8th Ohio at Spotsylvania

8-24 May 1864

The Landrum House sits just behind the first line of Confederate defenses at Spotsylvania Court House. The 8th Ohio with the 1st Delaware, "with orders to drive some troops out of a cluster of farm buildings and negro huts at our left and then unit with Carroll’s brigade ..." Once these buildings were cleared they rejoined the Brigade just in time for the main assault on the Confederate "Mule Shoe"

Gen. Winfield S. Hancock and the Second Corps were given the task of attacking and penetrating the most vulnerable spot of the Confederate position marked today as the "Apex of the Confederate Position." The Second Corps advanced across the ground in this picture and pierced the Confederate defenses. The Confederate defensive line is directly straight ahead at the bottom of the tree line. Carroll’s Brigade would follow this general line of advance with his Brigade forming on the left of the Gibbon’s Division.

Colonel Carroll’s Brigade, advancing in Maj Gen John Gibbon’s supporting division, struck and entered the apex of the Confederate position here. The 8th Ohio, having just cleared out the Landrum house of Confederates, "overtook the brigade just at the instant of its being ordered to charge the second line of the eneymy’s works. In passing the abattis, the fighting became sharp the men falling continually; the men continued cheering and shouting and the whole line burst through the abattis, rifle pits and works of the like a tornado, taking large numbers of prisoners and twenty pieces of artillery and thirty colors."
Colonel Carroll’s Brigade, while in support, helped capture Maj Gen. Johnson’s Division (roughly 3,000 prisoners) and 20 pieces of artillery. The 4th and 8th Ohio both helped turn the captured artillery onto the retreating Confederates.

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