Battle at North Anna River

Thursday, May 26, 1864

The Twentieth Massachusetts departed from Spotsylvania, passing through Bowling Green and Milford, toward the North Anna River on Monday, May 23, making a forced march in the searing heat. Once again Confederate General Robert E. Lee, reading Union General Ulysses S. Grant's intentions, arrived at the North Anna River first, forming entrenchments along the river's south bank. On Tuesday, May 24 General Winfield S. Hancock led his Second Corps, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, across the North Anna River toward the Confederate entrenchments. As the Twentieth came under rifle fire an intense thunderstorm erupted, drenching both armies with heavy rain and exploding trees with bolts of lightning. The heavy rain continued through Wednesday. This morning General Grant, realizing that the Confederate entrenchments divided his army, recrossed the North Anna River. Grant planned to march southward at night around the Confederate flank toward Richmond by way of the Pamunkey River. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 372-74.

Battle of Spotsylvania Concludes as a Stalemate

Wednesday, May 18, 1864

Union General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to break Confederate General Robert E. Lee's line near the Muleshoe salient with a series of attacks that began at dawn. Lee's artillery, along with infantry positioned behind strong entrenchments, repelled the attacks. The nearly two week-long battle of Spotsylvania, one of the costliest of the Civil War, came to an end with neither side claiming victory. Casualties for both armies were staggering, with the count of dead and wounded approximating 18,000 for the Union and 12,000 for the Confederacy.

At day's end Grant planned once again to move south toward Richmond around the Confederate flank to draw Lee out of his entrenchments and force a battle on Grant's terms.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 362-71.

Funeral of Major Henry Abbott

Sunday, May 15, 1864

A funeral mass was held for Major Henry Abbott in Boston's Emmanuel Church at 1:30 P.M. The funeral was well-attended, as eulogies for Major Abbott were published in many local newspapers. One of Abbott's professors at Harvard, Episcopal Reverend Frederick D. Hutchinson, presided at the funeral service. Abbott's coffin, decorated with flowers and flags, bore his sword, sash, and hat. After the service Major Abbott was transported by railroad to Lowell and buried in Lowell Cemetery next to his brothers. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 342-43.

Oliver's Story - The Bloody Angle

Thursday, May 12, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates was reported as wounded on his military service record on May 12, 1864 during the conflict at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania. The nature of his wounding is not detailed, but he was present on muster rolls for May and June 1864. ¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

The Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania

Thursday, May 12, 1864

At 11:00 P.M. on May 11 the Twentieth Massachusetts quietly left their breastwork entrenchments at Laurel Hill under the cover of darkness and began a night march to an vulnerable portion of the Confederate line known as the "Muleshoe salient," a bulge that exposed both flanks of the line to enfilade fire. General Ulysses S. Grant observed this weakness in the Confederate position and decided to throw the Second and Ninth Corps in a simultaneous two-pronged attack on the salient.

At 4:35 A.M. the Second Corps began their attack in the early morning fog. The Twentieth Massachusetts, led by their brigade commander General Alexander Webb, began to race at the double-quick toward the salient. The Confederates were so surprised to see the rapid advance of Union soldiers toward their works that few shots were fired. The Second Corps took the salient with bayonets and clubbed muskets, resulting in the fiercest hand-to-hand combat of the war. As the morning fog lifted and rain began to fall the bloody results of the vicious engagement were visibly apparent to all. General Winfield S. Hancock of the Second Corps remarked that the combat was a "terrible and ghastly spectacle of dead."

The Confederates mounted a counterattack to recapture the salient. Regimental formation broke apart on both sides as fierce and bloody hand-to-hand fighting continued for hours. At 9:00 A.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts was rotated from the front line to skirmish duty and later returned to front line activity in the afternoon. Intense fighting ensued until late in the evening when gunfire finally ceased and the day's long battle ended. The Twentieth reported approximately forty casualties in the bloody battle. Among the wounded was Private Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 356-62.

Death of Adjutant Henry Bond

Wednesday, May 11, 1864

Adjutant Henry Bond, wounded in the jaw at the Battle of the Wilderness, was riding in an ambulance with fellow officers Henry Mali and William Perkins to Belle Plain to board a hospital steamer to Washington. The ambulance was waylaid by Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby's rangers with the intent of stealing the horses. One of the Confederates fired a missed warning shot into the wounded men. As Bond quietly asked Mali for a pistol, he was shot in the back by one of the Confederates. The rangers rode away with the horses, leaving the wounded to die along the roadside. The injured men were subsequently rescued by Union troops, but Henry Bond succumbed to the gunshot wound he suffered in attempting to protect the ambulance party. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 364.

