Original Photographs Taken on the Battlefields during the Civil War of the United States
John Stuart Mill · en
BOTH armies faced each other in full force at Spottsylvania Court House
in the forenoon of the ninth of May, 1864. The Brady cameras arrived
with the Government supply trains and perpetuated the historic scenes.
While the Union lines were placing their batteries, they were annoyed by
sharpshooters, and General Sedgwick was killed. His death was a great
loss to the Federals, just as Jackson's had crippled the Confederacy.
During the first day at Spottsylvania the Federals lost fully 10,000
men, while the Confederates' loss was very nearly 9,000. The unburied
bodies of 3,000 men lay scattered along the slopes of the ridges and
under the trees. Out of the 200,000 Federals and Confederates who rushed
into battle on the fifth of May, 43,000 were either dead, wounded, or
prisoners, after three days of fighting. During the week the fighting
extended along the Fredericksburg road, Laurel Hill and Ny River,
reaching to Swift Creek and Cloyd's Mountain. The Army of the Potomac,
since it crossed the Rapidan River, had lost nearly one-fourth of its
men in the brief space of eight days, and now had a fighting force of
only 87,000. The photograph of the Confederate dead was taken near
Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864, after Ewell's attack.
[Illustration: SLING CART USED IN HAULING CAPTURED CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY
AT DREWRY'S BLUFF ON THE JAMES RIVER IN 1864]
[Illustration: DUTCH GAP CANAL ENTERING JAMES RIVER IN VIRGINIA--BUILT
UNDER SEVERE FIRE]
[Illustration: OBSTRUCTIONS IN JAMES RIVER NEAR DREWRY'S BLUFF]
[Illustration: CONFEDERATE FORT DARLING AT DREWRY'S BLUFF]
[Illustration: AIKEN'S LANDING, WHERE PRISONERS WERE EXCHANGED]