In "Looking Back to Today" Grumpy Dave reported that today, May 18th. was the height of the fighting at the Mule Shoe during the Spotsylvania Court House battle. I've always felt this was the most horrible fighting of the entire Civil War. The two armies  locked in "death's embrace" across a flooded trench in the pouring rain and holding that position for the better part of a day. People were actually stabbing each other from under and over the head logs, while the dead and wounded got stomped into the mud.  

Anybody have some other candidates for the worst battle of the Civil War?  

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Bill wrote : In "Looking Back to Today" Grumpy Dave reported that today, May 18th. was the height of the fighting at the Mule Shoe during the Spotsylvania Court House battle. I've always felt this was the most horrible fighting of the entire Civil War. The two armies  locked in "death's embrace" across a flooded trench in the pouring rain and holding that position for the better part of a day. People were actually stabbing each other from under and over the head logs, while the dead and wounded got stomped into the mud.   Anybody have some other candidates for the worst battle of the Civil War?

Bill

While not the whole battle, but maybe a section.. the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh.

Small area.. holding against the odds and being pounded at close range by cannons with canister.

By now Johnston had been killed, and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard took command of the Rebel forces. He massed 62 cannon at point-blank range and at about 4:00pm began a bombardment with shell and canister that was like "a mighty hurricane sweeping everything before it." The Hornets' Nest exploded under the fire, but still Prentiss and his men held on, their lines bending back into a horseshoe shape as more and more pressure was applied to their flanks. By 5:30 they were completely surrounded and being attacked on all sides. Unable to do any more to obey Grant's order, Prentiss ordered cease-fire and surrendered his remaining 2,200 men.
http://civilwar.bluegrass.net/battles-campaigns/1862/620406-07.html

As a side note, I've been curious about something. It's called the "mule shoe." I've never heard the reason it was called that, rather than "horse shoe," but I can guess.

Without giving away my guess yet, is there a well-known reason? Or do most people just think of the difference between a mule shoe and a horse shoe and assume, like me? Or do most history buffs just accept the name and not think about a reason?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Hank, that ill-fated segment of the works was shaped long and narrow, like a mule shoe rather than a horse shoe. No heel or toe calks were detected.  

That's what I figured, that the name is meant to emphasize the narrowness of the arc.

But I've never actually seen it stated. Is that because it's so obvious that everyone gets it immediately? I'd be surprised, but maybe so.

It just seems like it ought to be neither so obvious today, nor so hard to figure out, that one would see it explained now and then in descrïptions of the battle, but I've never seen it explained.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Miller's Cornfield at Antetiam.

The entire fight at Cold Harbor.

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GrumpyDave wrote : The entire fight at Cold Harbor.

Grumpy,

Cold Harbor was only a bad battle if you were wearing a blue suit. The Rebs would have been very glad to replay Cold Harbor, until there were no Yankees left in Virginia!

If you were wounded, the Wilderness.

Franklin

Steve,

Franklin was a little like Cold Harbor, only in reverse. It was really bad if you were wearing a gray suit. Pretty good if you were a Yankee!

Hood is the poster boy for the Peter Principle.  

Often overlooked at Cold Harbor is the failed confederate assault, where some of their relatively green troops were chewed up in rapid fashion.  Speaking of Hood and modern day metro Richmond, the fight at Malvern Hill wasn't exactly a pretty stroll in the sun, either.

Actually part of a battle, but the two days fighting on Culp's Hill at close range IMHO deserves a mention on this thread.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Battle of the Crater. Getting blown up and buried alive pretty much ruins your entire day. Getting stuck in the bottom of a hole while people shoot you down like fish in a barrel isn't much fun either.

Even worse, due to the total incompetence of the Federal Command that day, the War dragged on for another eight months. Truly, a sad day.