History That Doesn't Suck - 64: Grant's Overland Campaign: The Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, & Petersburg

Episode Date: May 11, 2020

“I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” This is the story of hard fights and harder losses.  It’s early 1864, and battle-proven, newly promoted Ulysses S. Grant is now over the whole army, and he’s launching an ambitious plan: the Overland Campaign. He’ll wage several battles in Virginia as other generals strike other parts of the Confederacy. The losses are staggering. Not only will tens of thousands of men lose life or limb, but one particularly influential and beloved Confederate leader won’t make it out alive. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a 7-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes.

Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. It's early in the morning, May 11th, 1864. The Confederacy's most beloved cavalryman, General Jeb Stuart, leads his 3,000 or so men down Telegraph Road. They are all that stands between Union General Philip Sheridan's over 10,000-strong cavalry and the CSA capital of Richmond, Virginia. Jeb's outnumbered three to one, but he can't shirk this fight. General, I believe you love bullets, Private George Freed says to Jeb, half joking, half serious as they ride out to engage this far larger force. No, Freed, Jeb replies. I do not love bullets any better than you do. I go where they are because it is my duty and I do not expect to survive this war.

Shortly after expressing that somber thought and just shy of 10 a.m., Jeb comes to a halt at the Yellow Tavern. His men won't be wetting their whistle here. The three stories tall, long abandoned stagecoach stop hasn't seen business in years. The condition of this decaying mansion of gloom has only worsened throughout the war as soldiers have peeled off its planks, boards, and doors for use as firewood. It sits about half a mile south of where the roads Telegraph and Old Mountain merge to become the Brook Turnpike. Only six miles south on that very turnpike is the Confederate capital. Jeb knows his Union foe is coming down Mountain Road.

It's in this vicinity the Confederate commander will make his stand. Union General Philip Sheridan's far larger cavalry arrives shortly thereafter. The Federals take hold of both sides of the turnpike, just above the Yellow Tavern. Jeb and his men are just north of them, holding both sides of Telegraph Road. Artillery and rifle fire fly as blue and gray-clad men charge across the grass and through small patches of trees to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Incredibly, the Confederates hold. Around 2 p.m., Jeb gets word from Richmond's defender, General Braxton Bragg, that he has sufficient men to defend the city. Relieved, the Confederate

cavalry commander begins to think he might even be able to take the offensive if Braxton could send reinforcements. Little does Jeb know, though, that Union General Philip Sheridan sees Richmond as a secondary goal. Philip's real purpose is to put an end to the Confederate cavalryman who makes Union men shake in their boots. He's here to capture, injure, or kill Jeb Stewart. It's not long after this that Union General George Armstrong Custer spots a weakness in Confederate lines. The thin, mustachioed Union cavalry commander with flowing, curly hair prepares to charge. Supported by artillery, Georgia's Michigan Wolverines charge out on their steeds, slicing Confederate heads in two with their sabers. Jeb fearlessly rides into the heat of the action.

Steady, men! Ste steady! Give it to him! He yells out, encouraging nearby K Company while unloading his Whitney revolver on blue adversaries. The Union cavalry charges repulsed. Mounted and on foot, they fall back. Sitting atop his gray steed, Jeb unsheathes his sword in triumph and exclaims, Bully for old K! Give it to him, boys! And then... A.44 caliber ball explodes from a Union pistol. The official report credits Private John A. Huff of the 5th Michigan, formerly of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, although some historians will

later express doubts. But regardless of who fired it, the ball finds its mark. It enters Jeb's left hip, rips through his stomach, and exits his back one inch from the spine. Jeb reels in his saddle. His head lurches, whipping around his thick, auburn brown beard and ostrich-plumed hat. The swashbuckling, gray-clad general barely manages to stay mounted on his gray horse as Captain Gus Dorsey dashes forward and grabs his reins. I am shot, Dorsey. Save your men. Jeb ekes out. The heartbroken captain helps Jeb out of the saddle and places him against a tree,

all the while ignoring his shot through general's admonitions to forget about him and get back to the fight. The battle continues to rage as three of Jeb's men place him on a horse and get him to the back lines where a mule-drawn ambulance can rush him to a surgeon and hospital. Several of Jeb's officers and staff flock to him as a Confederate surgeon gallops at full speed toward the ambulance. As they try to plot a course for Richmond, Jeb sees his soldiers are retreating. Some have fallen back as far as his ambulance. Weak, pale, and bleeding, the general lifts himself and pleads with his weakened voice, Go back! Go back and do your duty as I have done mine and our country will be safe.

Go back, go back. I had rather die than be whipped. Jeb's men will weep bitterly as word of his injury makes the rounds. The gravely injured commander looks to W.Q. Holohan. Using his nickname for the staff officer, Jeb asks, Honey bun, how do I look in the face? General, you are looking right well. You will be all right. The hopeful officer responds, well, I don't know how this will turn out, but if it's God's will that I shall die, I'm ready. The blood-soaked general returns. With the Union cavalry holding the Yellow Tavern, the ambulance and its entourage can't take the Brook Turnpike

and head directly to Richmond, six miles to the south. They're forced to travel circuitously, crossing the Chickahominy River, then swinging through Atleast Station and Mechanicsville. Jeb endures acute pain as they roll over these bumpy roads. Several hours later, and under the dark cover of night, the ambulance finally reaches the Richmond home of Dr. Charles Brewer. Charles isn't only a medical professional. He and his wife, Maria, are Jeb's brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Maria's sister, Flora, is Jeb's wife. They get Jeb inside, where Charles and other doctors ice the wound.