Battle of Laurel Hill

Tuesday, May 10, 1864

As the Twentieth Massachusetts advanced along the Brock Road in their approach toward Spotsylvania Court House they encountered the main Confederate line along a ridge known as Laurel Hill. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had won the race to Spotsylvania, as Laurel Hill blocked the path to Spotsylvania.

Around 11:00 A.M. General Alexander's Webb brigade, of which the Twentieth Massachusetts was a part, received orders to attack Confederate sharpshooters positioned along the Po River. Companies A and C charged the Confederate position by rifle fire across the river, which was too deep to ford. The Twentieth Massachusetts successfully drove off the Confederate sharpshooters but at a high price. Three men were killed and eight were wounded. Lieutenant Henry Sturgis was shot through the heart in the ill-fated fray. His body was recovered by his men and he was buried in a spot along the Po River near where he fell.

At 3:00 P.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts arrived at Laurel Hill and formed breastworks while assessing the Confederate position. The Confederates were secure in an entrenched position. The Twentieth was faced with poor chances in driving the Confederates successfully from their position. At 5:00 P.M. the Twentieth was ordered to charge the Confederate position and were immediately cut down with a killing fire. The survivors returned to their entrenchments and made another attempt in the evening with similar results. At night the Twentieth Massachusetts relived the nightmare of the Wilderness, as the rapid rifle fire caused a blaze in the forest, consuming the dead and injured. The Twentieth Massachusetts reported between 15 to 20 casualties from the two assaults on Laurel Hill. Among those killed was First Lieutenant Lansing Hibbard. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 350-355.

Death of Union General John Sedgwick

Monday, May 9, 1864

General John Sedgwick of the Union Sixth Corps was tragically killed by a Confederate sharpshooter while deploying his troops near Spotsylvania. Immediately before his death Sedgwick was reported as saying "they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." General Sedgwick, nicknamed "Uncle John," was one of the most beloved generals in the Army of the Potomac.¹

References:
¹"Battle of Spotsylvania Court House," Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (http: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spotsylvania_Court_House: 09 May 2014).

Race to Spotsylvania Court House

Sunday, May 8, 1864

At dawn the Twentieth Massachusetts fell in line and marched along the Brock Road towards Spotsylvania Court House by way of Todd's Tavern. Union General Ulysses S. Grant hoped to win the race to Spotsylvania by arriving before Confederate General Robert E. Lee.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 350.

Oliver's Story - Battle of the Wilderness

Saturday, May 7, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates miraculously survived the hellish encounter of the Wilderness. He was not listed among the wounded on casualty lists or on his service record, and once again was extremely fortunate to escape injury and death.¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Grant Advances to Spotsylvania Court House

Saturday, May 7, 1864

Both armies awaited behind fortifications for an another day of battle which never materialized. In the evening General Ulysses S. Grant ordered General George Meade to move the Army of the Potomac in the direction of Richmond by way of Spotsylvania Court House along the Brock Road.

As the Twentieth Massachusetts prepared to depart loud cheering moved down the line. General Ulysses Grant rode with his entourage along the Brock Road, reviewing the line as he passed. The Union army finally had a reason for cheering, as their commander was advancing rather than retreating to face the next battle.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 347-48.

Battle of the Wilderness - Day 2

Friday, May 6, 1864

General Winfield S. Hancock faced a dilemma of strategy. He needed to defend the vital intersection of the Orange Plank and Brock Roads from an attack on both flanks. At 5:00 A.M. Hancock deployed two divisions under Generals David Birney and George Getty to attack along the Orange Plank Road with support from artillery under General John Gibbon to protect his left flank. At the same time he positioned General Alexander Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, to defend the Orange Plank and Brock intersection. Hancock was concerned about the whereabouts of Confederate General James Longstreet, who had yet to make an appearance at the Wilderness. Hancock assumed that Longstreet's arrival was imminent.

Hancock's attack along the Orange Plank Road was very successful during the first hour,as the Confederates were halted along the Plank Road and Hancock's men took prisoners from the divisions of Confederate Generals Henry Heth and Cadmus Wilcox. Around 6:00 A.M. the lead divisions of General James Longstreet, led by General Joseph Kershaw, attacked along the Plank Road east of the Tapp Farm. Hancock's offensive abruptly ended as Birney's and Getty's divisions were pushed east toward the intersection. At this point Hancock ordered Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, north of the intersection to the relief of General Getty.

