The Road to North Anna - May 1864

A recent Friday evening provided an opportunity for another  stirring  fictional American Civil War engagement, this time set in 1864.

Following the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Grant added another 18,000 casualties to the already heavy toll inflicted at the Wilderness. Yet Grant to refused to retire. Instead the Union forces manoeuvred to the east before moving south on Richmond. Lee likewise moved, with now both Lee and Grant probing for opportunity. It finally came on the 22nd of May near the small township of Gollansville some five mile north of Chesterfield Bridge where Telegraph Road crossed the North Anna River.

Federal forces were moving swiftly down Telegraph Road in pursuit of Confederate forces. On the 22nd Lee was forced deployed a reinforced rearguard to gain time for his supply trains to cross the North Anna. Major General Richard Anderson deployed the three divisions of his I Corps astride Telegraph Road. As the divisions deployed Lee arrived on the field to observe the dispositions. The three divisions of I Corps were those of Kershaw, Field and Pickett. Located on the extreme left was Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry Division, nominally part of the Army of the Northern Virginia's Cavalry Corps. However, the cavalry now operated independently as Lee was yet to replace the fallen General Stuart. Extending the Confederate right was Wilcox's Division, drawn from A.P. Hill's III Corps, and reinforced by Hampton's Cavalry Division. Both cavalry divisions had recently returned form the late unpleasantness at Yellow Tavern. 

The Confederate right was clearly weakest  part of Lee’s line. However, the various tributaries of Polecat Creek promised to slow the Union advance. In all Lee had some 24,000 bayonets, 4,500 cavalry and 72 cannon deployed by noon.

Opposite Lee, General Meade was deploying his forces. The Union centre and right comprised Hancock's II Corps, some three divisions. Specifically the divisions of Barlow and Gibbon were deployed in the centre, while Birney's large division stretched to the Union right. Repeatedly this corps had been committed to the fight and today it looked as if it would again. Extending to the extreme right were the cavalry divisions of Greg and Wilson, both from Sheridan's Cavalry Corps. Like the Confederate cavalry they had returned from their raid south. On the Union left were the divisions Russell, Ricketts and Crawford all from Horatio Wright's VI Corps. Unlike Lee, Grant was well concentrated and had a small numerical superiority, except in the area of artillery where his superiority in artillery was telling. Meade had 28,500 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 144 cannon, the last being double that of Confederate pieces.

Around 1pm the Union advance began in earnest, yet the advance was not without issue. In the centre the thick blue clad columns struggled to deploy constrained as they were by woods each side of Telegraph Road, as can be seen below.

On the extreme Union right Sheridan showed caution, despite a number of his brigades being armed with cartridge carbines. On the Union left the divisions of Wright's Corps moved forward though they seemed reluctant to cross one of the meandering confluents of Polecat Creek. Instead reports came in of Union artillery here being deployed in large grand batteries against the Confederates opposite.

Lee, preferring to maintain the initiative despite being outnumbered, ordered Anderson to advance on the left before Hancock was fully deployed. Avoiding the increasing Union artillery concentration in the centre two of Anderson's Divisions echeloned to the left, intent to engage the Union right within the next hour. 

Above, the general situation as the Confederates move to the left. In the right foregound Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, now dismounted, move through woods that protect the flank. In the right foreground Sheridan's two cavalry divisions are also dismounted. Below, the grey and butternut soldiers of Field's and Pickett's divisions move forward.

The fighting was soon brisk on the Union right. Kemper's and Hunton's Brigades, drawn from Pickett's Division, performed well driving the Union forces back, in part there success was due to the supported provided by Smith's and Taylor's Virginian artillery batteries.

However, as Union forces reformed it was soon apparent the Confederate advance against the Union right was unsustainable. Anderson therefore ordered a retrograde movement extracting Pickett's Division through Field's Division, shown below, which had been previously moving forward in the hope it could exploit any success gained by Pickett.

Back on the Confederate right flank Union pressure was slowly building on Wilcox's Division. Wilcox deployed four brigades. Specifically those of Lane, McGowan, Thomas and Scales. They were supported by 12 guns of Poague's artillery and like many Confederate artillery concentrations this was an eclectic mix of smooth-bore and rifled pieces. Poague deployed his artillery and would maintain a steady fire on Union troops deployed along the stream some 400 yards distant, though unfortunately with little gain. Meanwhile the superior Union artillery concentration, some 36 guns belched fire at Confederate infantry some 500 yards distant. Over the course of the afternoon Lee would repeatedly suggest a retrograde movement, but A.P Hill was confident the line could be held.

Around 5pm Wright, commander of the Union VI Corps and the Union left, ordered his 3rd Division forward. The 3rd Division, under command of General Ricketts, was deployed on the extreme left of the Union line. Pushing across the stream the Union soldiers advanced cautiously into woods near Widow Harris' Farm. The woods were held by the 4th Brigade of Wilcox's Division, that of Brigadier General Edward Thomas. Thomas, himself a Georgian commanded a brigade of four Georgian regiments, the 14th, 35th, 45th and 49th. 

Above, a section of the battle on the Confederate right. In the upper right one of Ricketts' brigades can be seen engaged with Thomas' Georgians.

Heavily outnumbered the brigade attempted to delay the Union advance inflicting heavy casualties on the Union brigades until the Georgians were finally forced out of the woods around 7pm - as night began to envelope the field.

