Grant the Great will soon be no more: An Alabamian at Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse

Sergeant Randolph Smedley of the 15th Alabama recalled the electric effect seeing General Robert E. Lee had upon his regiment as they moved into action into the Wilderness on May 5, 1864.

          “It seemed that every man went in determined to whip or die,” he informed his father. “As we were going in, we passed by General Lee. He raised his hat and said, “Go it, my brave Alabamians!” There is no telling how much good a kind word from such a general as Lee will do. When he spoke, although the balls were flying thick, every face brightened, each one took a quicker step, and when the order forward was given, a yell was raised and each one seemed to try to be the first to get a shot at the enemy.”

          Sergeant Smedley felt sure that the bitter losses suffered by the Army of the Potomac in the ensuing battles would send Grant to the rear in disgrace, as had happened so many times before with other Federal commanders who had tangled with Lee and his army. “The Yankees, poor fellows, have had but little encouragement. Not a single day out of eleven have they been successful and no doubt they are anxious to recross the Rappahannock. Grant the Great will soon be no more. He will be laid on the shelf; in fact, it is reported that he is even now superseded by Fremont. The New York Herald is already down on him for having his men butchered,” Smedley noted. But it was not to be and the fighting would rage almost without respite for another year until Appomattox.

          The 1860 census showed 21-year-old Randolph C. Smedley working as a farmer and living with his parents, Reverend David B. and Maria Smedley in Troy, Pike Co., Alabama. He enlisted as a corporal in Co. I of the 15th Alabama Infantry on July 1, 1861; he was promoted to sergeant around January 1, 1863, and became orderly sergeant of Co. I in 1864 following the death of Sergeant John J. White which he described in this letter. 

    Smedley would survive the war, surrendering at Appomattox, but would die of fever shortly after returning home to Alabama. His letter, written home to his father, first saw publication in the June 3, 1864, edition of the Southern Advertiser published in Troy, Alabama.

 



Camp near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia

May 15, 1864

          We have been fighting for ten days and the enemy has been beaten every day. I have not been hurt, nor has Cape or Jimmy.  Surely, we ought to be thankful to providence for its kind protection. I am not certain that the fighting is over, though it is believed the enemy is recrossing the river as fast as possible. We have gained so far one of the most complete victories of the war. Our men have fought with greater courage and coolness than ever before. It hardly excited a man at all to go into the engagement; they shot with as much precision as though they were killing squirrels and I assure you it told fearfully on the ranks of the Yankees.

          The 15th Alabama entered the fight on the 5th. The enemy had massed a force of 40,000 men to get possession of the plank road. This force was met and driven back by Longstreet’s corps. Law’s brigade did heavy fighting. It seemed that every man went in determined to whip or die. As we were going in, we passed by General Lee. He raised his hat and said, “Go it, my brave Alabamians!” There is no telling how much good a kind word from such a general as Lee will do. When he spoke, although the balls were flying thick, every face brightened, each one took a quicker step, and when the order forward was given, a yell was raised and each one seemed to try to be the first to get a shot at the enemy. We drove them about half a mile then waited for another attack.

          I will now speak only of Law’s brigade. We erected breastworks of logs and waited; soon the enemy made their appearance in large numbers. We soon repulsed them, but they came again and were driven back; again, they came and in overwhelming numbers. We shot two columns to pieces, but more came. Colonel [William C.] Oates jumped the works and told us to follow him; the Yankees in front fled, but as we were about being flanked on our right, Colonel Oates ordered us back. In this charge William Powell was killed and Larkin Norris severely wounded in the thigh.

We stayed and fought the Yankees until we had only a small space to get out at; Colonel Oates ordered a retreat after the balance of the brigade had left. The enemy followed which left their right flank exposed to a Mississippi brigade which was coming to our relief and they (the Yankees) were driven back with terrible slaughter, leaving us masters of the field. This ended the first day’s fight or at least our brigade did not fight anymore.

          Sergeant Thompson was slightly wounded in the neck; Sergeant Sanders slightly in the arm while G.W. Davenport was wounded mortally in the body. Colonel Oates acted a conspicuous part in this day’s fight. Colonel Perr (commanding the brigade) told him to act as he thought proper and he saved the whole brigade from capture. He was on our left flank and moved his regiment so as to meet the enemy who had turned our flank. But few men can handle a regiment as skillfully as our brave colonel.