As the Twentieth Massachusetts entered the fray and moved west along the Orange Plank Road they came under the fire of Confederate General A.P. Hill. The Twentieth Massachusetts advanced to a clearing south of the Plank Road, where General Webb ordered them to "hold the position at any cost." The Twentieth held this position successfully until 11:00 A.M., when they were approached by General James Wadsworth of the Fifth Corps. Wadsworth ordered the Twentieth Massachusetts to leave their defensive position and come to the aid of General Birney, who was under severe fire. The Twentieth Massachusetts, led by Colonel George Macy, advanced from their breastworks and almost immediately were met by a rapid volley of gunfire from Abner Perrin's Alabama brigade. As the Twentieth Massachusetts sought cover in the underbrush they viewed their untenable situation. Perrin's brigade was secure behind breastworks at the top of a slope. The Twentieth Massachusetts, however, still continued to advance, and hand-to-hand combat ensued. The Twentieth was soon overrun by the Confederates, and they were forced to retreat. Losses to the Twentieth Massachusetts were severe. Officers Albert Holmes, George Macy, Henry Bond, Henry Patten, John Summerhays, William Perkins were wounded in the ill-fated attack. The greatest loss to the Twentieth was the mortal wounding of Major Henry Abbott, who died around 4:30 P.M. at a battlefield hospital. Colonels George Macy and Theodore Lyman stood by Abbott's side as he tragically succumbed to his wounds.

As the afternoon wore on the battle continued to rage. The thick tangled underbrush of the Wilderness was set ablaze by continual gunfire. General James Longstreet was wounded by his own men and was carried off the battlefield. By evening the Union forces held the vital Orange Plank and Brock Road intersection.

The casualty count for both armies was staggering, as the Union reported 18,000 and the Confederates reported 11,000. The Twentieth Massachusetts lost approximately 300 men in casualties, with the greatest number occurring in the ill-fated charge on Perrin's brigade. General James Wadsworth, who ordered the charge, was killed shortly after ordering the Twentieth Massachusetts into the fatal fray.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 334-40.

Battle of the Wilderness - Day 1

Thursday, May 5, 1864

At 6:00 A.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment began its march with the Second Corps along the Catharpin Road in the direction of Shady Grove Church, about five miles southwest of Chancellorsville. At 9:00 A.M. the Second Corps received news that the Confederates were lining up in force along the Orange Turnpike near Wilderness Tavern, and that the Second Corps needed to reverse their march two miles to Todd's Tavern at the intersection of the Brock Road.

General Robert E. Lee attempted to forestall Ulysses S. Grant's advantage by dispatching Richard Ewell's Second Corps along the Orange Turnpike and advancing A.P. Hill's Third Corps along the Orange Plank Road toward its intersection with the Brock Road. Holding this intersection was vital to Union success; if Lee advanced and held the intersection before Grant, the Union Army would be divided. General Winfield Scott Hancock hurried the Second Corps up the Brock Road to its strategic intersection with the Orange Plank Road to hold the ground at all costs.

During the afternoon General Hancock received support from General George W. Getty's Sixth Corps and General Governeur K. Warren's Fifth Corps to hold the line along the Orange Plank Road until Hancock could deploy his Second Corps. The Twentieth Massachusetts arrived at the intersection around 4:30 P.M. and were deployed along the Brock Road to build breastworks and stabilize the line. Heavy fighting ensued for the remainder of the afternoon, but by evening the Union held the Orange Plank Road and Brock Road intersection.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 330-33.

Bivouac at Chancellorsville

Wednesday, May 4, 1864

The Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment marched through the night, reaching the Rapidan River at Ely's Ford at 8:00 A.M. By 11:00 A.M. the footsore Twentieth arrived at the Chancellorsville crossroads.

General Ulysses S. Grant's objective was to force General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia out of their entrenched position south of the Rapidan River and face an engagement on open ground by attacking and turning Lee's right flank.

In the evening the Twentieth Massachusetts bivouacked on the Chancellorsville Battlefield, the site of the previous year's battle one year and a day earlier. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 328-30.

Overland Campaign of 1864 Begins

Tuesday, May 3, 1864

After a brief skirmish drill in the morning the Twentieth Massachusetts received orders to prepare to march, breaking their camp at Stevensburg for the first time since December. In the evening the men of the Twentieth struck tents and left camp at 11:25 P.M. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 328.