Town of Orange
Confederate Hardships
Lee vs. Grant - The 1864 Campaign
After Gettysburg and some minor operations during the summer and fall of 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army settled into winter quarters on the hills around the town of Orange Court House.
Lee relied on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad for supplies and reinforcements, but the line was unable to sustain the army with adequate provisions.
In January 1864, Lee counseled the secretary of war: "The supply of subsistence for the army is a matter of vital moment, and is now the chief subject of anxiety to me."
In April, Lee again warned, "The season has arrived when I may be attacked any day. The scarcity of our supplies gives me the greatest uneasiness."
When Gen. James Longstreet and his Confederate command of 10,000 men returned to the army after campaigning in Tennessee, the troops were required to march the final leg of their journey because the trains could transport only 1,500 men per day.
On April 28, Lee was moved to tears as he reviewed Longstreet's troops, and within just five days Lee's reinforced army was marching to intercept Grant's Federal forces in the Wilderness. The last grand campaign of the war had begun.
Marker is on Short Street, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