That's as much as medical professionals of the day can do for a shot to the stomach. Visitors come the next day. Jeb seems to improve as Heros von Borka arrives. This Prussian aristocrat crossed the Atlantic to fight for the Confederacy in 1862 and has fought by Jeb's side ever since. Jeb's chief of staff, Henry McClellan, arrives soon thereafter. Jeb feels the end drawing near. He makes an impromptu last will and testament to Henry. Among Jeb's requests are that Andrew Venable receive his gray horse, Henry himself take his brown horse, and that his young son, Jimmy, inherit his sword. CSA President Jefferson

Davis comes to visit. Jeb tells the Confederate executive exactly what he's told so many others, that he's, quote, willing to die if God and my country think I have fulfilled my destiny and my duty. Close quote. Seizures come and go as Jeb hopes he'll live to see his wife, Flora, one last time. She's traveling to Richmond as fast as she can. Jeb asks Dr. Charles Brewer if he'll survive the night. In the kindest way possible, Charles has to tell his bleeding out brother-in-law that's not likely. It's now 7 p.m. Reverend Joshua Peterkin and those present sing Jeb's favorite hymn, Rock of Ages. Try as he

might, Jeb can't even sing at this point. I'm going fast now, he tells Charles. I am resigned. God's will be done. The 31-year-old cavalry leading Confederate general, with unparalleled panache, draws his last breath at 7.38 p.m., May 12, 1864. His wife and children arrive at around 1130 that night, roughly four hours too late to say goodbye. She'll mourn him by wearing black every day until her own death more than half a century later in 1923. Jeb Stuart's death at the Battle of Yellow Tavern is the most painful loss the Confederacy has suffered since the death of Stonewall Jackson in 1863. It is emblematic of the terrible loss both sides will experience in 1864. While the Union won't be losing an equally iconic general in today's episode,

the casualty rate in the Army of the Potomac will be outrageous as General Ulysses Grant launches his Overland Campaign. We'll first see his promotion to Lieutenant General, the first Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army since George Washington. Then we'll follow him on his piece of a five-part master plan that has Union armies campaigning against places like Alabama and the Shenandoah Valley all at once. This campaign is risky, but unconditional surrender Grant isn't one for

backing down. So let's head back to March 1864 and join up with Ulysses in Washington, D.C. Rewind. On March 8th, 1864, Ulysses Grant and his 14-year-old son Fred walk into one of the capital city's finest hotels, the Willard Hotel, and quietly approach the check-in desk. The haughty clerk is used to serving D.C.'s political elite and power players. When he surveys Ulysses' worn-out military-issue coat, scuffed boots, and overall shabby appearance, the clerk figures this man and his son can't be worth his notice. Ulysses quietly asks the clerk for a room. The clerk replies that he only has a few rooms available, sarcastically quipping that

there's a war on and the hotel is pretty busy. Ulysses only nods, refraining from telling the clerk that he probably knows a little more about the war than this pompous snob who wouldn't know a pistol from a rifle. Unassuming Ulysses would never do that. The clerk offers Ulysses and Fred a room on the top floor and tells them to sign in. The general merely signs, U.S. Grant and son, Galena, Illinois. Oh, that gets the clerk's attention. General Grant, why didn't you tell me who you were? The humbled hotel employee gasps. But before Ulysses has time to respond, the clerk loudly announces to the entire hotel lobby that General Grant has arrived and will be staying in Parlor Suite No. 6.

Trying to overcome his earlier faux pas, the blustering clerk also hands Ulysses a letter from President Lincoln. It's an invitation to a White House reception this evening. The next day, Ulysses goes to the White House to be sworn in as the nation's first lieutenant general since George Washington. Last month, Congress passed a bill to recreate the position, and President Lincoln nominated his right-hand man, Ulysses S. Grant. General Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses' BFF, wrote to him, quote, if you can continue as heretofore to be yourself, simple, honest, and unpretending, you will enjoy through life the respect and love of friends, and the homage of millions of human beings. Close quote. That compliment from a friend must

be bolstering Ulysses as he now stands before the president, the entire cabinet, and several onlookers as he takes an oath with the commencement of this new commission. After the swearing-in ceremony, Ulysses reads a simple four-line statement in which he says, With the aid of the noble armies that have fought on so many fields for our common country, it will be my earnest endeavor not to disappoint your expectations. I feel the full weight of the responsibilities now devolving on me, and know that if they are met, it will be due to those armies. Right after this humble speech, the Illinois rail splitter and unconditional surrender grant

sit down in private to hash out a battle plan. Now Lincoln's been through his fair share of generals in the last three years, and he's ready to close the revolving door of over-promising, under-delivering military leaders. Ulysses later remembers what Lincoln said in their first meeting. Quote, all he wanted or had ever wanted was someone who would take the responsibility and act. Close quote. The president promises to stay out of the way and provide any necessary support. Nonetheless, Lincoln can't help pointing out what he thinks a good plan of attack might look like in Virginia. Ulysses diplomatically assures the president that his idea might look good in theory, but it won't work in practice. To his credit, Lincoln accepts Ulysses' assessment

and doesn't offer any more tactical ideas. The president listens to newly installed Lieutenant General Grant's plan with interest. In order to stretch the Confederate armies to the breaking point, Ulysses wants to launch several simultaneous attacks. Ulysses proves that he can use a country metaphor as well as Lincoln as he explains that the Union armies had, quote, acted independently and without concert like a bulky team, no two ever pulling together, close quote. Ulysses wants Tecumseh to attack Atlanta while the army of the Potomac moves against Robert E. Lee in Richmond. To turn up the heat on the pressure cooker, Ulysses wants Nathaniel Banks to attack Mobile, Alabama, Fran Siegel to raid the Shenandoah Valley, and Benjamin Butler to march toward Petersburg, just south of Richmond. Lincoln loves this plan.

