Today Union General Ulysses S. Grant, unable to break through Confederate lines in the twelve-day Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, withdraws from the battle and turns his army toward the North Anna River. Spotsylvania is a draw, but Grant’s larger mission continues: that of capturing the Confederate capital city of Richmond, no matter how long…
Today Union General Ulysses S. Grant surveys the results of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House thus far. The fighting has raged since May 8, but his forces have been unable to break through the entrenched Confederate lines. Casualties and losses have been extremely heavy, approaching 30,000 total for both sides, about 18,000 for the…
One year after the United States Army seized control of Alexandria, Louisiana, the Union abandons the town. Union Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks orders that the town be left intact, but two corps, ignoring the general’s orders, set about plundering and burning the city. By the end of the day, the flames have spread and the…