In 1863, a cold standoff at Mine Run became the Civil War's great unfinished battle
General George Meade and Robert E. Lee faced off in a freezing winter stalemate that nearly resulted in a bloodbath, only for the Union commander to make a controversial decision that saved thousands of lives.
In late 1863, the Union Army of the Potomac attempted to trap the Confederate forces behind Mine Run in Virginia. General George Meade found Robert E. Lee's troops heavily entrenched and ready for a frontal assault that promised certain slaughter. As temperatures dropped below freezing, Union soldiers famously pinned their names to their uniforms so their bodies could be identified after the expected carnage.
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