It actually puts the Union's numerical advantage over the Confederacy to good use, giving every federal army a part to play. The Illinois rail splitter sums up Ulysses' plan in a classic country style, although 21st century hunters can still appreciate it. If a man can't skin, he must hold a leg while someone else does. Nice, President. Way to stay true to your roots. Lincoln and Ulysses waste no time putting this plan into action. But the creation of a Lieutenant General position has caused a domino effect down the Army chain of command, so they need to get everybody situated before they move forward. With Ulysses installed as the Lieutenant General of the entire U.S. Army, that's about

530,000 men. Our friend Henry O'Brain's Halleck moves down to army chief of staff, a more administrative role that actually suits him quite well. Tecumseh Sherman moves up to command the division of the Mississippi. This leaves Ulysses free to take up his post with the Army of the Potomac, overseeing its current leader, General George Meade. Basically, Ulysses pulling a George Little Mac McClellan. He'll command the Army of the Potomac and oversee the operations of the entire U.S. force. Only unlike Little Mac, Ulysses will actually pull it off. On March 10th, the day after he's sworn in, Ulysses heads southwest from Washington City to Brandy Station, where the Army of the Potomac has been camped for the winter. That evening, he meets with the current commander of the Army of the Potomac,

George Meade, for the first time. The organizational shift could get, well, awkward. But as the two men discuss strategy over cigars, Ulysses grows to respect and like George. Yeah, George, who we met in episode 60, has a temper. And yes, his men unaffectionately call him old snapping turtle behind his back. But despite these flaws, Ulysses won't be pink-slipping George anytime soon. Ulysses reports, He spoke so patriotically and unselfishly that even if I had had any intention of relieving him, I should have been inclined to change my mind after the manly attitude he assumed in this frank interview. So the two men work out an arrangement where Ulysses will issue broad orders to the Army of the Potomac and George will see to the details of putting those orders into action. I know, this sounds like the Office episode where Jim and Michael become co-managers of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch, but don't worry, it's

going to work out a little better than that. Anyway, with the chain of command all worked out, Ulysses is ready to put his multi-front plan into action. Was the Sphinx 10,000 years old? Were there serial killers in ancient Greece and Rome? What were the lives of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people like in the ancient world? We're Jen. And Jenny. From Ancient History Fangirl. We tell you true stories and tall tales of the ancient world. Sometimes we do it tipsy.

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On May 4th, 1864, the Army of the Potomac marches south from Culpeper, Virginia, and crosses the shallow Rapidan River. Soldiers from four corps and the cavalry lift up their guns and wade through the waist-deep water. Supply wagons carrying enough food and ammo for this 115,000-strong army cross the river on pontoon boats. Ulysses gets more dressed up than usual for this momentous occasion. Wearing his dress uniform and polished boots, reporters embedded within the army can tell the general is excited to be in motion. One asks, Sir, how long do you think it will take to reach Richmond? Usually soft-spoken Ulysses can't help but give a tongue-in-cheek reply. I will agree to be there in about four days. The reporter looks stunned, but the general continues. That is, if General Lee becomes

part to the arrangement. But if he objects, the trip will undoubtedly be prolonged. The reporter laughs, but anyone listening to the exchange must figure that Bobby Lee plans to fiercely object to any union movements. That night, these federal troops camp in a tangled forest of old and new growth trees just east of Chancellorsville, known as the Wilderness. Yes, these guys have been here before. Many of them fought at the Battle of Chancellorsville just last year, which I told you about in episode 59. And just like last year, Bobby Lee and his fierce rebel fighters have no intention of letting the Union troops advance beyond these woods. But this is a terrible place to pitch a battle,

and not just because the woods are littered with skeletons and grave markers from the 1863 fight. One North Carolina soldier describes the scene. Quote, Imagine a great dismal forest containing the worst kind of thicket of second-growth trees, so thick with small pine and scrub oak, cedar, dogwood,

and other growth common to the country that one could see barely ten paces. Close quote. Nonetheless, Confederate General Bobby Lee positions his men in these woods to await their foe. On the afternoon of May 5th, Union troops advance on the Rebel lines, which extend northwest to southeast through the thick woods, small clearings, and narrow paths of the wilderness. Though the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia isn't to full strength yet, the battle begins in earnest. Rebel soldiers counterattack and frustrate nearly every federal advance up and down the battle lines.

The fight rages for hours as around 70,000 blue-clad soldiers exchange fire with 40,000 gray and butternut-clad men. By nightfall, neither side has gained any advantage, only barely holding onto their own lines. Bobby Lee knows that James Old Pete Longstreet's men will arrive in the morning, though. He orders his men to hunker down and prepare for battle at dawn. But Ulysses wants to take the initiative, not wait for Bobby Lee to come to him. So on May 6th, he orders a 5 a.m. attack on the southeast section of the Confederate lines. Union General Winfield Scott Hancock opens fire right on schedule and begins driving the Confederates back. Living up to his namesake, the multi-war hero General Winfield Scott, Hancock urges his men to continue their onslaught.

They push the rebels back nearly a mile. Hancock exclaims to an aide, We are driving them, sir. Tell General Meade we are driving them. But General Hancock spoke too soon. By mid-morning, old Pete Longstreet and his nearly 14,000 men from Texas and Arkansas arrive on the battlefield. Though they have marched all night, the men jump into the fray. And Bobby Lee is so excited, the old

Virginian leads these reinforcements into battle himself. 23-year-old Private James Cosgrove of the 4th Texas watches in awe. I'll let him tell the story. I saw General Lee as he rode at full speed across the front of our brigade, then leading the division and column of attack. The thickets were crowned with the tops of federal battle flags showing a large force which was further evidenced by a musketry fire withering in the extreme. In this mighty den, General Lee rode out to lead his army in a charge for the first time.

