At midnight on May 3, 1864, the Army of the Potomac, fully 100,000 strong, fresh and hopeful, and with an immense army-train, began its march towards
Richmond.
The right was composed of the corps of
Warren and
Sedgwick, and the left of that of
Hancock.
Warren's cavalry, preceded by that of
Wilson, crossed the
Rapidan at Germania Ford on the morning of the 4th, followed by
Sedgwick.
The left, preceded by
Gregg's cavalry, and followed by the entire army-train of wagons, 4,000 in number, crossed at Ely's Ford at the same time.
Burnside's 9th Corps, left behind in anticipation of a possible move of
Lee on
Washington, crossed the
Rapidan and joined the army on the 5th, when the whole force had pushed on into the region known as “The wilderness,” beyond
Chancellorsville, and well on the right flank of the Confederate army lying behind strong intrenchments on
Mine Run.
The whole force of the
National army was now about 130,000 men, of whom a little more than 100,000 were available for battle.
When
Lee discovered this movement he pushed forward nearly his whole army to strike the flanks of the Nationals on their march.
This movement failed.
On the 5th,
Warren, who was followed by
Sedgwick, sent the divisions of
Griffin and
Crawford to make observations.
The former was struck by
Ewell's corps, and the latter.
by
Hill's a little later.
The march was suspended.
Crawford was withdrawn, and
Griffin, reinforced by
Wadsworth's division, with
Robinson's in support, soon defeated the advance of
Ewell; but, being continually reinforced, the
Confederates soon defeated the Nationals.
It was now past noon.
Grant was satisfied that
Lee's troops were near in full force.
The country was so covered with shrub-oaks, bushes, and tangled vines that no observations could be made at any great distance.
Grant ordered up
Sedgwick's corps to the support of
Warren; while
Hancock, who was nearly 10 miles away, on the road to the left, marched back to join
Warren.
Getty's division of
Sedgwick's corps was posted at the junction of two roads, with orders to hold the position at all hazards until the arrival of
Hancock.
The fighting, where it was begun in the morning, continted fierce until 4 P. M., when both armies fell back and intrenched within
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Map of the wilderness battle-field. |
200 yards of each other.
Getty held his ground against severe pressure by
Hill until
Hancock's advance reached him at three o'clock. He then made an aggres-
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Battle of the wilderness. |
sive movement, and fighting was kept up until dark, with heavy losses on both sides.
Burnside's corps was brought up in the night and placed between
Hancock and
Warren.
Meanwhile
Lee brought up
Longstreet's corps to the support of
Hill.
And now each party in the contest was strengthened by an addition of 20,000 men. Just before 5 A. M.
Ewell attacked the
National right, and was repulsed.
A very little later
Hancock advanced his force against the
Confederate right; while
Wadsworth, who had prepared to strike
Hill's left the night before, assailed him heavily.
The Confederates were driven back a mile and a half, passing
Lee's headquarters in the retreat.
The flight was checked by
Longstreet's advancing column.
Hancock, expecting to be assailed by
Longstreet, had attacked with only half his force.
The latter's advance having been checked, he resumed his flank movement; but at that moment he was wounded and carried from the field, and his command devolved on
Gen. R. H. Anderson.
In the afternoon
Lee projected the entire corps of
Longstreet and
Hill against
Hancock, who had been reinforced and was strongly defended by breastworks.
He stood firm until about four o'clock, when a fire in the woods attacked the brush and pine logs of his breastworks.
The wind blew the heat and smoke in the faces of his troops and drove them from their defences, when the
Confederates dashed forward and penetrated their lines.
But they were almost instantly repulsed, and
Lee was compelled to abandon what he intended as a decisive assault.
Night came on, and after dark
Lee threw
Ewell's corps forward against
Sedgwick.
There was some hard fighting and much confusion.
Ewell captured the most of two brigades, and then fell back.
So ended the battle in the
Wilderness, without
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decisive results on either side, and with a mutually heavy loss.
In the two days the Nationals lost about 18,000 men, of whom 6,000 were made prisoners.
Generals Hays,
Wadsworth, and
Webb were killed.
The Confederate loss was probably about 11,000.
Generals Jones,
Pickett, and
Jenkins were killed.
Longstreet's wounds disabled him for several months.
The Wilderness is a wild plateau, covered with a dense growth of dwarf trees and vines and brambles, and sloping every way to cultivated fields.
It is along the south bank of the
Rapidan River, about 10 miles in width and 15 in length.
