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Among the documents within the file with the sword is a May 12, 1864, order from 3:15 P.M. reading “Maj. Gen.
Burnside, The 5th Corps is now moving up to the 6th and will together form a heavy Column of assault.
Keep your Division commanders on the lookout to take advantage of any weakening on your front to meet it./U.S. Grant/ Lt. Gen.”This would be during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House where
Burnside and the IX Corps reported to Grant. The prior day Burnside’s men had marched about in the rain for unknown reasons. That afternoon, he received
orders to launch a surprise attack at 4 a.m. on the 12th. The attack initially on the eastern salient met success and 2,700 prisoners, but Confederate forces responded quickly and put up a stiff defense and recaptured two cannons and many of the prisoners Burnside’s men had seized in the initial assault. Burnside’s men pulled back and continued
to exchange fire. Grant wrote to Burnside urging him to renew the attack. Burnside ordered his men to attack Heth’s Salient to the south, but they were met with fierce rifle and artillery fire. When he was trying to launch another assault, Lee ordered an attack out of Heth’s Salient on Burnside’s men. The fighting was intense, but Willcox’s division was able to repulse the Confederate assault. Grant wrote that while Burnside had failed to break through, his attacks had prevented Lee from reinforcing his lines in the Mule Shoe
(aka The Bloody Angle) where the heaviest fighting took place, resulting in an estimated 17,000 casualties.