We were called to attention and in moving forward arms at right shoulder, guide center. I saw General Lee somewhere near the center of the brigade front formation. When the cry went up, Lee to the rear, the general to the rear, and the brigade halted. Yet there is no way in hell these Texans are going to let a Union bullet take down their beloved bearded general. So while the men call out, Lee to the rear, a young soldier steps up to lead Bobby Lee's horse back to safer ground. James Cosgrove continues his story. Ordnance officer Randall of Rusk, Texas sees General Lee's bridle and was killed dragging his horse back to the rear.

The enemy was at point-blank distance and the firing upon us very, very heavy. Then came the trumpet voice of General Gregg, our brigade commander. Men, the eyes of your general are upon you. Forward and give them hell. James and his gray-clad comrades obey with a vengeance. The addition of old Pete Longstreet's men tips the scales in the Confederates' favor. Union brigades get pushed back to their original lines. But in the confusing, dense woods, filled with smoke from small fires and dust kicked up by thousands of men, disoriented rebel soldiers fire on their own.

In an eerie repeat of the Battle of Chancellorsville, where friendly fire mortally wounded Stonewall Jackson, a Confederate general takes a bullet to the arm from one of his own men. This time, it's Old Pete. Thankfully for the rebels, Old Pete's wound isn't fatal. He'll be out of commission for the next few months, though. Bobby Lee takes over Old Pete's post, and the battle rages on. Around 4.15 p.m., sparks from rifles and cannons start fires in the tangled underbrush and wooded breastworks of the Union lines.

Men too wounded to run burn to death, while their powerless-to-help comrades listen to their screams. One soldier recalls, quote, The wind howled through the treetops, mingling its moans with the groans of the dying, One soldier recalls, quote, Close quote. These fires slow the battle, but don't stop it. Determined Federal and Rebel troops shoot at each other until evening, when Confederate General John Gordon orders an assault on the exposed, fought-out Union right.

Rebel soldiers pound into the Federal troops, taking hundreds of prisoners, including two generals, and sending a ripple of panic through Union lines. Remember, the Army of the Potomac has been here before, literally. Most of the men figure it's time to say uncle and retreat back across the Rapidan. One freaked out Brigade General reports to Ulysses at his headquarters. I know Lee's methods well by past experience. He will throw his whole army between us in the Rapidan and cut us off completely from our communications. But Ulysses fed up with this kind of defeatist talk. He barks back. I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn and double somersault

and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command and try to think what we are going to do ourselves instead of what Lee is going to do. Ulysses' outburst seems to work. Union troops regain their lost ground by nightfall and the Battle of the Wilderness ends. One Northern soldier records, quote, it was a blind and bloody hunt to the death

and bewildering thickets rather than a battle. Close quote. The brutal fighting takes its toll on Ulysses, who writes that, More desperate fighting has not been witnessed on this continent. The wrung-out general allows himself to cry over his dead, wounded, and captured men for a full 10 minutes before getting a few hours of sleep. Nearly all of the 115,000 Union and 60,000 Confederate troops in these two armies engaged in the battle. Ulysses has nearly 18,000 casualties and Bobby Lee has 10,800. Still, Ulysses promised President Lincoln that he would not

retreat and he means to keep his word. On May 7th, the bruised but not broken general sends a message to the president simply saying, Whatever happens, there will be no turning back. Damn. But most of Ulysses' subordinates aren't this determined. Down in Alabama, Nathaniel Banks' operation against Mobile has stalled out. In southern Virginia, Benjamin Butler is moving so slowly the Confederates have time to reinforce their positions. And in the Shenandoah Valley, Franz Siegel runs away from battle so often he seems to be putting on a how-to-retreat-from-battle seminar for the Confederates. Yeah, it's ugly. Only Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia seems to be moving forward per his orders.

Still, Ulysses doesn't give up on his plan. After this tactical draw at the Battle of the Wilderness, he doesn't let his men lick their wounds for long. On the night of May 7th, Ulysses orders the army of the Potomac to move south toward a little crossroads town called Spotsylvania. It's only now that Union soldiers begin to see this battle was just the beginning of a larger plan. They don't know it yet, but the Battle of the Wilderness just kicked off the Overland Campaign and what will turn into more than a month of almost daily

fighting between the Union and Confederate forces in Virginia. As soon as the Army of the Potomac gets on the road, Confederate generals figure he's retreating north. After all, isn't that what every other Union general has ordered? Confederate General John Gordon brags that he has, quote, no doubt but that Grant is retreating, close quote. But Bobby Lee corrects John, you are mistaken, quite mistaken. Grant is not retreating. He is not a retreating man. Yeah, both Bobby Lee and Ulysses Grant know that they have met their equals on the battlefield. While the Federals march toward Spotsylvania, so do the Confederates. Actually, Bobby's gray-clad soldiers beat the Union boys to Spotsylvania and immediately start digging trenches and breastworks just north of the town.

