Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Facts
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Facts
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Interesting Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Facts: |
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The battle occurred from May 8 to May 21, 1864. |
It took place in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. |
There was no clear winner in the battle. |
Ulysses S. Grant and George G. Meade led the Union and the Confederates were under the command of Robert E. Lee. |
The Union troops outnumbered the Confederate troops 100,000 to 50,000. |
There were a combined 32,000 casualties on both sides. |
This battle took place after the Battle of the Wilderness, which was also inconclusive. |
After the Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's troops tried to lure Lee's troops to Spotsylvania Court House, which he believed was a better location to the southeast. |
Some of Lee's men beat Grant's men to Spotsylvania Court House. |
The battle went back and forth for over two weeks, with Grant's men unable to break through the Confederate line. |
Fighting at Bloody Angle on May 12 and May 13 continued for 20 hours in a row, likely the longest sustained period of fighting in the war. |
After having no success in Spotsylvania, Grant decided to give up on that location and the battle came to an end. |
Even though the Union did not win, the high number of casualties took a tremendous toll on the Confederate army. Lee lost 23 percent of his troops. |
Five generals were killed in the battle, three from the Union and two from the Confederacy |
After the battle, Grant continued his offensive and moved on toward Richmond, Virginia. |
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