San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-05-04
THE WILDERNESS.
The Death Grapple Of Grant and Lee In the somo'e
Forrest.
NJ. Quad in the Detroit Free Press.

| of that dark, dense and sombre wilder
ness which extends from that point to
Mine Run and beyond. 1t is strip OF
country from three to seven miles WIDE
which is penetrated here and there by
roads, but its depths furnish safe re-
treats for the wildcat, the owl, the ser
pent and the fox. u is lonely RIDE
along even the best travelled highway,
even in time of peace. The boot OF the
owl is heard from the dark thickets al
MONDAY, and the deadly moccasin
snake leaves his trail in the dust as he
crosses the highway to plunge into q
denser swamp. There is not spot on
the main highway where one could see
the length of regiment on the march,
and he who would hide from the whole
world has only to take twenty steps to
right or left. In days gone by the
slaves in that part of Virginia had
horror of this wilderness. Runaways
sought its cover, and were safe from
master and dog; but, as they sklrted
the swamps, the deadly serpent reared
it's head and struck them with death.
Murderers have been driven Ill there
by hot pursuit, never to be beard OF
again, and men have made clearings
here and there, to be driven out by the
sterile, unyielding soil and the strange
lonesomeness of the dark wood. War
would have avoided it, but 1T was
dragged there. Every acre OF the dark
pines, every acre OF the tangled thlcket,
every dismal swamp and barren knoll
echoed the shrieks and groaDs OF
wounded men and the travail of fierce
battle. History may tell you that it is
singular spot for grapple of enemies
thirsting for carnage; but history can
not paint the wierdness OF even a
peaceful ride through the desolate
tract. ..-
TURNING LEES FLANK.
Lee was intrenched at Mine Run.
Grant had sent Butler to capture Pc
tersburg, destroy the South Side rail.
road, and work around Richmond until
his left should rest on the James. Ii
Grant could turn Lees flank at Mine
Run he could force him out of his
works and make him give battle against
two to one or fall back; and if he fell
back Richmond would be completely
encircled. Hooker was alone RESPONSE
BILE for his failure at the edge of the
Wilderness. Grants failure in the CEN
ter of it was Buffers fault. One of the
greatest farces of the war was the way
that congressional commander bottled
himself up and put the cork in the
hands of one division of confederates.
If Lee had remained quiet Grants
flank movement would have been sue
cess. He did not oppose the great
waves of blue which swept over the
fords of the Rapidan on the morning OF
May 4th, 1864, but as soon as the fed
eral anaconda entered the dark Wilder
ness it was struck head and tail at the
same hour, and Grant had to halt and
form his lines of battle where men
could scarcely see beyond the points OF
their bayonets. Lee had come down
by the Orange turnpike and by the
Charlottesville plank road and struck
the marching federal army square on
the right flank. That army must halt
and fight or be cut in two. 1t halted,
and war never before or since wit
messed such grapples as took place I'M
der the pines.
SHARPENING THE SWORD.
The battle OF Thursday was but a
sharpening of the sword for bloody
work. Lee attempted to push in be-
tween Hancock and Warren, and but
for some of the most desperate fighting
on record he would have succeeded.
Success at this spot did not mean vic
tory for him, but it meant so much to
Grant that he grew pale as he realized
what small force must hold the gap
until Hancock could swing around.
When this maneuvre was completed
Lee was checked. Twenty thousand
men clutched each others Threats in
the thicket-six thousand lay dead I'M
der the stars of evening. This was the
sharpening. Lee had struck and dented
the federal armor, but Grant had stud
led the blow and learned Lees inten-
ton and position. If the one could at
tack in the wilderness the other could.
To retreat was impossible-to fight
seemed equally so. In the seven miles
front occupied by those armies there
we're not half a dozen spots where
single battery could be massed to sweep
an acre of clear ground. There was not
a spot where a brigade commander
couid stand and overlook his four regi-
ments as they stood in line of battle.
But war had prepared the slaughter
peu, and the victims must be furnished.
The dead under the trees, the wounded
calling from the thickets, the mangled
bodies half hidden in the black ooze OF
the swamps-all this was only the cross
ing of the swords before the duel be-
gan.
STRANGE NIGHT.
A stranger night was never seen in
war. The groans of the wounded were
by the boots of owls, and