And these lines are awesome. Early in the war, some of Bobby Lee's men called him the King of Spades because he made them dig lines so much. But they don't mock him anymore. Bobby has turned his men into professional trench and breastwork builders. The Confederate lines arc from northwest of the town through the woods and rolling hills down to its eastern side. But at the northmost point, the line juts out severely. From a bird's eye view, it looks like a mule shoe sticking north out of the line. And that's probably why

the men call this part of this position the mule shoe. I know, a mule shoe comparison is super useful for 21st century listeners. Basically think horseshoe except the ends are going to kind of come together rather than look like a U. There you go. On May 9th, when Bobby Lee inspects the lines, he's not sure this mule shoe is defensible enough. He tells Confederate General Dick Yule, this is a wretched line. I do not see how it can be held. But it's too late to change positions. The Union army has been filling the woods north of the Confederate lines all day. A battle is coming. Under the cover of darkness, Bobby Lee arranges the positions of his troops to

plug up any holes in the lines. Ulysses knows about this, but he doesn't have good intel on exactly where Bobby's placing his men, nor does the cigar-loving Union General have a way to get it. See, he sent his cavalry off on a raid just yesterday, so Ulysses is flying somewhat blind. Assuming that Bobby Lee has enforced his west and east flanks at the expense of his northern center, Ulysses orders a direct assault on the Confederate mule shoe for 5 p.m. on May 10th. George Meade puts the order into action except for one piece. Our favorite sideburned general, Ambrose Burnside, is here with his corps and George Meade can't give orders to Ambrose for one practical reason. Ambrose outranks George. So Ulysses orders Ambrose

to support the planned assault. But all of these orders, from Ulysses to Ambrose, from Ulysses to George, from George to his subordinates, get confused, lost, and misunderstood. As a result, the attack gets pushed back to 6pm. And that crucially gives dashing Union Colonel Emery Upton another hour to polish his innovative assault plan. Here's the thing. Emery, a colonel serving under General Winfield Scott Hancock, devours military strategy books faster than Alexander Hamilton wrote his 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers. In other words, Emery knows his stuff. He sees a chance to try something new that could help the Union assault on the fortified Confederate position succeed. Emery gathers his 12 regimental commanders so that, quote, they might understand the work before them, close quote. In a nutshell,

Emery orders his men to march in formation three regiments across and four deep. They should approach the Muleshoe at a quick pace and not fire a shot until they reach the rebel lines. Once the first line hits the works, they'll break left and right so the next line can reach the works and join the fight. The next line will do the same, and the next, until all 12 regiments are attacking the length of the Rebel breastworks at once. It's both ingeniously brilliant and stunningly simple. At 5.50pm, Union artillery starts firing on the Confederate mule shoot. At 6 o'clock sharp, the guns stop and the infantry move in. Emery Upton's attack plan totally works. The bluecoats quickly overwhelm the rebels and

capture a huge chunk of Confederate lines in brutal hand-to-hand combat. As the hot, tired men fight it out in the trenches, Confederate reinforcements arrive, but no Union troops move up to help Emory and his men hold their position. Emory takes a bullet to the thigh, and his men are forced to retreat. Though it didn't have ultimate success, one historian calls Colonel Emery Upton's assault, quote, one of the classic infantry attacks of military history, close quote. The next day, May 11th, heavy rain turns the dusty roads and footpaths into mud slicks, but the fighting continues. As Ulysses tries to figure out a way to break Bobby Lee's lines, he sends a message to President Lincoln. I propose to fight it out on

this line if it takes all summer. Once again, unconditional surrender Grant is showing his steely grit. Now Bobby Lee and Ulysses are both incredible commanders, but they aren't superhuman. They make mistakes, and Bobby's about to make a big one. He gets faulty intel from his son, Rooney, a cavalry major general, who reports that the Army of the Potomac seems to be on the move east toward Fredericksburg. They aren't, but Bobby believes his son. Anyway, in an effort to catch Ulysses by surprise, Bobby moves the artillery currently protecting the Muleshoe to attack the road he thinks the Union army is on. This leaves the critical Muleshoe underprotected when Union troops renew their assault in the pre-dawn fog and rain at 4.30am on May 12th.

While the ever-dapper Winfield Scott Hancock attacks from the north, Ambrose Burnside hits the Mule Shoes east side. The boys in blue quickly occupy the muddy, blood-splattered rebel trenches. But Bobby Lee sends in reinforcements and the battle devolves into a brutal slugfest of hand-to-hand combat and rifle fire. Bobby Lee calls back his artillery from this pointless mission as 15,000 more Union troops join the battle. The fighting lasts all day. Literally, some estimates have the combat raging from 18 to 23 hours. Yes, 23. Around midday, more Union troops attack the west side of the Muleshoe. This area quickly becomes known as the Bloody Angle. Here, thousands of soldiers lock horns in a desperate attempt to control a few

hundred yards of the Confederate-built trenches. One trooper remembers, quote, the flags of both armies waved at the same moment over the same breastworks, while beneath them, Federal and Confederate endeavor to drive home the bayonet through the interstices of the logs. Close quote. Gathering darkness doesn't slow the fighting. Around 2 a.m., a new sound fills the soldiers in the bloody angle with fear. A 22-inch diameter old-growth oak tree sways ominously, its large trunk creaking. Union bullets meant for Confederate soldiers have been hacking away at this tree all day, and with its trunk cut almost clear through, this beast is falling. The tree crashes down on wounded soldiers who can't get out of the way quickly enough, pinning them to the muddy earth. Heavy rain across the next few days

puts a damper on major fighting. The Confederates move their position into a north-south running line facing east. Union troops mirror this movement and regroup in their own lines just east of Spotsylvania. Both armies eye each other warily, but neither attempt to gain ground. On May 19th, the skies clear and Confederate General Dick Yule runs a recon mission near Harris Farm northeast of Spotsylvania Courthouse. His men find newly arrived federal reinforcements. These Union troops are straight off the line at Washington, D.C., and they're pretty green. It shows in this clash northeast of the original battlefield. In only a few hours of fierce fighting, Dick suffers around 900

casualties, but inflicts 1,500 on Union troops. This action marks the official end of the battle. In the middle of this deadly, days-long engagement at Spotsylvania Courthouse, Bobby Lee gets word that General Jeb Stuart has been killed at Yellow Tavern, which I told you about in this episode's opening. It's a huge loss in the stoic Southern Gentleman remarks. I can scarcely think of him without weeping. Bobby's had a rough several days. He's lost Jeb and suffered nearly 10,000 casualties from his 63,000-man army. One Confederate general remarks, quote, Grant was wearing us out and starving us cold. He hammered at us continually. He knew we couldn't replace our men and that he could. Close quote. While that may be true, it's not like the

