Visiting a Civil War Hero’s Hometown

from Chris

For students of the battle of Spotsylvania Court House, one of the most famous stories is that of a Union officer named Emory Upton. On May 10, 1864, Upton devised a plan to attack the Confederate line along the western face of the Mule Shoe Salient. The attack involved brand new tactics, but it also looked like a long shot. Superiors told Upton he’d be promoted to brigadier general if he came back successful; if he wasn’t successful, he was told to not bother coming back at all.

On the national park’s driving tour at the Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield, tour stop #2 lets visitors follow in the footsteps of Upton’s men as they made their attack. It did succeed, but because Upton didn’t get reinforcements, Confederates eventually reversed those gains and repulsed Upton’s men. Because the defeat was not Upton’s fault, he did end up getting a promotion because of his innovative tactics.

Upton went on to play a role in later events around Myer’s Hill on the eastern side of the battlefield a few days later.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to visit Upton’s birthplace in the upstate New York town of Batavia, located about midway between Buffalo and Rochester (and about an hour and forty-five minutes from the university where I teach). I was invited to attend the dedication of a new state historical marker placed on the former Upton homestead. It was a special opportunity to find a far-away connection to a story I know so well from Spotsylvania.

For more on the trip, and on Emory Upton, you can read a full account at Emerging Civil War.