Here are several maps from the Spotsylvania Mule Shoe issue of
Blue & Gray magazine (vol. 26, no. 1, 2009) showing where the 16th Mississippi and Harris' Brigade was.
6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Brig. Gen. Nathaniel H. Harris' official report:
On the morning of the 12th, orders were received about five (5) o’clock, to move by the right flank, and at “double quick,” across the Po river in the direction of Spottsylvania Court House. Halting near the Court House a few minutes, orders were received from General Lee, through Lieut. Col. Venable, of his staff, to move by the flank, on a road leading in the direction of the works lost by the Division of General Ed Johnson. The command was soon under a most galling fire of grape and canister from the enemy’s batteries, through which the men moved at a “double quick,” displaying the coolness and steadiness under fire, indicative of the veteran soldier.
Arriving near the last works, Major General Rodes, of the second corps, informed me that my command was expected to form on the right of Ramsour’s Brigade, of his Division, and recapture the works. General Rodes gave me as a guide, a staff officer, whose name I have as yet been unable to ascertain. Guided by this officer, I moved by the right flank on a road which I afterward discovered ran at right angles with the line of works, and was soon exposed to a heavy musketry as well as artillery fire. At this point, the “staff officer” before alluded to deserted me in the most shameful and disgraceful manner; and I was thus left in total ignorance of our own lines as well as those of the enemy, and was unable to discover anything through the smoke and fog.
One of my couriers, A.W. Hancock, galloped after this officer, but was unable to overtake him. At this moment, a gallant private of the 10th Alabama regiment, whose name I regret not to know, informed me of the position of Ramseur’s right, and of the enemy. Having advanced thus far by the right flank, when I should have advanced in “line of battle,” with my left resting on the road mentioned, no alternative remained but to file my command rapidly to the right, and try to gain sufficient distance for my left to rest on said road.
Moving with this view, the two (2) right regiments had filed had filed out of the road and were moving by the right flank, parallel with the lost works, when the enemy, discovering the movement, opened a most terrific fire of musketry and artillery, and finding that I could move no farther to the right without sacrificing the larger portion of the command, I at once ordered the two right regiments to front, charge up to the works, and drive the enemy from them, which they did in the most gallant manner, capturing between two and three hundred prisoners.
In the meanwhile the two left regiments formed in line, in obedience to orders, and wheeling to the right, pressed up to the works, and joined the left of the two (2) right regiments, a portion of the extreme left regiment overlapping Ramseur’s right. The whole command afterwards gained sufficient front by moving to the right and driving the enemy from the works as they moved, but my force was not sufficient to regain the entire line, and a small portion was left in the occupancy of the enemy, from which was poured a terrible enfilade fire, and this in connection with the repeated assaults in front, had it not bee for some traverses in the works, would have rendered the position wholly untenable, one third of my command being already killed or wounded.
At 11 A.M. McGowan’s Brigade, of Wilcox’s Division, arrived on the field, for the purpose of recovering the works on my right, but being equally as unfortunate as this command, in being directed correctly as to the locality of the lines, gained no ground to the right, but halted in rear of my left and Ramseur’s right. Gen. McGowan being badly wounded, soon after arriving on the field, and unable to find his successor in command, I could make no arrangement by which the Brigade could be moved to my right, and press the enemy from the works.
In this state and position this command remained until 3:30 A.M. on the 13th, repulsing desperate and repeated efforts of the enemy to dislodge them. At 6 P.M. I received a dispatch from Lieut. Gen. Ewell, informing me “if my position could be held until sun-down, all would be well.” Thus from 7 A.M. of the 12th, to 3 A.M. of the 13th, twenty (20) hours, the men were exposed to a constant and murderous musketry fire, both from front and flank, and during the hours of day, to a heavy artillery fire: in which mortars were used by the enemy.
A cold, drenching rain was falling during the greater part of the day and night, and the trenches were filled with water. Great difficulty was experienced in procuring supplies of ammunition, man after man being shot down while bringing it in. And here I cannot refrain from mentioning the gallant conduct of courier A.W. Hancock and Private F. Dolan, of the 48th Miss., who repeatedly brought in ammunition under this dreadful fire. As an instance of the terrible nature of the fire, a tree twenty-two (22) inches in diameter, was hewn to splinters and felled by the musketry. At 2 A.M. of the 13th, I received orders from Maj. General Rodes, to withdraw my command and the Brigade of McGowan, as soon as the troops on my right and left had evacuated their positions, and at 3:30 A.M., learning that this movement had been accomplished, I withdrew with small loss, and moving to Spottsylvania Court House, rejoined the Division.
In this action, the command suffered heavily; losing many of the most valuable officers; among them the the gallant Col. S.E. Baker, Lieut. Col. A.M. Feltus, Adjt. D.B.L. Lowe and Ensign Nixon, of the 16th Miss.; Col. T.J. Hardin and Adjutant A.L. Peel, of the 19th Miss.; Capts. McAffee, Davis and Reinhardt, of the 48th Miss.; Lieut. Bew, of the 12th Miss.; besides many other heroic officers and men, who all fell while nobly discharging their duties.
I would mention for conspicuous gallantry on this field, Major (now Colonel) E.C. Council, Capt. Harry Smith, and Private Ed Perault, of the 16th Miss. Reg’t.; Lieut. Col. S. B. Thomas, of the 12th Miss., and courier Charles Well: the latter of whom, deserves great credit for the coolness and intelligence with which he conveyed orders; but where all acted so well, I am sure there were many other instances of conspicuous gallantry, but those mentioned, were particularly observed. For casualties, I respectfully refer to the list already forwarded.
Gen. Richard S. Ewell, the 16th Mississippi's old division commander, wrote the following to Gen. Harris, Dec. 27, 1864, concerning their actions at Spotsylvania:
Gen. N.H. Harris, Commanding Brigade:
General: – I have omitted to acknowledge the valuable services rendered by your brigade on the 12th May last, at Spottsylvania, not from any want of appreciation, but because I wish my thanks to rest upon the solid foundation of official reports.
The manner in which your brigade charged over the hill to recapture our works was witnessed by me with intense admiration, for men who could advance so calmly, to what seemed and proved almost certain death. I have never seen troops under a hotter fire than was endured on this day by your brigade and some others.
Maj. Gen. Ed Johnson, since his exchange, has assured me that the whole strength of the enemy’s army was poured into the gap caused by the capture of his command. He estimates the force engaged at this place on their side at forty thousand, besides Birney’s command of perfectly fresh troops. Prisoners from all of their three corps were taken by us. Two divisions of my corps, your brigade and two others (one of which was scarcely engaged), confronted successfully this immense host, and not only won from them nearly all the ground they had gained, but so shattered their army that they were unable again to make a serious attack, until they received fresh troops. I have not forgotten the conduct of the 16th Miss. regiment while under my command from Front Royal to Malvern Hill. I am glad to see from a trial more severe than any it experienced while in my division, that the regiment is in a brigade of which it may well be proud.
Very Respectfully, Your obedient servant,
R.S. Ewell, Lieut. General