Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-09-24
For the Telegraph.
THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.
Was it a Drawn BattIeq

Many of your readers who listened to
the able and highly interesting lecture on
Abraham Lincoln, at AndoYer, by Hon
S chuyler Colfax may remember his excit
ing description of the early morning call
upon the President, after he had passed q
sleepless night, while the battle of the
Wilderness was beng fought, and espec.
iaIIJ the remark that. instead of its bein g
a drawn battle, it was a serious disaster
to our arms. Having passed through the
country from Germania Ford on the Rap
idan, to the Wilderness and Chancellors
vile, and knowing how desperate the
fighting must be where two armies must
meet so closely, with no advantage for
following each other when routed, bad
shared with the people in general the
opinion that the battle of the Wilderness
was drawn one, but the remark of Mr.
Colfax caused me to refer TO history,
which seems to differ, somewhat, with
his statement, made from high authority
The historic Wilderness stretches west
ward from Charlottesville, and is seam
ed with veins of iron ore, which have
been worked for numerous generations,
and here were worked the first regular
furnaces in North America. The soil
was generally too poor to repay culture
after the forests had been cut away TO
furnish fuel for these furnaces, and
was soon covered with a dense mass of
dwarf pines, scrubby- oaks and under
brush. Here and there was little farm
house, tavern, or church, with a small
clearing around it, surrounded by the for
est
The combined operations of all the
Union armies were t0 take place early in
May, 1854 Before 1aybreak on the morn
ing of the fourth of May, the army of the
Potomac broke up lis camp and COM
menced to march for the fords of the
Rappahannock, moving IN two columns
the advances un der Generals Hancock
and Warren. The march of so great an
army could not be effected without being
perceived by watchful enemy. and as
the columns approached the fords the
rebel signal ires'could be seen blazing TO
summon the troops to concentrate. The
crossing of The Rapidan was to be made
al Racoon Ford, held by Ewell, and in
the face of Hills troops, at Orange Court
House, while Longstreet was fourteen
miles away. The pickeis''a the fords had
been driven back by Sheridan's cavalry,
and the columns, with their great train
OF four thousand wagons. crossed in the
afternoon. Grant believed, as Hooker
had done the year before, that the dan
ger of the passage of the Rapidan was
passed, and on that evening Warren's
corps encamped in the heart of the Will
derness. Sedgewick halted near the riv-
er, while Hancock moved to Chancellors-
vile. On the evening of the fourth of
May the entire army of the Potomas was
encamped in the Wilderness, the two
armies being about five miles apart.
Grant assumed that Lee would fall
back upon Richmond but the latter had
resolved upon different movement-ap-
parently desperate-and with 10000 men
he resolved to. attack his enemy, with
twice that atnumber.
There were two main roads running
southwardly, by which Grants two col
umns were to pass through the Wilder
ness; and running from east 10 west
were two good roads nearly parallel, com.
ing again together near Chancellursvllle,
where they strike at right angles those
by which Grant would march, by which
the Confederates marching down these
roads, would strike upon the flank of the
Union troops slowly marching through
the wilderness, with every chance Of cut
ling them in two. In these forests. which
no eye could penetrate for more than
lew yards. and where artillery could not
De brought into action, Grants prepon-
derance OF troops would be neutralized,
and Lee, having two good roads, might
DC aDle 10 turn superior force upon the
point. Lee, upon learning Of the march
OF the Union troops, put his columns in
motion. Ewell marched by the turnpike,
and lay that night within three miles of
the camp of Warren, at the Wilderness
Tavern. Hill marched by the plank
road, and Longstrcet, one of Lees abiest
commanders, was day behind, but was
ordered up with all speed.
Warren began bis march on the morn
inS oi inc fifth. Wilson's cavalry had
secuted Tor some distance on the pre-
ceedlng forenoon up the turnpike, with
out meeting the enemy, for Ewell who
was coming down the road, was vet miles
away. Warren had by way of preceu-