This was one of the great battles of modern times, being second only
to Gettysburg in our Civil war. Napoleon never fought a battle on
the Continent of Europe that was equal to the Wilderness. It was
three times bloodier than Austerlitz, after which battle it is said
Napoleon's triumphant march from Freize to Paris was more grand than
Queen Elizabeth's tour of England after the defeat of the Spanish
Armada.
The Battle of the Wilderness, together with Spottsylvania, is thought
to be more destructive to the Federal forces than both Antietam and
Gettysburg combined.
On Lee's sudden departure from Gettysburg there were many stragglers
left behind, who were taken prisoners by the Federals. Some of them
were not aware that the army had gone; others, on account of slight
wounds and sickness, were not able to keep up with the army.
Lee succeeded in crossing the Potomac above Harper's Ferry about the
middle of July with but little opposition from the Federals, and led
his army across the Rapidan, and there entrenched himself to dispute
the Federals under General Meade, who had by this time succeeded in
crossing the Potomac and was moving upon Culpeper Court House, at
which place he concentrated his forces. There was but little fighting
done during the remainder of the year, except an unsuccessful cavalry
expedition under Kilpatrick, who sought to take Richmond by surprise.
During the early months of 1864 the authorities at Washington became
discouraged with General Meade's management of the Army of the Potomac.
They thought that he should have destroyed Lee's army on its retreat
from Gettysburg; while it is now conceded that Meade's management
was good, and that he did all that any general could have done under
the circumstances. General Grant had come into great favor in the
North on account of his successive victories in the West, and it was
decided to give Grant command of all the Federal forces, with the rank
of lieutenant-general. This high grade in command had been held only
by Generals Washington and Scott, thus bringing together two great
generals. One the idol of the North: the other of the South. Cæsar said
he would rather be first man in a village in Gaul than second in Rome.
Grant found under his command in the Army of the Potomac 140,000 men.
Lee found under his command scarcely 60,000 men, but that spirit
burned in the breast of his soldiers notwithstanding their defeat at
Gettysburg and their loss of Vicksburg, that many hard battles would be
fought before the heel of the invader should tread upon the streets of
their cherished capital, Richmond.
Grant determined to move upon Richmond and by doing so began with the
Wilderness a series of battles which are unequaled in history.
Grant's army was divided into three corps, commanded by Hancock, Warren
and Sedgwick. Sheridan was in command of the cavalry. Burnside was in
command of another division of the army, protecting the Orange and
Alexandria railroad.
Lee's army consisted of three corps of infantry, commanded by
Longstreet, Ewell and A. P. Hill, and the cavalry by Stuart. A notable
fact in the organization of the Confederate army was the few changes
made in commanders.
Early on the morning of May 4th Grant's army began crossing the Rapidan
below Lee's entrenchments. This being anticipated by Lee, he at once
prepared to set his own army in motion and throw himself across the
path of his foe. Both armies were now near Chancellorsville, in a
wilderness country, where a great battle had been fought the year
before. This country was covered by underbrush and ragged foliage,
with scrub pine, and dotted here and there with small clearings. This
wilderness country was pierced by a few roads leading from the fords
of the river. The Federals had advanced up these roads as far as the
Wilderness Tavern, in which General Grant established his headquarters.
This wilderness country was entered by two roads from the southwest
known as the "Old Orange Turnpike" and the "Orange Plank Road." Along
these two roads the Confederates moved their army to meet the advancing
hosts of the Federals, General Ewell leading his corps along the
turnpike and A. P. Hill along the plank road. General Longstreet was
hastening up from Gordonsville, and it was very evident that a great
battle was near at hand.
On the morning of May 5th Ewell came in contact with Warren's corps at
a cross-road near Parker's store, and this meeting precipitated the
beginning of the great battle.
About this time it became known to General Grant that A. P. Hill was
advancing by the plank road, and he ordered Sedgwick to entrench and
prepare to receive the attack from A. P. Hill. Hill came up very soon,
and the battle began in earnest. The musketry fire was continued with
great severity until late in the evening without a decided advantage to
either side. The loss was great and the Federals had suffered the loss
of General Hays, who had been shot through the head. The Confederates
had suffered the loss of General John M. Jones.
This ended the first day's struggle, and during the night both armies
entrenched themselves directly in each other's front.
Early on the morning of May 6th the Federals were reënforced by
Burnside's corps, and A. P. Hill by that of Longstreet.
General Grant issued orders for a general attack all along the line,
and soon the battle was raging along the five-mile front, which became
a hand-to-hand contest. Artillery played but little force in this
battle, on account of the dense growth of timber and underbrush, and it
was chiefly a battle of musketry.
The branches were cut from the trees by the leaden missiles, and
saplings were mowed down as grass by a scythe.
The Confederates were finally driven back and seemed on the verge of a
panic. At this moment General Lee rode through the lines to the front
and called on his soldiers to follow him. This instantly gave courage
to his army, which rallied and began to push the Federals back. General
Lee was called back by his own men: "General Lee to the rear! General
Lee to the rear!" This brave act on the part of General Lee, and the
arrival of Longstreet, restored order and courage in the ranks, and
they soon regained their lost position.
General Longstreet, while riding with Generals Kershaw and Jenkins, at
the head of Jenkins' brigade, were mistaken for the enemy by their own
men and fired on, and when the smoke lifted Longstreet and Jenkins were
down--Longstreet seriously wounded, and Jenkins killed outright. This
was a serious loss to the Confederacy, as they had suffered the loss of
one general and had incapacitated another from service. A similar thing
had occurred a year before at Chancellorsville when General Jackson was
mortally wounded.
The fighting continued the rest of the day, the advantage being first
with one side and then the other.
Darkness ended the two days' undecisive Battle of the Wilderness, one
of the greatest struggles in history.
It was Grant's first measure of arms with General Lee. While Grant had
been defeated in his plan to pass around Lee to Richmond, yet he had
made a new record for the Army of the Potomac.
The loss of the Federals in killed and wounded was about 17,000, while
that of the Confederates was about 12,000.