The Spindle House

A large frame house belonging to Sarah Spindle stood here in 1864. The opening engagement of the Spotsylvania Campaign swirled across the Spindle Farm on the morning of May 8 as Union troops dashed through these open fields toward the Confederate battle line ahead in the woods. A Federal soldier from the Maryland Brigade described the scene on this ridge:<br><br>"The enemy opened with shell, followed by canister and then double canister from the cross fire guns on their right. Their fire increased in intensity, as the attack advanced .... Naturally enough the front rank was goaded into a return fire, individual progress was naturally retarded by the act of aiming and reloading; men from the rear pressed impatiently forward to repeat the process. In this way, ranks and regiments became intermingled, straggling was made easy, the time of exposure was fatally prolonged...."<br><br>The Spindle House caught fire during the battle and burned to the ground.