Morton's Ford, Feb. 6, 1864: Benjamin Butler's Fault

Morton's Ford (Library of Congress)

Little-Known Fact: The Battle of Morton's Ford on Feb. 6, 1864 was the direct result of Benjamin Butler's request for a demonstration to take pressure off New Bern, which had been attacked several days before by George Pickett. Concerned about the Confederate threat in NC, Butler proposed two operations. First, he planned to conduct a large raid against Richmond by his own troops on the peninsula to dash into the city and free Union prisoners - aided from intelligence gathered by Union spymaster Elizabeth Van Lew. Second, he recommended that Meade’s Army of the Potomac conduct a demonstration against Robert E. Lee’s army west of Fredericksburg to prevent Lee from reinforcing Richmond and North Carolina. 

Butler

John Sedgwick, temporarily commanding the Army of the Potomac in place of an ailing Meade, was hostile to the plan but, after a testy exchange with Butler, reluctantly agreed to help “as far as I can by vigorous demonstrations, and take advantage of such chances as may occur.”

On Feb 6, Sedgwick conducted an advance along the Rapidan River, where his men became embroiled in some bloody fighting. At Morton’s Ford, a Second Corps division crossed the river and clashed with Richard Ewell’s corps, costing the Federals 262 casualties. In a bitter note drafted after the engagement, Sedgwick did not hide his unhappiness with Butler’s scheme. “One result of the co-operation with General Butler,” he jabbed, “has been to prove that it has spoilt the best chance we had for a successful attack on the Rapidan.”

You can read more about this in The Fight For The Old North State.