Spotsylvania: Union soldiers captured at Heth's Salient 5-12-1864

David Wilson

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Apr 30, 2019
I'm looking for more material to read. I have read back and forth over William Matter's account in "If It Takes All Summer". I am trying as best I can to reconstruct what happened there from accounts. As I mentioned in other posts my Great-Great Grandfather John Larrish was captured there along with many others from the Pennsylvania 50th Infantry.

For those who interested but not familiar: On the afternoon May 12th 1864 both Grant and Lee ordered afternoon attacks in an area just east of the Mule Shoe where on that morning the horrific clash known as the Bloody Angle had just taken place. Neither side was aware that offensives were going to take place simultaneously in the same area. The Confederates had advanced East from their lines then Northward through a forested area after engaging a Union battery. The Federals were moving westward through the forest when they encountered the Confederates on their left flank. In less than hour of close range combat in the forest, over 800 Union soldiers were captured. A group of reenactors from Michigan recently gave tribute to the fallen and captured members of the Michigan 17th with a stone monument where this fight took place.
 
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I'm looking more material to read.
Have you read Gordon Rhea's book yet? https://books.google.com/books?id=brGoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT303&dq="Charles+T.+Haigh"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjUlKLe_IjAhXPc98KHbm6Cpk4ChDoAQg5MAM#v=onepage&q="Charles T. Haigh"&f=false

I notice there is also a regiment specific book
A History of Company C, 50th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment: From the Camp, the Battlefield and the Prison Pen, 1861-1865 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1596290897/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

You might try searching the newspapers at the LOC's Chronicling America? Not specifically about Spotsylvania, but here's a pretty funny article that popped up
1561341861792.png

The National Tribune., July 05, 1900, page 3.

Here's a link to 159 search results for "50th PA" for dates 9/15/1864 - 12/31/1925. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...=&proxdistance=50&rows=20&searchType=advanced
 
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I do have the Company C book. I was thinking that there might be similar regimental books that discuss the same fight from their perspective either Union or Confederate.

I will have a look at the Rhea.

I am starting to wonder how much else I might find, but I thought I would ask around.
 
Thank you so much. I was using newspapers.com while laid up with a broken leg a few months ago. I found my great great grandfather on my first search !
Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania) ·  20 Dec 1864, Tue ·  Page 2.jpg
 
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