Meanwhile in the centre, the battle had been developing with unprecedented ferocity. It will be recalled that earlier in the battle Lee had ordered a move of troops in the centre to the Confederate left, in doing so he weakened the Confederate centre. Indeed the Confederate centre comprised only Kershaw's Division, from Anderson's I Corps. Acutely aware of the thinning Rebel centre Major General Winfield Hancock ordered the division nearest the hinge extending the flank of VI Corps to advance. General Barlow would attack the Rebel centre. 

Below, Barlow's Division prior to its advance clearly showing it as the hinge. Two of Wright's Divisions line one of the tributaries of Polecat Creek.

The resulting Union attack quickly drove back Bryan's Rebel brigade. 

However, Lee soon stabilised the position with the hasty deployment of the 24 guns of Haskell's artillery. While Confederate cannon now belched death upon the Union brigade to its front Rossier's cavalry brigade mounted a rare and unauthorised mounted charge on the flank on the 3rd Brigade of Barlow's Division. Lee was unimpressed by such attacks and as expected the cavalry were repulsed with heavy casualties.

Yet Barlow's Division was now under heavy pressure and of the next two hours repeated Confederate attacks would be delivered on the division. Around 3pm two of A. P. Hill's Divisions had arrived and these divisions would take up the gauntlet which had, until then, been carried by Kershaw's Division. The divisions were those of Heth's and Mahone's, supported by III Corps artillery reserve, in all some 12,000 bayonets and 36 guns. 

Lee ordered Hill "to drive those people in the centre back, falling on the potentially exposed right of Wright's VI Corps". The grey and butternut soldiers moved forward, just as they had at the Wilderness earlier in the month. The battle flags boldly carried hopes of the Southern States forward on this fine late Spring afternoon.

The initial attack began with Heth's Division, and particularly Mayo's Brigade. The brigade comprised a cross-section of southern states, including Virginian, Alabaman and Tennessee regiments. Soon it would be supported by Mahone's Division and the brigades of Harris and Perry, comprising regiments from Mississippi and Florida. Below, the general situation with Mayo's Brigade engaged well supported by Haskell's artillery in the centre foreground.

The attacks were ferocious and as more Confederate brigades joined the attack Barlow's Division began to buckle under immense pressure. 

Above and below the Confederate attacks underway.

By 7pm Barlow's Division had collapsed in panic, the previously organised brigades had become little more than a disorganised and fleeing rabble, a result of the seemingly unceasing Confederate attacks.

In an effort to take pressure off the Barlow's Division Hancock, around 6pm, ordered Birney's Division forward. Birney was to secure a gentle rise, some 900 yards across, on the Confederate left centre. These slopes had prevented Union artillery from effectively engaging the Confederate left who manoeuvred behind the high ground with impunity. The division comprised four brigades, specifically those under Egan, Crocker, Mott and Brewster. However, no sooner had three of the brigades secured the high ground they were subjected to a Confederate attack. Advancing from both the east and west ends of the slopes four Confederate brigades attacked. 

Above and below, the Confederate attacks on Birney's Union Division. That below showing the general situation.

At the eastern end of the hill Kirkland's Brigade with McIntosh's artillery and Corse's Brigade in support executed a stirring attack. The attack caused heavy casualties on Egan's Union brigade but was forced back. 

The same however did not apply on the western end. Here the brigades of Jenkins and Gregg, supported by the batteries of Fickling and Moody, delivered an unstoppable attack on the right of Birney's Union Division. Panic erupted as the Rebels pressed Mott's Brigade. The brigade, comprised of Massachusetts and New Jersey men, collapsed under this swift attack. Within 30 minutes Mott's Brigade ceased to exist as a fighting force. Worse for Birney was that his veteran division had suffered extensive casualties in a short space of time. Like Barlow's Division, Birney’s Division collapsed. A massive gap now existed in the Union centre.

With light fading the fighting died down across the battlefield. Casualties for both blue and grey were significant and while numerically similar they were not evenly distributed. The Union army had suffered heavy casualties in several divisions crippling their offensive capabilities, at least in the short term. Barlow and Birney's Divisions had been decimated, while Russell's and Ricketts' Divisions were themselves near exhaustion. Further, Hancock had lost 24 of his rifled guns, allocated from the army artillery reserve. Their capture being a welcome reinforcement to the Confederate arsenal.

The Confederate casualties had mostly fallen on Kershaw's Division, in the centre, and Wilcox's Division deployed on the Confederate right. Both, while exhausted after a desperate day of fighting, would be functional by tomorrow. Hampton's cavalry division had suffered heavily from the over zealous charge by Rosser's brigade earlier in the day, but the division would return to the line by the following day. Lee, had held the field and blunted the Union advance gaining valuable time for the supplies to cross the North Anna. However, the casualties from the day's fighting continued to degrade the Army of Nothern Virginia, something Lee could ill afford.

The scenario was of course fictional and was developed using the Road to Glory Scenario System with each army comprising some 4,000 points. There were four players with Keith and Richard declaring for the Union and Alastair and I declaring for the Confederates. The Union players selected Card #25 "Full Deployment" while the Confederates had selected Card #15 "Returning Detachment - Right". The forces available were drawn from a selection available when in May the Union forces moved towards the North Anna River immediately following the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The miniatures are all from the Heroics & Ros 6mm range and are from my own collection.