Upton’s Attack at Spotsylvania

David Ireland

Corporal
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Why was Upton’s assault on the mule shoe at Spotsylvania not reinforced? Could that have been a game changer if he succeeded?
 
I think it could've been. The fact that Grant and Meade allowed the breakthrough to fail is incomprehensible to me. Even considering the miscommunication with Mott, had Upton had the support of Wright's Corps as intended, Mott's ineptitude wouldn't have been so debilitating. I understand Grant/Meade wouldn't have fired Wright on the spot for being drunk and taken command of his Corps themselves, but they had to have known that Upton's breakthrough was failing because Wright's men were just sitting there in the valley behind Upton without orders. Someone could've been given temporary command.

Upton's breakthrough could've upset the entire muleshoe as they'd pushed hundreds of yards into the salient and already reinforced the flanks with his 4th regiment. Had Wright engaged he could've kept the gap from being rolled up. At that point, surely, Mott would've figured out what was going on and been ordered to attack. Beyond that to know what Burnside would've done with the 9th on the mule shoe's right is conjecture but I'd submit he'd have taken a command decision and done something. Whatever that would've been could only have helped.

To think that Wright losing his nerve and hanging out Upton to dry could've possibly saved the slaughter on teh 12th from happening at the Bloody Angle is stunning. The fact that Grant let that play out is, again, incomprehensible. Upton's charge had all the elements going for it. Surprise (even with Mott's mistake), micro-terrain, reserves, and opportunity and the Union commanders simply watched it fail without committing the planned forces.
 
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Why was Upton’s assault on the mule shoe at Spotsylvania not reinforced? Could that have been a game changer if he succeeded?
Division commander Gershom Mott and Corps commander Horatio Wright had a communication snafu. When the attack by GK Warren's corps on Laurel Hill was repulsed, Upton's attack was postponed. Upton got the word in a timely fashion and Mott, whose division had been assigned to support Upton, did not. Here is a link to an American Battlefield Trust article.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/unions-bloody-miscue-spotsylvanias-muleshoe
 
The attacks were uncoordinated. Upton’s Attack was delayed but word didn’t reach Wrigh who attacked on time. Thus Upton was unsupported.

Wright didn't attack on time....he was reportedly drunk. When he did commit it was only a single regiment, not the entire planned force. Mott was scapegoated after the fact. He was given contradictory orders between Meade and Warren and, aside from the communication failure that affected him earlier, did attack on time with the forces he had available. 1,500, straight into the salient's apex with all it's canon and muskets, alone.

It was Wright who could've saved the day and capitalized with follow-through on Upton's charge had he not been drunk and indecisive.
 
Wright didn't attack on time....he was reportedly drunk. When he did commit it was only a single regiment, not the entire planned force. Mott was scapegoated after the fact. He was given contradictory orders between Meade and Warren and, aside from the communication failure that affected him earlier, did attack on time with the forces he had available. 1,500, straight into the salient's apex with all it's canon and muskets, alone.

It was Wright who could've saved the day and capitalized with follow-through on Upton's charge had he not been drunk and indecisive.
There is no evidence of Horatio Wright being drunk at Spotsylvania or anywhere else. The fact that Wright was given permanent command of 6th corps shortly after the battle and promoted to the prestigious command of the Army Corps of Engineers later in his career would tell me that he was very highly thought of. Wright's corps was the infantry component of Phil Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah during the 1864 Valley campaign and was in at the end at Appomattox. He was also involved in the construction of the Washington monument and the Brooklyn Bridge. Doesn't sound like an officer who was known to be drunk at Spotsylvania. I think you should check your facts on Horatio Wright.
 
There is no evidence of Horatio Wright being drunk at Spotsylvania or anywhere else. The fact that Wright was given permanent command of 6th corps shortly after the battle and promoted to the prestigious command of the Army Corps of Engineers later in his career would tell me that he was very highly thought of. Wright's corps was the infantry component of Phil Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah during the 1864 Valley campaign and was in at the end at Appomattox. He was also involved in the construction of the Washington monument and the Brooklyn Bridge. Doesn't sound like an officer who was known to be drunk at Spotsylvania. I think you should check your facts on Horatio Wright.

