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.

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.