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Chapter 31: from the Rapidan to the James.
On the 3rd of May, 1864, the positions of the Confederate Army under
General Lee, and the
Federal Army under
Lieutenant General Grant in
Virginia, were as follows:
General Lee held the southern bank of the
Rapidan River, in
Orange County, with his right resting near the mouth of
Mine Run, and his left extending to
Liberty Mills on the road from
Gordonsville (via Madison CourtHouse) to the Shenandoah Valley; while the crossings of the river on the right, and the roads on the left, were watched by cavalry:
Ewell's corps was on the right,
Hill's on the left, and two divisions of
Longstreet's corps were encamped in the rear, near
Gordonsville.
Grant's army (composed of the Army of the Potomac under
Meade, and the 9th corps under
Burnside) occupied the north banks of the
Rapidan and
Robinson rivers; the main body being encamped in
Culpeper County and on the
Rappahannock River.
I am satisfied that
General Lee's army did not exceed 50,000 effective men of all arms.
The report of the
Federal Secretary of War,
Stanton, shows that the “available force present for duty, May 1st, 1864,” in
Grant's army, was 141,166, to-wit: In the Army of the Potomac 120,386, and in the 9th corps 20,780.
The draft in the
United States was being energetically enforced, and volunteering had been greatly stimulated by high bounties.
The Northwestern States had tendered large bodies of troops to serve one hundred days, in order to relieve other troops on garrison and local duty, and this enabled
Grant to put in the field a large number of troops which had been employed on that kind of duty.
It was known that he was receiving heavy reinforcements up to the very time of his movement on the 4th of May, and afterwards; so that the statement of his force on the 1st of May, by
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Stanton, does not cover the whole force with which he commenced the campaign.
Moreover,
Secretary Stanton's report shows that there were in the Department of Washington and the Middle Department, 47,751 available men for duty, the chief part of which, he says, was called to the front, after the campaign began, “in order to repair the losses of the Army of the Potomac;” and
Grant says that, at Spottsylvania Court-House, “the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th (of May) were consumed in manoeuvring and awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from
Washington.”
His army, therefore, must have numbered very nearly, if not quite, 200,000 men, before a junction was effected with
Butler.
On the 4th of May, it was discovered that
Grant's army was moving towards Germana Ford on the
Rapidan, which was ten or twelve miles from our right.
This movement had begun on the night of the 3rd, and the enemy succeeded in seizing the ford and effecting a crossing, as the river was guarded at that point by only a small cavalry picket.
The direct road from Germana Ford to
Richmond passes by Spottsylvania Court-House and when
Grant had effected his crossing, he was nearer to
Richmond than
General Lee was. From Orange CourtHouse, near which were
General Lee's headquarters, there are two nearly parallel roads running eastwardly to
Fredericksburg — the one which is nearest to the river being called “The old Stone Pike,” and the other “The
Plank road.”
The road from Germana Ford to Spottsylvania Court-House crosses the old Stone Pike at the “Old Wilderness Tavern,” and two or three miles farther on it crosses the
Plank road.
As soon as it was ascertained that
Grant's movement was a serious one, preparations were made to meet him, and the troops of
General Lee's army were put in motion --
Ewell's corps moving on the old Stone Pike, and
Hill's corps on the
Plank Road; into which latter road
Longstreet's force also came, from his camp near
Gordonsville.
Ewell's corps, to which my division belonged, crossed
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Mine Run, and encamped at
Locust Grove, four miles beyond, on the afternoon of the 4th.
When the rest of the corps moved, my division and
Ramseur's brigade of
Rodes' division were left to watch the fords of the
Rapidan, until relieved by cavalry.
As soon as this was done, I moved to the position occupied by the rest of the corps, carrying
Ramseur with me.
Ewell's corps contained three divisions of infantry, to wit:
Johnson's,
Rodes' and my own (
Early's). At this time one of my brigades (
Hoke's) was absent, having been with
Hoke in
North Carolina; and I had only three present, to wit:
Hays',
Pegram's and
Gordon's. One of
Rodes' brigades (
R. D. Johnston's) was at
Hanover Junction.
I had about 4,000 muskets for duty;
Johnson about the same number; and
Rodes (including
Johnston's brigade) about 6,000.