, 1864-05-17
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---- TUESDAY, MAY II, 1854.
THE GREAT CAMPAIGN.
The Gigantic Struggle OF the
Rapidan and the Po.
COMPREHENSIVE AND AUTEEK.
TIC ACCOUNT,
The Etrategy, Fighting, Gains and
L,oBses,

The str4tegy, Fighting, Gains and
Losses.
The Battle Of Thursday, May s.
From the N. 7. Times, May 1871
Toms TAyEns, Va, Sunday, May 8, 1854.
The details Of the wonderful three days
battle Of The Wilderness, which closed lust
night just AZ the blood-red sun went down
behind the margin Of the Rapidan, will have
given you some idea of the labyrinth Of ac-
lion through which its course ran, and the
maze OF tactics out Of which it was evolved; :;
but the battle OF the Wilderness must remain.
Tor tho present, undescribed, for the reason
that 1t Is really fndescribablc. remember q
pregnant observation Of Gen Rosecrans, that
with us war is only "bushwhacking on q
lsrge scale" Now, If this is true Of the kind
OF ground on which m my Of our battles have
bern fought, the analog 81 holds still more
forcib1y In the Wild, tangled pine woods IN
whose tLickets and along Whose margins the
prodigious .1ndlan Eight Of Thursday, Friday
and Saturday ragged.
No man can claim that he eaw this battle,
although undoubtedly 1t had line and for
n'ation Of its own, it would puzzle eren the
Commanding General to lay it dewn on the
map. There is something horrible and Jet
fascinating In the mystery shroudlbg this
strangcst ef battles ever fought-A battle
Hhieh no man could see--ana whose pro-
gress csu1d only be followed by the ear. 1t
IL, beyond doubt, the first time in the his
tery ofwar, that two great armies have met,
each with ut least t#o hundred and fifty
pieces. Of artillery, and yet placed in such
circumstances rs to make this vast eogincry
totally useless Not a score Of pieces we're
called into play in the whole affair, and ImaJ
mention it % fact strikinsly illustrative Of
tlis battle, that out Of the three thousand
al {t1 ha1 L n1r 81 {1,- Is
mand alone, not one Of the wounds is shell
wound. In like manner our cavalry has
been totally useless, as cavalry. In all their
engagements the men hare been compelled
to dismount and fight on foot, and the horse,
except for locomotion, has been hlndrance
rather than help. 1n such circumstances,
in the utter impossibility Of mauGuvering or
ty ofgcneralship is enormously Increased. It
will also be inferred, from the circumstances
In which the battle of the Wilderness Was
fought, that 1t nae quite impossible for it to
be decisive in its results. The combat lasted
three days, but it might have been prolonged
undecided. NOW that it is ended by the
Withdrawal Of the enemy, though we are
hardly justified In calling the result victory
In the positive sense Of The word, yet, II 1t
be considered that the enemy was signally
toiled in the pnrpose with which he sought
PEELED to fall back, discounted, and that ne
are in vigorous pursuit, under circumstances
that Eaye us the shorter line Of advance on
Richmond, even the most cautious and Rkep-
teal will admit the gTcss and scope Of the
action to he most substantial advantage to
our arms
When Grant, on Wednesday night aud
Thurtday morning, threw his army across the
Rapidan at Gctmnnna and E1y's Fords, and
tile labor of twelvemontiI brought to
nought. The chief consideration that the
eneny's fortified position WAS turned,
prompted the flanking movement on the
entmY's right rather than on his LEFT, was,
former direction would uncover for ua water
communications by Aquia Greek and Urb2na
IN advantage not to be overlooked, and,
indeed, indispensable in any protracted march
toward Richmond The disadvantage ID thXt
the line Of march kouthward from the points
Of crossing leads through region IN which
no General would aeek to fight q battle.
tact Of barren country, ovcrspread with =
tlick growth ofstunted pine, extending from
Charlottesville up to Mine Run. By chung
ins front by the right, Lee had tin his p0"-
cr, using the Orange and Charlottesville
turnpike and the Orange and Charlottesville
plank road, to strike rs at right angles. Ths
ou}. escape would be to make our passage Of
-S- - La,,-,;1. ear~s.a cr,+ tx sn..oi, -
+hn 80. TO- h.an natis I,,r;aH 4ha s,;,,,,4
of Wednesday, Thursday morning found the
whole army planted safely on the South side
Of the Rapidan, and we'll in band. So CON.
I.:.es .tt t1eu. esSs a.a ~ natI 1sen .ae sui
tas ~ .ser W. e.+s1 ,tfnss ~
hasss1 1ne !t, ~ sis oaecsg iepottso Is
Rapidan.
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sccane 1ul!5 aware OF tne snuauen, ana AZ
pIotnfus eaxnsso ilonl, xuu pusaeo OUT Z
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