Battle of Spotsylvania • Tour the Battlefield • Monuments & Markers • The Armies
The Upton’s Trail marker is next to the parking area at Stop Two on the Auto Tour. (38°13’25.0″N 77°36’22.3″W; map) It is at the beginning of a walking trail that follows the path of the Union attack through the woods to Confederate positions along Anderson Drive.
Upton’s Trail
By the night of May 8, the Confederate army was in firm possession of Spotsylvania Court House. With Lee entrenching, Grant looked for opportunities to attack. Reports from the front indicated that the Confederates were in force on both their left and right flanks, leading Grant to believe that they must be weak in the center of the line. Hoping to exploit this weakness, he issued orders for a general assault to take place just before sunset on May 10.
Colonel Emory Upton, a brilliant 24-year-old brigade commander from Batavia, New York, was assigned to lead the assault. On the day of the attack, Upton assembled a strike force of 12 regiments—5,000 men—at the Shelton house, 400 yards behind you. Union troops meanwhile flushed Confederate skirmishers from these woods. Upton’s men followed, moving undetected along this woods road to within 200 yards of the Confederate line.
To follow the route of Upton’s attack, leave your car here and take the walking trail that follows the woods road in front of you.
Trail Length: Half mile round trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time: Thirty minutes
From the caption to the inset photo:
Colonel Emory Upton
(return to the Upton’s Road page)
(return to the main Battle of Spotsylvania Auto Tour page)