Battle of Spotsylvania • Tour the Battlefield • Monuments & Markers • The Armies


The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought from May 8 – 21, 1864, about fifteen miles southwest of Fredericksburg, Virginia. For two weeks Grant threw his men against Lee’s lines. Most of the attacks were thrown back with heavy losses. But a temporary Union breakthrough on May 10 led to a massive attack on May 12 on the Confederate position known as the Mule Shoe. The Confederate line was broken and and Lee’s army was on the edge of disaster. But counterattacks held back the Union attackers until a new Confederate defensive line could be stabilized. The fighting was possibly the most intense of the entire Civil War.

In the end Spotsylvania was another stalemate with enormous casualties. And once again Grant moved around Lee’s flank, continuing on to Richmond.

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Explore the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Tour the battlefield by following the Battle of Spotsylvania Auto Tour, seeing the sights at each Tour Stop.

View all the monuments and historical markers on the Spotsylvania battlefield. Each has photos and a transcription of the text from the monument or marker along with its map location.

The Armies at Spotsylvania Court House provides the Orders of Battle for the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, as well as links to more in-depth information about the individuals and units on a companion website, Civil War in the East.


Who fought in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House?

CSA flagThe Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, 52,000 men and 122 cannon commanded by General Robert E. Lee.

USA flagThe Federal Army of the Potomac commanded by Major General George G. Meade along with the independent Ninth Army Corps commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside, 100,000 men and 344 cannon under the overall command of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant.

The Union command structure was unusual. Even though Grant had been given command of the entire United States Army he made his headquarters in the field with the Army of the Potomac. He felt this would be the best way to drive his main striking force in the east. Meade gave the day to day orders to the Army of the Potomac while Grant provided strageic direction, eliminating the delay and complications of communications with Washington. It was Grant, for example, who decided that the army would continue south after the Battle of the Wilderness rather then withdraw behind the river and rebuild as it had so often in the past.

Ambrose Burnside and his Ninth Corps had just arrived from the Western Theater. He outranked Meade, and by rights would have taken command of the Army of the Potomac. But he had already commanded the army during the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign, and there was no chance he would ever be allowed to command it again. So he reported directly to Grant. It made an awkward situation, and Burnside offered to forego his seniority and take orders from Meade. The Ninth Corps would officially become part of the Army of the Potomac on May 24.

How many casualties were there in the Battle of Spotsylvania? How many died in the battle?

Sources vary. Record keeping in both armies suffered. For the first time in the Civil War the armies began fighting almost every day without pause. As they moved on they left behind and lost track of the wounded and missing. The situation was worse in the Confederate army, where so many of the company clerks who kept the records were lost and entire brigades would be annihilated over the next few weeks.

Estimated Union casualties are around 18,000.
Estimated Confederate casualties are around 12,000.

“Casualties” includes men who were wounded, captured or deserted as well as men who were killed. Based on these numbers The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was the third bloodiest battle of the Civil War. it ranked behind Gettysburg and Chickamauga.

When was the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House? How long did it last?

The fighting began on May 8 and continued until May 21. Several portions of the fight qualify as battles on their own. Laurel Hill was on May 10 and 12. Upton’s Assault was on May 10. The Attack of the Muleshoe was on May 12. Meyers Hill was on May 14, Harrison House on May 18 and Harris Farm on May 19.

Where was the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House fought?

The battle was fought about ten miles southwest of Fredericksburg, Virginia and just north of the road junction at Spotsylvania Court House. The Battle of the Wilderness had been fought on May 5 and 6 just seven miles to the northwest.

Why was the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House fought?

The Battle of the Wilderness on May 5 and 6 was the opening fight of Grant’s 1864 drive to Richmond. That battle had been a stalemate but Grant turned it into a strategic victory by moving around Lee’s flank to continue the movement south. Lee was able to desperately outrun Grant to take up a blocking position north of Spotsylvania Court House, and was able to hold him in place for two weeks.

Who won the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House ?

The battle was a tactical draw with heavy casualties on both sides. Lee lost an entire infantry division (out of eight) in the defense on the Muleshoe of May 12 They were veteran troops he could not replace. And while Grant was able to replace his losses, the new troops were no comparison to the experienced veterans he lost. But just as in the Battle of the WIlderness, Grant won a strategic victory in the end by moving around Lee’s flank and continuing his advance on Richmond.

Why was the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House important?

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House continued the bleeding of Lee’s army that began in the Wilderness. Grant recognized that Richmond was not his primary objective – the real heart of the Confederacy was Lee’s Army. Grant would force Lee into fighting by advancing on Richmond, one objective that he had to defend at all costs. By the end of May Lee had lost more than 30,000 men and his army and its commanders were near collapse.

Part of Alfred Waud's sketch, "The Toughest Fight Yet," showing Union troops assaulting the Muleshoe salient at Spotsylvania on May 12, 1864.