Embark on an extensive battlefield tour of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which raged from May 8 to 21, 1864. This battle marked the subsequent engagement in Grant’s Overland Campaign, following closely after the Wilderness Battle.
Commence your personalized battlefield tour at the Spotsylvania Battlefield Exhibit Shelter, managed by the National Park Service. Here, you will be introduced to your dedicated battlefield guide. The tour begins with an overview, featuring insights into the strategic race between Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant to secure the next crucial crossroads on the route to Richmond.
Witness the site of the battle’s initial exchange at Laurel Hill, dated May 8, 1864. Reflect on the demise of General John Sedgwick, famously underestimating the enemy’s marksmanship, ultimately becoming the highest-ranking Union General to fall in the Civil War.
Visit the location where Colonel Emory Upton led a daring and groundbreaking Union assault on Lee’s Mule Shoe on May 10, 1864. Discover the notorious Mule Shoe, where remnants of Robert E. Lee’s fortifications are still visible. Here, delve into the tale of the fierce onslaught that occurred on May 12, 1864, resulting in 22 hours of relentless, close-quarters combat.
Observe the renowned Bloody Angle, the epicenter of the most fierce and frantic combat. Pay homage at the monuments erected by the regiments that clashed within and around the Mule Shoe.
Proceed to Lee’s Final Line, where the National Park Service has meticulously reconstructed a Civil War-era line of earthworks. Conclude your tour by contemplating Grant’s strategic decision to disengage and advance south towards Richmond, resolutely declaring, “I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer!” Thus, the Overland Campaign pressed on towards the North Anna.
This private battlefield tour pairs nicely with the Battle of the North Anna which is the next Battle of the Overland Campaign, May 23-24, 1864.
If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Let us show you the way as you relax and skip the self-guided tour hassle. Your own battlefield guide will meet you in front of the Spotsylvania Battlefield Exhibit Shelter – National Park Service.
After an introduction, your battlefield guide will join your vehicle as you depart to your first stop. It is recommended that the battlefield guide drive your vehicle so you can relax and enjoy the tour, but it’s up to you who drives.
Joining your vehicle keeps the cost down so you can see more battlefields with us.
Step-on battlefield guides are available for larger passenger vehicles (van or bus). For more information and prices, please contact us.
Note: Battle of Spotsylvania Court House can be tailored into one of our Custom Battlefield Tours.
