Ten days after the Wilderness
Campaign fighting broke
out again at a small village in 
Virginia - Spotsylvania.  The 
Union, led by General Grant, 
hoped to separate the 
Confederates, led by General 
Lee, from Richmond.   Lee, 
anticipating this maneuver, 
rushed troops to Spotsylvania 
hoping to get there first and 
force Grant to attack him on 
his terms.

The Confederates under General 
Anderson won the race.  
He quickly pushed the few Union
advance troops fromGrant's army 
aside and linked up with the 
besieged troops defending the 
town.  Having secured the town,
the Confederates constructed 
fortifications in preparation 
for Grant's attack.

On May 10th the anticipated 
attack came.  Grant sent three 
corps against the entrenched 
Confederates.  In the midst of 
a driving rainstorm, the two 
armies engaged in some of 
the most severe fighting of the 
war.  Though the battle lasted 
more than twenty hours, the 
Confederates held their ground.

Afterwards, Grant would try for 
a week to dislodge Lee's army 
from their fortified position, 
suffering horrendous losses as 
a result.  In the end, the 
Union retreated and gave up the 
plan.

"We have met a man," said one 
Confederate of General Grant, 
"who either does not know when 
he is whipped, or who cares not 
if he loses his whole army!"