One of Sergeant Smedley's comrades in arms: Private Squire Hagan Burgess served the entire war with Co. I of the 15th Alabama and surrendered at Appomattox.
Alabama Confederate Images courtesy of Stan Huston


          After we had gotten out, he said if blame for retreating rested anywhere it was not with his regiment, for he said not one man left until I ordered him. Our troops were victorious everywhere. At night the line of battle was changed a little and works built. On the 6th, the enemy charged a brigade to our left but were repulsed. Heavy skirmishing was then kept up all day. At night, we moved to within two miles of Spotsylvania Courthouse. About 10 o’clock on the 7th, Law’s brigade was formed and made a charge on the enemy who was strongly posted in heavy timber. We drove them back and established our line of battle on a hill which we had taken from the Yankees. In this fight, John Catrett was severely wounded in the side.

          On the 8th, the enemy made three attempts to take our works, but were paid dearly for their trouble every time for each attempt was a failure and their loss heavy. Sergeant John White was mortally wounded on the night of the 8th. One company was on picket in front of the works and late in the night the Yankees commenced firing and, it was thought, they were advancing. A Georgia brigade on our left opened fired as soon as they heard the Yankee guns open fire and mortally wounded Sergeant John J. White.

Colonel William C. Oates
15th Alabama

When he was brought in, he said he had tried to be a good soldier and thought it was hard to be killed by his friends. He asked someone to pray for him as he wanted to go to that land where wars and rumors of wars were no more. He said he was not afraid to die and desired us to say to his mother that he died as a brave soldier on the field of battle. He told the boys to fight bravely and that he wanted to live to see the war ended, but as he must die, he was ready to go. He desired that Co. I would strike a blow for him and well did the boys remember him in the heat of battle for no one was every more beloved than he. Colonel Oates said he had rather have been severely wounded himself. Sergeant White was as brave a man as ever faced an enemy and his death was mourned by all who knew him. We hope that he has gone to a better world and have reason to believe that he has.

          On the 9th, no fighting in front of our brigade except skirmishing; G.E. Powell was killed by a sharpshooter. On the 10th, the Yankees came again but were driven back, but it is unnecessary to speak of every day’s fighting for like the first we were always successful. I believe the Yankees have lost a man for every one in our brigade. In front of our works from the 7th until the 11th about 300 were left dead on the field, besides the wounded and dead that were taken off and those who were killed and wounded on the first day’s fight.

General Ewell reports that 12,000 killed and wounded were left in front of his works during the first three days’ fighting.  When the armies moved to this place, the enemy left 12,000 wounded in our hands. A citizen from Fredericksburg reports that 25,000 wounded are at that place and the Yankee loss is certainly not far from 45,000. These look like large figures, but you must remember that the Yankees fought us behind our works and came in two or three columns every time. Our boys shot with the precision of marksmen at a shooting match.


They succeeded but twice in getting to any part of our works. They entered the works of the Texans of our division once, but did not have time to say “Thank God” before they were driven out. Johnson’s division of Ewell’s corps was surprised and driven from their works, but these, too, were soon retaken. The Yankees, poor fellows, have had but little encouragement. Not a single day out of eleven have they been successful and no doubt they are anxious to recross the Rappahannock. Grant the Great will soon be no more. He will be laid on the shelf; in fact, it is reported that he is even now superseded by Fremont. The New York Herald is already down on him for having his men butchered.

Our loss has been very light and I believe the Yankees have lost ten to one. In front of our brigade, during the last four days of the fight, the enemy left 300 killed on the field while our loss was not more than 20 killed. It is said our cavalry did much better fighting than ever before. Our artillery also did excellent work. I do not know that the enemy has recrossed the river, but they left our front on the night of the 13th and being so severely whipped, no doubt they will get away as fast as possible. It seems that our arms have been successful everywhere and if any people ought to be grateful to God, we ought. He sure is with us, and may He soon give us peace.

Source:

Letter from Sergeant Randolph C. Smedley, Co. I, 15th Alabama Infantry, Southern Advertiser/Troy Messenger (Alabama), June 3, 1864, pg. 2


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