
Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield
N 38° 13.148 W 077° 36.849
18S E 271150 N 4233359
On their way to Richmond, the troops of Union Gen. Grant and Confederate Gen. Lee met and clashed at Spotsylvania Court House for two weeks in May 1864.
Waymark Code: WM94W3
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/28/2010
Views: 11
After two bloody days of fighting at Wilderness, VA, in May 1864, both the Union and Confederate armies marched south towards Richmond. They clashed again at Spotsylvania Court House, a few miles down the road. This time, the fighting would go on for two weeks.
The longest hand-to-hand combat of the Civil War took place at the Bloody Angle. For 20 hours of attacks and counterattacks, soldiers fought across the earthworks.
The Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield is a part of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park which is on the Civil War Trails network. The posted coordinates are to the exhibit shelter at the entrance to the battlefield. A driving tour or walking tour takes you to key locations such as Laurel Hill, Upton's Road, the Muleshoe Salient, the Bloody Angle, several homesites caught in the crossfire, and preserved earthworks such as Lee's last line. There are historical markers, maps, monuments, and other informational displays posted along the route, as you trace the same path of the skirmishes.
The Park and battlefields are open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.