Army of the Potomac isn't taking heavy losses. Ulysses has around 18,000 men on the casualty list by the end of the battle. Despite these casualties, the blue-eyed general sticks to his plan. He means to break Bobby Lee's army and sack Richmond. Ulyss orders a midnight march south on May 19th. When Johann Rall received the letter on Christmas Day 1776, he put it away to read later. Maybe he thought it was a season's greeting and wanted to save it for the fireside. But what it actually was was a warning delivered to the Hessian colonel, letting him know that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware and would soon attack his forces. The next day, when Rawl lost the Battle of Trenton and died from two

colonial Boxing Day musket balls, the letter was found, unopened in his vest pocket. As someone with 15,000 unread emails in his inbox, I feel like there's a lesson there. Oh well, this is The Constant, a history of getting things wrong. I'm Mark Chrysler. Every episode, we look at the bad ideas, mistakes, and accidents that misshaped our world. Find us at ConstantPodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money? Well, I've got the podcast for you.

I'm Sean Piles, and I host NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. On our show, we help listeners like you make the most of your finances. I sit down with NerdWallet's team of nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real-world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The Nerds will give you the clarity you need by cutting through the clutter and misinformation in today's world of personal finance. We don't promote get-rich-quick schemes or hype unrealistic side hustles.

Instead, we offer practical knowledge that you can apply in your everyday life. You'll learn about strategies to help you build your wealth, invest wisely, shop for financial products, and plan for major life events. And you'll walk away with the confidence you need to ensure that your money is always working as hard as you are. So turn to the nerds to answer your real-world money questions and get insights that can help you make the smartest financial decisions for your life. Listen to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. As the Army of the Potomac marches south-southwest from Spotsylvania Courthouse, they continue to clash with the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Here's the thing. Ulysses dramatically outnumbers Bobby Lee, so the Union General wants to take advantage of that by forcing his Confederate counterpart into battle on an open field. Bobby Lee didn't get to be the number one general in the CSA for nothing though. He keeps his men behind nearly impenetrable defense works no matter where they are. From the safety of these lines, the King of Spades is waiting for U.S. Grant to mess up and leave part of his huge army exposed. But as the Confederates camp just south of the North Anna River, about 20 or so miles north of Richmond, Bobby Lee grows tired of waiting. He'll force Ulysses to make a mistake. The old Virginian forms his army into an upside-down U, with the curve on the river and the sides extending south. In order for Ulysses to attack

this U, he'll have to separate his army, sending one portion to the east, one to the west, and one trying to cross the North Anna to attack the curve. Ulysses falls for the trap. Not realizing the full extent of Bobby Lee's plan, Ulysses orders an attack on the Confederate position. You can guess how well that's going to end up for the Federals, right? For three days from May 24th to 26th, Union troops assault the rebel work to no avail. Ulysses realizes he's been had and needs to find a way to wriggle out of this trap and keep moving south. But how? Ulysses has a bit of luck. Bobby Lee gets sick. Nearly a month of fighting, losing two generals and thousands of men starts to catch up with the seemingly indomitable rebel general. As Bobby Lee lays in his sickbed, he tells his subordinates, we must strike them a blow.

We must never allow them to pass us again. The Confederate field commanders fail to follow these orders. They don't put up a fight when Ulysses builds pontoon bridges over the North Anna River, nor do the Confederates follow as Ulysses gets his men off the field. Ulysses and his men continue to creep south, with the Confederates mirroring their movements. Pieces of the two armies skirmish at Haw's Shop, Top of Potomoy Creek, Bethesda Church, and Mattedeckin Creek. With a cigar in his teeth and a whittling knife in his hands almost constantly, Ulysses doesn't take his eyes off his ultimate goals, breaking the Confederate army and sacking Richmond.

And he's getting pretty close to doing both. From the North Anna, Ulysses heads south. He'll need to cross the swampy, slow-flowing, deep Chickahominy River and hook up with Union General Ben Butler on the James River near Petersburg. From there, the combined Union armies can march north to Richmond. Bobby Lee has to prevent this. Now recovered from his stress-induced illnesses, the brilliant tactician sees exactly what U.S. Grant intends to do, and he can't let that happen. On May 29th, with just a hint of panic in his genteel Virginia draw,

Bobby Lee tells a staffer, we must destroy this army of Grant's before he gets to the James River. If he gets there, it will become a siege, and then it will be a question of time. By now, Union General Phil Sheridan has returned from his deadly raiding mission and is linked up with Ulysses again. And the U.S. Lieutenant General is thrilled to have Phil back. On May 31st, Ulysses orders Phil and his cavalry unit to take and hold a small crossroads town called Cold Harbor. Let me tell you about this town so you'll understand why Ulysses orders Phil to hang on to it, quote, at all hazards, close quote. Cold Harbor sits about eight miles east northeast of Richmond. From this spot,

Ulysses can launch attacks against the Confederate north of Richmond or against Richmond itself, or he can easily march south to reach the James River. Basically, the world is at Ulysses' fingertips here. And the cherry on top of this perfect position is that critical Union supplies and reinforcement lines lie unobstructed at Ulysses' back. So yeah, after Phil Sheridan secures the town, Ulysses is feeling pretty confident. He sends a message to his former boss, Henry Halleck, back in DC. Lee's army is really whipped. I may be mistaken, but I feel that our success over Lee's army is already ensured. Well, I'm not sure Bobby Lee sees it that way.

