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A Tempest of Iron and Lead: Spotsylvania Court House, May 8-21, 1864
May 1864. The Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia spent three days in brutal close-quarter combat in the Wilderness that left the tangled thickets aflame. No one could have imagined a more infernal battlefield—until the armies moved down the road to Spotsylvania Court House.
Even the march itself was unprecedented. For three years the armies had fought battles and disengaged after each one. That pattern changed on the night of May 7. Instead of leaving the Wilderness to regroup, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant led the Federal army southward, skirmishing with Confederates all the way. “There will be no turning back,” he had declared. He lived up to his word. By dawn on May 8, the armies had tussled their way ten miles down the road and opened another large-scale fight that would last until May 21. “One thing is certain of this campaign thus far,” explained Dr. Daniel Holt of the 121st New “More blood has been shed, more lives lost, and more human suffering undergone than ever before in a season.”
The fighting launched a score of new place-names and events that would sear themselves into the American consciousness, such as Spindle Field, Upton’s assault, the Mule Shoe, the Bloody Angle, and the Harris Farm. The casualties exacted at Spotsylvania exceeded those of the Wilderness by thousands. The fighting severely tested the offensive capabilities of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Southern army, just as the defensive posture his men embraced would, in turn, test the limits of Federal endurance.
A Tempest of Iron and Spotsylvania Court House, May 8–21, 1864 is a comprehensive and comprehensible study of this endlessly fascinating campaign. Author Chris Mackowski is intimately familiar with the battle of Spotsylvania Court House. He is a former historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and he continues to give tours of the battlefield as the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the battlefield’s eastern front. His meticulous knowledge of the landscape and familiarity with primary source materials, earned over nearly two decades—coupled with outstanding maps and helpful images—create a readable and satisfying single-volume account the campaign has so richly deserved.
Even the march itself was unprecedented. For three years the armies had fought battles and disengaged after each one. That pattern changed on the night of May 7. Instead of leaving the Wilderness to regroup, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant led the Federal army southward, skirmishing with Confederates all the way. “There will be no turning back,” he had declared. He lived up to his word. By dawn on May 8, the armies had tussled their way ten miles down the road and opened another large-scale fight that would last until May 21. “One thing is certain of this campaign thus far,” explained Dr. Daniel Holt of the 121st New “More blood has been shed, more lives lost, and more human suffering undergone than ever before in a season.”
The fighting launched a score of new place-names and events that would sear themselves into the American consciousness, such as Spindle Field, Upton’s assault, the Mule Shoe, the Bloody Angle, and the Harris Farm. The casualties exacted at Spotsylvania exceeded those of the Wilderness by thousands. The fighting severely tested the offensive capabilities of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Southern army, just as the defensive posture his men embraced would, in turn, test the limits of Federal endurance.
A Tempest of Iron and Spotsylvania Court House, May 8–21, 1864 is a comprehensive and comprehensible study of this endlessly fascinating campaign. Author Chris Mackowski is intimately familiar with the battle of Spotsylvania Court House. He is a former historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, and he continues to give tours of the battlefield as the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the battlefield’s eastern front. His meticulous knowledge of the landscape and familiarity with primary source materials, earned over nearly two decades—coupled with outstanding maps and helpful images—create a readable and satisfying single-volume account the campaign has so richly deserved.
- GenresCivil War
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2024
6 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2026
An exceptional battlefield history. Mackowski offers a brigade level narrative of one of the Civil War's biggest and bloodiest battles. And certainly its longest battle, with fighting raging from may 8-19, with only a few days seeing no major combat. Analysis is direct and short. The portraits of officers and their relationships is cutting and effective. It also offers a fair analysis of Grant and Lee, each of whom made key mistakes in the battle but also showed more skill then their detractors, then and now, would care to admit.
December 23, 2024
This history of the Spotsylvania battles is extremely researched and written. I highly recommend reading it. It reads extremely smoothly and the author’s ability to tell a good story shines through. The maps are well done and placed appropriately. Illustrations are placed throughout the book and the accompanying captions deepen the story. However, it doesn’t get five stars because of frequent errors in either proofreading or editing.
October 18, 2024
Studying The Battle Of Spotsylvania
This new book, "A Tempest of Iron and Lead" (2024) studies the Battle of Spotsylvania, a pivotal event in the Civil War and in the Union's Overland Campaign of 1864. The battle pitted the Union Army of the Potomac against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee. George Meade nominally commanded the Union army, but Ulysses Grant, recently promoted to command of the entire Union war effort, travelled with Meade and soon assumed the major responsibility for the campaign.
The Overland Campaign began with the bloody battle of the Wilderness from May 5-7, 1864. After the armies had fought to a standstill, Grant famously turned the Union Army south to press Lee further rather than turning north to regroup. This move resulted in the Battle of Spotsylvania as Lee and his army raced to the Spotsylvania Court House to block Grant from moving against Richmond.
There have been four earlier book length studies of the Battle of Spotsylvania, including a study co-authored by Dr. Chris Mackowski, the author of this new volume. Historian Gordon Rhea has written a study of this battle as part of his study of the Overland Campaign and he has written a brief Foreword to Mackowski's book. Other key Civil War battles, such as Gettysburg and Vicksburg, have received much more attention. There is much to be said about the Battle of Spotsylvania for those who read one book or for those who read more.
Mackowski has published extensively on the Civil War and is the co-founder of the public history group, Emerging Civil War. He has served as a guide at Spotsylvania. Mackowski is also a Professor at Saint Bonaventure University, Allegany, New York, where he teaches writing and serves as associate dean for undergraduate programs. Mackowski's love for his subject and his writing ability make "A Tempest of Iron and Lead" moving and informative. Many studies of Civil War battles become enmeshed in detail and are turgid to read. Mackowski describes the maneuvers and fighting at Spotsylvania in writing that is clear and carries the reader along.