He was given command because he was a teetotaler....as the primary reason. The fact that he lost his nerve on the day of Upton's charge because he was drunk I got from an NPS authority on the battle. Beyond that, the fact is he did lose his nerve and sat the battle out while Mott followed orders and was sacrificed, both during the battle and afterwards as the scapegoat.
 
He was given command because he was a teetotaler....as the primary reason. The fact that he lost his nerve on the day of Upton's charge because he was drunk I got from an NPS authority on the battle. Beyond that, the fact is he did lose his nerve and sat the battle out while Mott followed orders and was sacrificed, both during the battle and afterwards as the scapegoat.
Which is it - drunk or teetotaler? My take is that Mott's troops were angry and demoralized after their unit was moved from being the 1st division of the 3rd corps (which was disbanded) to being the 4th division in Hancock's 2nd Corps and they froze and ran when subjected to enfilading fire, getting nowhere near the rebel lines. They had also fled from the field in the Battle of the Wilderness. I don't think any blame of any kind attaches to Wright or Mott personally. Do you really think Wright's Army career would have unfolded as it did if he was either drunk or cowering at headquarters? And Mott's career shows no sign of having been a scapegoat.
 
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I suggest reading Gordon Rhea's account in his book The Battles of Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7 - 12, 1864. He provides a detailed account of Upton's assault on pages 161 - 177, outlining the attack and the high command bungling that led to failure and Mott undeservedly holding the bag. An outline of the fiasco follows. IMO the fault lies mostly with Meade and Wright. I don't think Wright was drunk, remember he was new to corps command having only assumed that command on the preceding day.
  • 12 Sixth Corps regiments are assigned to Colonel Emory Upton for a May 10 assault on the west side of the Mule Shoe. The schedule time for the attack is 5:00 p.m.
  • Upton is to be supported by a diversionary attack by Hancock and Wright on Upton's right.
  • Grant, Meade and Wright hold a meeting at which BG Gershom Mott's Second Corps division is assigned to Wright. Mott will be place on Wright's left and will be in good position to follow up Upton's attack and exploit the breach Upton is expected to have made.
  • At 8:15 a.m. on the 10th Meade sends orders to Mott ordering him to extend his division to cover the gap between Wright's left and Burnside's right. He does not mention Upton's attack.
  • Two hours later Grant and Meade authorize Wright's use of Mott to support Upton. At 11:00 a.m. Wright's aides order Mott to probe the Confederate lines in front of him. Mott struggles with the conflicting orders.
  • At 2:00 p.m. Mott receives an order to vigorously attack from his present position if Burnside comes under attack. He does not mention Upton. Shortly afterward orders from Wright arrive ordering Mott to vigorously attack in support of Upton promptly at 5:00 p.m. Mott is under orders to link with Burnside, his troops are spread thin and he and is thoroughly confused. Mott asks for clarification and is directed by Wright to attack at 5:00 with whatever troops he can assemble.
  • At 3:45 p.m. orders advancing the time of the attacks are issued by Grant and Meade. Warren promptly attacks and is repulsed. The orders never reach Wright or Mott.
  • In light of Warren's repulse Upton's attack is pushed back to 6:00 p.m. No one tells Mott who attacks on schedule at 5:00 p.m. and is repulsed. No one tells Upton of the results of Mott's attack.
  • Upton attacks at 6:00 p.m. The planned support is no longer available.
 
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Mott's troops were angry and demoralized after their unit was moved from being the 1st division of the 3rd corps (which was disbanded) to being the 4th division in Hancock's 2nd Corps and they froze and ran when subjected to enfilading fire, getting nowhere near the rebel lines. They had also fled from the field in the Battle of the Wilderness.
Not sure if fled is correct. After a day and a half of fighting they were caught in the flank by fresh troops and a forest fire.
At Spottsylvania they were lined up in an open field and told to demonstrate against Lee's twenty plus artillery pieces.
And miffed by the transfer yes, but they adapted. Even their corps badges were changed beyond just a change in badge. The two were mixed.
Phil Kearney and Joe Hooker had good names when attached to them. They were good troops who got put in a bad spot.
 
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