The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South
Alexander Kelly McClure, Ed.

[500] appearance of the former in what is called the Wilderness by citizens of Orange and Spottsylvania counties, Virginia. He was, personally, wholly ignorant of this section of Virginia, with its peculiar features. That he was not familiar with its topography, the following extract from his official report of this battle will show: “Early on the 5th, the advance, the Fifth Corps, Major General G. K. Warren commanding, met the enemy outside his intrenchments near Mine run.” And after giving details of the battle, says: “On-the morning of the 7th, reconnoissances showed that the enemy had fallen behind his intrenched line, with pickets to the front, covering a part of the battle-field.” Mine run, at the date of the battle of the Wilderness, was well known North as the place where Generals Lee and Meade confronted each other for a week the winter previous, and it is also well known that the latter retired without a battle, and upon the grounds that the Mine run line was one of strength. General Grant's statement that the enemy were met outside his intrenchments near Mine run carries with it the inference that it was in the immediate vicinity of this intrenched position that General Lee was met; and the further statement, “reconnoissances made on the morning of the 7th showed they had fallen behind their intrenched line, with pickets covering a part of the battle-field,” makes the impression that General Lee had sought the protection of the Mine run line. General Meade and the Army of the Potomac knew Mine run was ten or twelve miles in rear of the Wilderness battle-field; he and his army had passed an entire week near this run, made generally known to the country by his army retiring from it without fighting. The country about and near it was as well known to his army as to that commanded by General Lee; the Ninth Corps only were strangers in this section of Virginia.

Again, General Grant in his report, says: “From this” (General Lee having fallen behind his intrenched line, and Mine run being supposed to be the line) “it was evident to my mind that the two days fighting had satisfied him of his inability to further maintain the contest in the open field, notwithstanding his advantage in position, and he would await an attack behind his works.” And the inference legitimately drawn is, that it was an indisposition on his part to attack General Lee in this (Mine run) position, which had been regarded by General Meade as too formidable to assail, that made him hesitate and finally abandon General Lee's front, leaving scores of his dead unburied, and move off, not in the direction of Richmond, With the view, no doubt, of drawing General Lee out of this strong — Mine run line. Of the casualties of the two armies, those