While Ulysses gets over 40,000 reinforcements, Bobby Lee has at least 10,000 soldiers join his ranks from the Shenandoah Valley in Petersburg. And Bobby Lee immediately puts them to work building earthenworks, breastworks, and log parapets in a north-south running line facing Cold Harbor. With the Chickahominy River and swamplands at their backs and a tangled mess of low-growth brush and trees to their front, the Confederates have a strong position. Late on June 1st, U.S. General George Meade orders an attack. The old snapping turtle wants his men to punch a hole in the Confederate right and clear the way for Union soldiers to cross the Chickahominy River as it curves south of the battlefield. As Federals line up in the woods to launch their assault, Rebel artillery fires on them from their positions half

a mile away. One New Hampshire soldier writes in his diary, quote, we have been within range of the enemy shot and shell for a long time, but now we are near his infantry lines and hundreds of his bullets whistle and whack among the trees about us. Rebel shells burst over our heads and the pieces come down among us or else rip and tear through the trees, favoring us with their falling branches. Close quote. The Union assault finally begins at 6 p.m. and after a few hours of hard fighting, the Federal troops push back the rebel lines just enough to secure the road to the Chickahominy. They didn't punch a hole in the Confederate works, and it cost them about 2,800 casualties, but it's one item checked off the battle objectives list.

The next day, fighting continues between Blue and Gray. Despite their numerical advantage, Union troops can't find a way through the strong Confederate lines. Ulysses wants to break Bobby Lee, right here, right now. So he plans a coordinated, dawn offensive on the Confederate right, hoping to crack the rebel lines before the oppressive heat can stymie his plan. Union troops spend the evening of June 2nd preparing for battle. Some even pin their names and addresses to the back of their uniforms in case they're killed. Damn. After 28 straight days of fighting, these seasoned veterans know well enough what's coming tomorrow. One soldier reports that when he hears the orders, he's not too thrilled. I must confess that order was not

received with much hilarity. There was some hooting at the brigade commanders by the soldiers, but when it was ascertained that these officers themselves were going to lead the men, there was no further hesitation. At 4 30 a.m., a single cannon initiates the Union assault. Union soldiers charge the field, guns blazing. Right away, it's clear that this is a terrible idea. Neither Ulysses nor George Mee did enough recon to know that almost the entire field between Union and Confederate lines is riddled with zigzagging trenches full of armed rebel soldiers. Union troops have to advance to one trench, capture the men, climb out of the trench, only to repeat the same process over again.

Oh, and they have to do this under withering enemy fire from the main Confederate lines. Most regiments can only capture one, maybe two Confederate trenches before getting stuck. Within a few hours, General Winfield Scott Hancock's 2nd Corps has lost 8 colonels and suffered 2,500 casualties. Other corps report similar numbers, but they can't turn back. There's no way to escape the incessant enemy fire. Men crawl forward on their stomachs. Some use dead comrades as shields. Anything to find a way out of this mess. By noon, Ulysses calls off the assault,

and Union soldiers stuck on the battlefield entrench as best as they can. But continuous Confederate fire inflicts more casualties on the trapped bluecoats. Ulysses can see that this attack was a mistake. He wires Henry Halleck at 2 p.m., stating, Our loss was severe, nor do I suppose the enemy to have lost heavily. Ulysses doesn't know it yet, but that's a huge understatement of the devastation from this morning's fight. In only a few hours, his army suffered 7,000 casualties while only inflicting 1,500. Even Confederate generals can't believe the carnage around them. One simply states, quote, this was not war, it was murder, close quote. George Meade uses this incident to humble Ulysses. George writes to his wife, I think Grant has had

his eyes open and is willing to admit now that Virginia and Lee's army is not Tennessee and Bragg's army. But Ulysses doesn't need much humbling. 20 years down the line when Ulysses writes his memoirs, he expresses regret for his poorly thought out attack. I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. While a general has to make tough calls and his orders will inevitably cause the deaths of many of his men, there's usually an overall objective reached to justify those deaths. But not here at Cold Harbor. The June 3rd Union attack is the last main thrust of the battle. However, just like Mary's Heights in the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg,

Confederate sharpshooters make it dangerous for Union ambulance corps to retrieve the wounded from the battlefield. The suffering men lay under the scorching sun while Ulysses haggles with Bobby Lee to work out a temporary ceasefire. Finally, on the evening of June 7th, after wounded Union soldiers have been lying under the sun without food or water for almost four days, medics are able to get to them. By then, most had died from their wounds or exposure. About 117,000 Union soldiers and 60,000 Confederate troops fired their weapons at Cold Harbor. Ulysses had approximately 13,000 men wounded or dead, while Bobby Lee counts about 5,000.

Like the Battle of the Wilderness, Bobby Lee can count Cold Harbor as a defensive win. But the Virginian can't prevent the Army of the Potomac from continuing its relentless march south. On June 12th, Ulysses leads his men on yet another night march. They slip out of their entrenchments and head south toward the James River without Bobby Lee noticing. Like I said, both of these generals are human and they make mistakes. Just like Ulysses ordered an ill-fated attack on June 3rd, Bobby Lee fails to react to his enemy's movements. As a result, Bobby Lee's leaving his comrade and our old Creole, Louisiana friend, Pierre G.T. Beauregard, dangerously exposed at Petersburg. Now a month ago, Ulysses may have figured that he could push straight into Richmond from the north or the east, but the brutal defeat at Cold Harbor has killed any flickering hope of

that plan. The only option left is for Ulysses to head south to Petersburg, hook up with Benjamin Butler, take Petersburg, then attack Richmond from the south. Though worn out by his grueling, deadly campaign, Ulysses has confidence this plan will work and states, the key to taking Richmond is Petersburg. But the cigar-smoking, blue-eyed military leader didn't get to be lieutenant general of the U.S. Army with only one play in his playbook. One of Ulysses' strengths is his ability to see the big picture. So instead of taking his whole army to Petersburg on June 12th, he breaks off small pieces for a different mission. Ulysses sends a new force to raid the Shenandoah Valley and smash the depots there.

