"Ah! these are my brave Texans. I know you, and I know that you can and will keep those people back!" Robert E. Lee at the Wilderness

This morning found us on the road to Richmond as our studies enter the third year of the war. We’ll be spending the weekend in Virginia to follow the events of 1864 and 1865. Today, we started with the beginnings of the Overland Campaign at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House with our guide, Jake Struhelka.

In the Wilderness, we started at Saunder’s Field where some of the first fighting took place on May 5. One of the most interesting moments during this stop came as we walked the field, following in the steps of the 140^th New York that took 50% casualties within the woods around Saunder’s Field. As we picked through the woods, the difficulties faced by each army as they attempted to maneuver became apparent. The dense undergrowth slowed us and we didn’t have to worry about being shot by enemy fire. The intact Confederate earthworks were interesting and provided tangible evidence of the ferocity of the fighting at the Wilderness.

This afternoon we continued our tour of the Overland Campaign at Spotsylvania Court House. Personally, my favorite moment of the day took place when we studied Upton’s attack on the Mule Shoe. For the first time, we encountered a moment in which the Union army broke through a reinforced Confederate line. The attack was made without Upton’s hand picked men firing a shot on the Confederates as they charged. The bravery and determination required for such an attack was astounding. The intensity of the fighting in this area was also apparent just a few hundred yards away from the Mule Shoe at the bloody angle. The remnants of Confederate and Union earthworks stand a mere six feet apart, the trenches serving as an eerie reminder of the horrors of World War I trench warfare.

We finished the day at the Massaponex Church in Fredericksburg that was used as headquarters for both armies at various points during the campaign. A famous O’Sullivan photo of Union commanders was taken from the top of the church in May 1863. The inside of the church retains several original architectural structures. However, the most interesting part of the church is on the walls in the balcony. Union and Confederate soldiers covered the walls with penciled messages of hope, pride, and revenge. While the church whitewashed over the messages following the war, parts of the graffiti have been uncovered providing yet another insight into the hearts and minds of Civil War soldiers.

After investigating the Massaponex Church, we loaded the bus and made the final leg of the journey to Richmond to settle in for the night. Tomorrow we’ll continue our battlefield experiences in Petersburg, and see the sights of Richmond including Monument Avenue and the Hollywood Cemetery. Until then, it’s time for a little rest and recuperation before continuing our own Richmond Campaign.