History of the Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, prepared from official records, diaries, and other authentic sources of information . Spottsylvania the coun-try was interspersed with openfields, ridges and knolls. Wherethe timber was left untouched, itwas nearly of the same growth asthat in the Wilderness. In front ofall their intrenchments in thewoods, the Confederates had cutdown the timber and in the openconstructed abatis. The operations of May 8 left theenemy in the possession ofSpottsylvania Court House. Thetwo great armies were concentrat-ing for another great struggle
History of the Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, prepared from official records, diaries, and other authentic sources of information . Spottsylvania the coun-try was interspersed with openfields, ridges and knolls. Wherethe timber was left untouched, itwas nearly of the same growth asthat in the Wilderness. In front ofall their intrenchments in thewoods, the Confederates had cutdown the timber and in the openconstructed abatis. The operations of May 8 left theenemy in the possession ofSpottsylvania Court House. Thetwo great armies were concentrat-ing for another great struggle formastery. Lee had posted his threearmy corps upon SpottsylvaniaRidge, a bulwark of defence, andheld the Army of the Potomac at bay for twelve days. Thestwere days of great anxiety and suspense to President Lincolnand the entire country. On Monday, May 9, all the corps of the Union army were inposition in a curved line in front of Spottsylvania. Hancock wason the right, Burnside next, Warren next and Sedgwick on theextreme left. The 5th and 6th Corps began to press the enemybefore dawn, developing their position and seeking points of — i32 — Gen. Sedgwick ordered Ricketts division to Laurel Hill andas early as 3 a. m. sent him the following instructions, which isthe last-order on record, the great soldier issued: You will rectify your lines as soon as it is light enough, andstrengthen your position by intrenchments. Send to my head-quarters for tools, and they will be forwarded at once. It is in-tended to remain in position to-day to give the men rest. Pleasesend in this morning a field return of your command and makea report of the casualties in your division. Send at once forthe tools. Gen. Morris commanding 1st Brigade of Ricketts division ar-ranged his regiments in a straight line with the 87th Pennsyl-vania on the right. At 7 a. m. it was decided to construct linesof intrenchments in the form of an angle. Half an hour later - ^-W jn front Gf the 87th was a s
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