the traverseson the interior of the Confederate defenses

Stephen D. Ramseur, CSA

Cullen A. Battle, CSA

for their own protection. In addition to theheavy fire coming from the direction ofDaniel and Battle, the men in Upton's col-umn who had swung right also experiencedgunfire from their left-rear. It became appar-ent that the blueclad soldiers in Upton's At-tack who turned to the left after the break-

through had not fared well either.54The situationwith theportion of Upton's

column which turned left and fired uponthe flank of Walker's Stonewall Brigadeafter the breakthrough had a similar expe-rience to themen whohad veered right.Ledby the 5th Maine, Upton's left wing poureda terrible fire into the flank and rear of thetwo left regiments of the Stonewall Bri-gade. Lieutenant Doyle of the 33rdVirginiaconfessedthat the regiments"broke in greatconfusion" and withdrew through thewoods toward the WestAngle of the MuleShoe. As the troops emerged into theLandrum field, General Walker rallied hismen. He had inherited the task of contain-

ing the breach and formed the entire bri-gade perpendicular to their earthworks.While placing his men in formation,Walkerdispatched staff officer Capt. RandolphBarton to locate General Johnson with aplea for reinforcements.55

Barton found Johnson on the right of hisdivision with Steuart's brigade. The curva-ture of the Mule Shoe salient placed Steuart'scommand in a position facing east, withUpton's men about a half-mile to his rear.Because all of Johnson's men were on the

front line, the crusty general questioned theyoung staff officer, asking what troops hecould possibly spare. Perhaps Johnson wasthinking out loud, pondering a rhetorical

47