Massaponax Church - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

In the spring of 1864, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was appointed general-in-chief of the Union army and he launched an offensive against the Confederate army in Virginia. While Federal forces came from the east and south, Grant led the Army of the Potomac on the Overland Campaign from the north driving Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia to Petersburg.

After two days of fighting in the Wilderness, both armies moved south to Spotsylvania Court House on May 7. That battle raged for two weeks. Losses were heavy on both sides, but there was no decisive victory. The Confederate army continually thwarted the Federals with their fortified earthworks.

On May 21, Grant decided to move south hoping to draw Lee and his troops out of their trenches. The general and his staff stopped at Massaponax Church for a brief war council. It was at the church that photographer Timothy O'Sullivan snapped pictures of the conference from the second floor.

References:

• Civil War Animated: The Overland Campaign
• Virtual Tour Stop, Massaponax Church
• On-site information

Type of site: Church Address: 5101 Massaponax Church Rd Fredericksburg, VA USA 22407 Phone Number: 540-898-0021 Admission Charged: No Charge Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: Take I-95 Exit 126/Spotsylvania south to intersection of US 1 and Massaponax Church Rd

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/08/2023 bobfrapples8 visited it