The book consists of a day-by-day account of the battle, but it flows continuously to give a sense of the unity of the action and of the Overland Campaign. It begins with Grant's fateful turn at the Wilderness and concludes as the armies leave Spotsylvania and race again to the North Anna River. The most famous part of the Battle of Spotsylvania was the fight at the Bloody Angle on May 12, 1864, Mackowski leads the reader up to this event and describes it at length in all its horror and bloody detail. Less well-known is a further bloody day of fighting on May 18. This too is developed slowly and in detail.
Mackowski explores both the Union and Confederate sides of the line and the nature and problems of the leadership in both armies. He discusses the Grant-Meade relationship as well as showing the activities of other Union Generals and leaders, including Hancock, Burnside, Warren, and Emory Upton. For the Confederacy the focus is on Lee and on his dwindling supply of capable subordinates, with the failure of Richard Ewell, the unavailability of James Longstreet, and the death of Jeb Stuart.
The book also emphasizes the soldiers in the field as Mackowski presents many quotations of participants from both armies. The sheer carnage and scope of the battle is emphasized throughout with the weather, terrain, forced marches, and unforgiving conditions described convincingly. Mackowski weaves the events of this two-week battle into a moving story.
The book includes many photographs and illustrations of the battle and its participants, excellent maps by Edward Alexander, an Order of Battle, a list of Medal of Honor recipients, and an extensive bibliography. Readers with a passion for Civil War studies will enjoy this book. The publisher kindly sent me a copy to review.
Robin Friedman
This new book, "A Tempest of Iron and Lead" (2024) studies the Battle of Spotsylvania, a pivotal event in the Civil War and in the Union's Overland Campaign of 1864. The battle pitted the Union Army of the Potomac against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee. George Meade nominally commanded the Union army, but Ulysses Grant, recently promoted to command of the entire Union war effort, travelled with Meade and soon assumed the major responsibility for the campaign.
The Overland Campaign began with the bloody battle of the Wilderness from May 5-7, 1864. After the armies had fought to a standstill, Grant famously turned the Union Army south to press Lee further rather than turning north to regroup. This move resulted in the Battle of Spotsylvania as Lee and his army raced to the Spotsylvania Court House to block Grant from moving against Richmond.
There have been four earlier book length studies of the Battle of Spotsylvania, including a study co-authored by Dr. Chris Mackowski, the author of this new volume. Historian Gordon Rhea has written a study of this battle as part of his study of the Overland Campaign and he has written a brief Foreword to Mackowski's book. Other key Civil War battles, such as Gettysburg and Vicksburg, have received much more attention. There is much to be said about the Battle of Spotsylvania for those who read one book or for those who read more.
Mackowski has published extensively on the Civil War and is the co-founder of the public history group, Emerging Civil War. He has served as a guide at Spotsylvania. Mackowski is also a Professor at Saint Bonaventure University, Allegany, New York, where he teaches writing and serves as associate dean for undergraduate programs. Mackowski's love for his subject and his writing ability make "A Tempest of Iron and Lead" moving and informative. Many studies of Civil War battles become enmeshed in detail and are turgid to read. Mackowski describes the maneuvers and fighting at Spotsylvania in writing that is clear and carries the reader along.
The book consists of a day-by-day account of the battle, but it flows continuously to give a sense of the unity of the action and of the Overland Campaign. It begins with Grant's fateful turn at the Wilderness and concludes as the armies leave Spotsylvania and race again to the North Anna River. The most famous part of the Battle of Spotsylvania was the fight at the Bloody Angle on May 12, 1864, Mackowski leads the reader up to this event and describes it at length in all its horror and bloody detail. Less well-known is a further bloody day of fighting on May 18. This too is developed slowly and in detail.
Mackowski explores both the Union and Confederate sides of the line and the nature and problems of the leadership in both armies. He discusses the Grant-Meade relationship as well as showing the activities of other Union Generals and leaders, including Hancock, Burnside, Warren, and Emory Upton. For the Confederacy the focus is on Lee and on his dwindling supply of capable subordinates, with the failure of Richard Ewell, the unavailability of James Longstreet, and the death of Jeb Stuart.
The book also emphasizes the soldiers in the field as Mackowski presents many quotations of participants from both armies. The sheer carnage and scope of the battle is emphasized throughout with the weather, terrain, forced marches, and unforgiving conditions described convincingly. Mackowski weaves the events of this two-week battle into a moving story.
The book includes many photographs and illustrations of the battle and its participants, excellent maps by Edward Alexander, an Order of Battle, a list of Medal of Honor recipients, and an extensive bibliography. Readers with a passion for Civil War studies will enjoy this book. The publisher kindly sent me a copy to review.
Robin Friedman
want-to-obtain
July 5, 2025I just read Hancock the Superb by Glenn Tucker and halfway into my second Nelson A. Miles biography.
I just came to realize in these books that Spotsylvania was a much bigger battle than I had thought.
i will be looking for this book.
I think Winfield Scott Hancock was recovering from a Gettysburg wound and missed Spotsylvania. Miles missed Gettysburg in recovering from a gut shot at Chancellorsville, but was there for Spotsylvania.
No wonder we are still talking about this stuff so many years later.
I just came to realize in these books that Spotsylvania was a much bigger battle than I had thought.
i will be looking for this book.
I think Winfield Scott Hancock was recovering from a Gettysburg wound and missed Spotsylvania. Miles missed Gettysburg in recovering from a gut shot at Chancellorsville, but was there for Spotsylvania.
No wonder we are still talking about this stuff so many years later.
April 6, 2025
Very detailed book on the battle of Spotsylvania. Great for any civil war enthusiast.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews