The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-02-09
Ght 8ulletin.
THE WILDERNESS
A Confederate yIcIory - General |
Grants ISnOgance ofBOpOgraphy.

A Confederate Victory - General
| Grants IanOgance of
! z General G. NJ. Wilcox, IN the Philadel-
phIa WSeliy. Times; "Such was the battle
OF the wilderness. The impression has
| been made that the Federals attacked the
Confederates In position carefully select
ed; the latter had no advantage of posi-
| tion, 81 it has been seen that the two arm
les fought where they met. On the plank
road tho COnfederatcs had no cover save
that Of the woods until the Ith; the battle
! ceased on the 9th. And this was common
with the two armies. IL was different on
this road with tho Federals. On the old
pike the Federals were covered by works,
the Coniederates, il at all, slightly SO. IL
would have shown but little enterprise on
the part Of the former, with their superb
ority Of numbers, TO have allowed the lat
| ter 10 intrench in their immediate pres
ence. II has been seen that the Confeder-
ates acted on the offensive in the battle as
often as the Federals; If the latter attacked
on the old pike and plank road on the 9TH
and renewed the attack on the morning OF
the 9Th on the latter, the Confederates be-
gan the battle of the 9Th by attacking the
cncmy's right, and on the plank road
L0pg-treCt made a vigorous attack, and in
the midst OF success was wounded serious
Iy. Later in the day the attack was re-
newed on the plank road and intrench-
m.nts carried, and yet later the Federals
7 right attacked. The battle OF the Wilder
/ ness was a Confederate victory. Gen. Grant
/ had crossed the Rapidan below the right
! flank Of General Lee, and proposed to pass
| though the Wilderness toward Gordons-
( vile, and down the railroad to Richmond;
he hoped to have battle to the north of
| Richmond, after having made his way
/ through the Wilderness. General Meade
Wal fearful the North Anna would be
rea:ned By the Contederates and fortified,
and also anxious lest they would get back
TO Nine run, ten miles in rear OF where
the Wilderness battle was fought.
About 8 am. on the 9th Of May, General
Gr!nt and Meade rode up 10 the old Will
! demess tavern. This was the first appear
anco OF the former in what is called the
Wilderness by the citizens of Orange and
| Spotsy lyania counties, Va. lie Was per
| soniLy wholly ignorant of this section Of
/ Virginia, with its peculiar features, That
he vas net familiar with its topography,
the following extract from his official re-
| por. OF the battle will show: "Early on
the 9TH, the advance, the nth corps Major
Gen. q. X. Warren commanding, met the
enemy outside his lntrepchments near
Mine run" And after giving details Of
| the battle, says: son the morning OF the
It'll reconnaissance showed that the enemy
had fallen behind his intrenched line, with
| pickets to the front covering a part of the
N.''t- S-i+'' sFi-.- $50 q tho date of the
battle OF the Wilderness, was well known
north as the place where Geneal Lee and
Meade conff onted eacn OIueT Tor q week
the winter previous, ana it is also well
known that the latter retired without q
battle, and upon the grounds that the Mine
run line was one OF the great strength.
Gen. Grants 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
entrenched position that G en-, Lee was met;
and the flther statement, Reconnaissance
made on the morning Of the It'll showed
they had fallen behind their entrenched
line, with pickets covering part of the
battlefield makes the impression that
Gen. Lee had sought the protection OF the
run line. Gen. Meade and the army of the
Potomac knew Mine run was ten or twelve
miles in rear OF the Wilderness battlefield.
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 lighting, The county about and
near il was as well known TO his army as
to that commanded by Gen. Lee; the ninth
corps only were strangers in this section
Of Virginia