Headquarters Army Of Potomac
Thursday, May 19
To continue my history a little — I had struggled with much
paper to the morning of the 8th. It proved a really hot day, dusty in the
extreme and with a severe sun. We staid till the morning was well along, and
then started for Piney Branch Church. On the way passed a cavalry hospital, I stopped
and saw Major Starr, who had been shot directly through both cheeks in a
cavalry fight the day before. He was in college with me, and when I first came
to the army commanded the Headquarter escort, the same place Adams1
now has. . . .
Near Piney Branch Church we halted, pitched tents and had
something cooked. Meanwhile there was firing towards Spotsylvania, an ill omen
for us. The Rebels were there first and stood across the way. Warren attacked
them, but his were troops that had marched and fought almost night and day for
four days and they had not the full nerve for a vigorous attack. General
Robinson's division behaved badly. Robinson rode in among them, calling them to
attack with the bayonet, when he was badly shot in the knee and carried from the
field. They failed to carry the position and lost a golden opportunity, for
Wilson's cavalry had occupied Spotsylvania, but of course could not keep there
unless the enemy were driven from our front. . . .
A little before two we moved Headquarters down the Piney
Branch Church road, south, to near its junction with the Todd's Tavern road.
Meantime the 6th Corps had come up and formed on the left of Warren, the lines
running in a general easterly and westerly direction, a mile and a half north
of Spotsylvania. There was a high and curving ridge on which was placed our
second line and batteries, then was a steep hollow, and, again, a very
irregular ridge, or broken series of ridges, much of them heavily wooded, with
cleared spaces here and there; along these latter crests ran the Rebel lines in
irregular curves. Preparations were pushed to get the corps in position to
attack, but it was plain that many of the men were jaded and I thought some of
the generals were in a like case. About half-past four what should Generals
Grant and Meade take it into their heads to do but, with their whole Staffs,
ride into a piece of woods close to the front while heavy skirmishing was going
on. We could not see a thing except our own men lying down; but there we sat on
horseback while the bullets here and there came clicking among trunks and
branches and an occasional shell added its discordant tone. I almost fancy
Grant felt mad that things did not move faster, and so thought he would go and
sit in an uncomfortable place. General Meade, not to be bluffed, stayed longer
than Grant, but he told me to show the General the way to the new Headquarters.
Oh! with what intense politeness did I show the shortest road! for I had picked
out the camp and knew the way.
Well, they could not get their attack ready; but there was
heavy skirmishing.2 . . . I
think there was more nervous prostration to-day among officers and men than on
any day before or since, the result of extreme fatigue and excitement. General
Ward was relieved from his command, for misbehavior and intoxication in presence
of the enemy during the Battle of the Wilderness. I had always supposed him to
be a brave but rough man. . . .
_______________
1 Charles F. Adams, Jr.
2 “Sheridan now came to Headquarters — we were at
dinner. Meade told him sharply that his cavalry was in the way, though he had
sent him orders to leave the road clear. S. replied that he never got the
order. Meade then apologized, but Sheridan was plainly full of suppressed
anger, and Meade too was in ill temper. S. went on to say that he could see
nothing to oppose the advance of the 5th Corps; that the behavior of the
infantry was disgraceful, etc., etc. Maybe this was the beginning of his
dislike of Warren and ill-feeling against Meade.” — Lyman's Journal.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 104-6
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