He tasks Phil Sheridan and the cavalry with destroying rail lines just north of Richmond. And Ulysses assigns himself with attacking Petersburg and destroying its rail lines to Richmond. To keep Bobby Lee off his scent, Ulysses feigns a movement toward the CSA capital. In reality, one core of the Army of the Potomac is traveling to Petersburg via the Pamunkey, York, and James Rivers, while the other four take an overland route. It's a super-efficient troop movement, which one Confederate general will later call, quote, the most brilliant stroke in all the campaigns of the war.

Close quote. Now, Petersburg sits on the east-flowing Appomattox River, about nine miles west of where that river joins up with the James. And the ever-dapper, though now gray-haired, G.T. Beauregard has set up breastworks on the east and south sides of the city, which means Ulysses will need to cross the James River if he wants to attack it. Which he does. Sticking with the efficient strategies of this movement, some Union troops take transport boats across the river while military engineers build a 2,100-foot pontoon bridge strong enough to withstand the four-foot tidal swells of the James. On June 15th, the rest of the Army safely crosses the south banks of the James and heads west to

Petersburg. President Lincoln is thrilled with these perfectly executed troop movements. The Illinois rail splitter sends Ulysses a telegram. I begin to see it. You will succeed. God bless you all. Way to impress the boss, Ulysses. G.T. Beauregard watches the advancing federal army with growing dread. He's only got 2,500 men to defend Petersburg, and Bobby Lee doesn't even know where the Union Army is right now. This is not looking good for the old Creole. At 6 p.m. on June 15th, U.S. General Winfield Scott Hancock and William Bally Smith launch an attack on the thinly-manned Confederate lines. Their men easily take more than a mile of the line and 16 of the 55 mounted guns. Now at this point, these guys should have realized just

how few rebels are actually defending Petersburg's impressive breastworks. But they don't. Winfield and Baldy don't really get along. Winfield's old Gettysburg wound is acting up, and Baldy is sick. So instead of pressing their advantage, these two generals let their guys camp behind the captured lines and sleep in the next morning. That gives GT time to pull in reinforcements from a nearby fort, bringing his forces up to a whopping 5,400. But frankly, GT's just glad to have a few hours to dig a new trench for his men. The native French-speaking confederate later states, Petersburg, at that hour, was clearly at the mercy of the federal commander, who had all but captured it.

G.T. gets a telegram off to Bobby Lee, and the Virginian general immediately starts shipping reinforcements to Petersburg. Across the next two days, more gray-clad men join the fight, and George Meade orders several attacks on Petersburg's eastern defenses. But the Blue Coat's hearts just aren't in it. Their assaults are feeble and cautious. One Union commander sees what's going on. He states, quote, the men feel at present a great horror and dread of attacking earthen works again. Close quote. Old Snapping Turtle George agrees and reports to Ulysses, our men are tired and the attacks have not been made with the vigor and force which characterized our fighting in the wilderness.

If they had been, I think we should have been more successful. After World War I, soldiers would call this shell shock. In the 21st century, we'd call it PTSD. But no matter its name, the men are tired of fighting. GT moves his lines back as close to Petersburg as he can, and the Union soldiers launch another offensive on June 18th. It's a disastrous, deadly failure. One artillerist complains, quote, The attack this afternoon was a fiasco of the worst kind. I trust it will be the last attempt at this most absurd way of attacking entrenchments by a general advance in line. Even the stupidest private now knows that it cannot succeed. Close quote. You're right, soldier. General Grant won't order another assault such as this.

Since he suffered about 10,000 more casualties in the last four days of fighting, Ulysses knows he needs to change tactics. As Bobby Lee arrives in full force in Petersburg, the Union General issues new orders. We will arrest the men and use the spade for their protection until a new vein has been struck. So newly promoted Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's overlaying campaign didn't go as he hoped. As Ulysses pushed south from the Rapidan River to the James River, Bobby Lee forced Ulysses to attack dug-in Confederate positions. And you know, it's an odd reversal of what people usually think of how the Civil War was fought. Ulysses and the Union army have often been accused of waging a war of attrition against the South, yet the

opposite is true here. The army of the Potomac took huge losses at every battle, ending with over 65,000 casualties in seven weeks of fighting. Despite this staggering toll though, Ulysses isn't giving up. The general still plans to lay siege to Petersburg and starve Bobby Lee into an open battle. But we'll sit on that for the time being. Next time, we're heading west to follow General William Tecumseh Sherman to Atlanta. and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design. Musical score, composed and performed

by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks where I'd like to tell you a story. puts them at producer status. Thank you. Decker, Lawrence Neubauer, Linda Cunningham, Mark Ellis, Matthew Mitchell, Matthew Simmons, Melanie Jan, Nick Seconder, Nick Caffrell, Noah Hoff, Owen Sedlak, Paul Goeringer, Randy Guffrey, Brees Humphreys-Wadsworth, Rick Brown, Sarah Trawick, Samuel Lagasse, Sharon Thiesen, Sean Baines, Steve Williams, Creepy Girl, Tisha Black, and Zach Jackson.

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