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Warren was nearest the foe in the prescribed order of advance, and, early on the morning of the 5th,
he had thrown out the division of
Griffin on the turnpike, to watch in that direction, and prevent any interference with the march of
Sedgwick's corps following the Fifth from the ford; while
Crawford's division, forming
Warren's advance, was set in motion along a wood-road toward
Parker's store, near which
Johnson had bivouacked.
These movements were scarcely begun, when the foe was felt.
Griffin's skirmishers on the turnpike were driven in, and some of
Crawford's horsemen out on the plank road now came galloping back, with word that the
Confederates were in front in strong force.
Crawford sent forward a reconnoitering party of cavalry, which soon became warmly engaged, and asked for help, when he sent to their aid the
Pennsylvania Bucktails, who reached the front in time to meet an attack of a Confederate infantry force which had arrived.
The force in front of
Crawford composed
Hill's column, and that which attacked
Griffin's skirmishers was the van of
Ewell's column.
Such was the condition of affairs when, at near eight o'clock in the morning,
Grant and
Meade came up from.
the ford, and took a position beneath the shadow of pine trees by the road-side, not far from The
Wilderness Tavern.
They could not at first believe that
Lee had been guilty of the rashness of sending the bulk of his army five or six miles in front of his intrenchments to attack his foe, already in strong force on his flank, and it was supposed that the assailing columns were only parts of a strong rear-guard covering
Lee's retreat.
They were soon undeceived; but not fully, until after a battle was begun, and developed the fact that the bulk of
Lee's army was there with the intention of fighting.
With the impression that it was only his rear-guard, dispositions to sweep it away and seize the intrenchments on
Mine Run were made.
Perceiving that the heavier
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Rant's Headquarters in the Wilderness.1 |
portion of the
Confederates seemed to be on the turnpike,
Crawford was directed to suspend operations on the plank road, while
Griffin, with
General Wadsworth's division on his left, and
Robinson's division as a support, should attack the foe on their front.
Crawford sent
McCandless, with his brigade, to act on the left of
Wadsworth, and then, with the remainder of his division, he withdrew, sharply followed.
