[Illustration: COPYRIGHT, 1911, REVIEW OF REVIEWS CO.]
The Wilderness to the north of the Orange turnpike. Over ground like this,
where men had seldom trod before, ebbed and flowed the tide of trampling
thousands on May 5 and 6, 1864. Artillery, of which Grant had a
superabundance, was well-nigh useless, wreaking its impotent fury upon the
defenseless trees. Even the efficacy of musketry fire was hampered. Men
tripping and falling in the tangled underbrush arose bleeding from the
briars to struggle with an adversary whose every movement was impeded
also. The cold steel of the bayonet finished the work which rifles had
begun. In the terrible turmoil of death the hopes of both Grant and Lee
were doomed to disappointment. The result was a victory for neither. Lee,
disregarding his own safety, endeavored to rally the disordered ranks of
A. P. Hill, and could only be persuaded to retire by the pledge of
Longstreet that his advancing force would win the coveted victory. Falling
upon Hancock's flank, the fresh troops seemed about to crush the Second
Corps, as Jackson's men had crushed the Eleventh the previous year at
Chancellorsville. But now, as Jackson, at the critical moment, had fallen
by the fire of his own men, so Longstreet and his staff, galloping along
the plank road, were mistaken by their own soldiers for Federals and fired
upon. A minie-ball struck Longstreet in the shoulder, and he was carried
from the field, feebly waving his hat that his men might know that he was
not killed. With him departed from the field the life of the attack.
[Illustration: A LOSS IN "EFFECTIVE STRENGTH"--WOUNDED AT FREDERICKSBURG