National Republican., 1883-03-15


This WILDERNESS Is a gloomy region. Into
It's recesses the sunlight comes as it comes into
q cavern. dense underground of hazel
scrub oak, chinquapn, with interlacing
branches, makes 1t the &c home ofwild beasts.
Within its obscure depths lurk the venomous
rattlesnake and the no less deadly moccasin
Deep avines, washed into blood red clay
and fringed with an almost impenetrablo
shrub growth, cut its surface into network
of difficulty and danger Lizards and insects
OF abnormal growth. fearless of man, traverse
ITS labyrinthine passages secure in the immu-
nifty granted by the forbidding character OF
their haunts. Here and there rise groves OF
pines and oaks which lure the unwary trav-
elcr into the jungle out OF which they spring.
Scattered clcarings, where the sunlight is per-
mitted to reach the ground, serve only to
make moro somber the surrounding desola-
tion. 1t Is region Of which might fltly be
said dndthema maraRdthd. All this it was
before the gigantic combat which converted
10 into Aceldama- Golgotha.
lt is crossed east and west by the Orange
plank road and the Orange turnpike, and
north aud south by the Stevensburg plank
road and the Brock road, the latter practically
o southern continuation Of the former. In
addition, paths and wood roads cat 10 in every
direction. At tho intersection Of the Brock
road and the Orange plank road occurred
| Huncock's terrible struggle with Longstreet
and Hill ON the second day of the battle.
Itwas late in the afternoon when we reached
tho high ground south Of the Rapidan and
plunged into the forest. In the shade Of the
| trees, which came down 10 the margin of the
road, along which lay our line of march, the
air was refreshingly cool as compared with
that of the hot, barren territory traverscd
| during the day, and the balsnmic fragrance Of
the pines came to ones lungs like tonic.
Away back across the turbid stream, which
might well have borne the namc of the Styx
tn ls
lay the old camp in which we had passed the
winter. Before us was, We knew not what,
but, mortals as VIC were, very few thought
further than the present, and rs darkness
came down on Charlottesville, which but n
| year before had echoed and re-echoed the
clang of battle, from thousands Of Threats rose
an outbreak of song
Possibly not all of us could have secured
engagements as opera singers, but If not cul-
tivatcd VIC were energetic, aud we informed
the contederacy in u variety of tones, ranging
from the lghtest fa lsetto to the deepest bass,
that although John Browns body lay moldcr-
ing in the grave old Ossawattomie's soul was
marching on And / have no doubt that
many bushwhacker lay back in the brush
grating his teeth because he did not dare to
send ut least one of those singing souls, with
O fresh bullet, to keep tho old abolitionist
company.
While we were marching near tho eastern
border of the Wilderness, u few miles to the
west, the 9TH and 9th corps, which had crossed
Mt Gcrmania ford, had reached its center, and
still further to tho west, moving eastward
with rapid steps, the confederate army came
surgng forward to the deadly grapple.
EwelPs corps rolled up TO the front along the
Orange turnpike, and Hills corps along the
plank road, which, opposite the point where
the battle began on the following morning,
runs parallel with and about three miles south
of the turnpike.
The cartridges and shell and shot and other
implements of destruction were rs yet inert,
and one more mercitul night ntervened be
tween the peaceful march and the mutilation
of battle.
As we now know, Grant had no intention
! of fighting in the Wilderness. He was aim
| ing for the open country to the south and
west of this desolate area to secure position
ON Lees right flank; and if the sole DISPOSE
tion of the forces had been left to the union
general he would have accomplished his
purpose. Lee, however, had determined to
bring Grant up TO the rock in the Wilderness,
and in this dismal jungle, where superior
numbers would not compensate for lack of
Typographical knowledge, thrash him into a
desire to put the Rapidan between himself
and the peppery southern commander. 1t
was a bold move on Lees part, but 1t was
dictated by the genius of that general, which
has made him one Of the foremost military
| figures in the history of the country. I'M
| fortunate for him, however, the handwriting
had appeared on the wall, and no effort OF
genius could extricate the confederacy from
the ruin on the brink of which it was already
tottering to its fall.
Lee had been sadly crippled at Gettysburg,
and as the south was practically exhausted Of
soldiers, every man seriously wounded or
killed subsequently was dead loss. There
| was project to form corps of blacks for the
confederate service, but the good sense of tho
Richmond magnates taught them that but
| little could be expected of negroes fighting on
that side Of the house, and the scheme was
abandoned.
On the contrary, the northern force had
never been in better condition for the strug-
gle. majority of the men were veterans,
and that at time when the term signified
more fighting and field service in one cam
paign than had fallen to the lot of previous
American soldiers in whole war. The sub.
ordinate officers had learned by hard expert
ence the best methods of executing their grim
duties; the superior officers were Of the best
in the service, and the work of the various
departments was done in tho most efficient
manner. Besides this, behind the army stood
the millions of the north, upon whom the
drafts already made for men had hardly made
o perceivable impression.
Tho fifth of May broke clear and hot, and
the army rose from its bivouac fresh and in
good condition for q day of butchery. Both
Grant and Meade seem to have indulged the
belief that Lee, having been fanked, would
fall back to the open country around Spottsyl-
vania or Orange Court House; whereas his
advance was thrust forward almost within
striking distance, and he was only waiting
for daylight to deliver the blow.
Grittin's division, of the 9Th corps, was
thrown out TO the west on the turnpike, as q
nero precautionary measure against any at
tempt by Lee to worry the army on Its march.
When that general encountered Ewells solid
line Of battle and was driven back In con-
fusion, the volume of the firing informed
Grant that the job was somewhat greater
than he had expected. At the same time
Crawford's division, also of the 9th corps
had reached Parkor's store, on the Orange
plank road, about five miles southwest OF
Griffin and was there met and driven back
by Hill, who was pressing forward to strike
the advance of the union army on the flank.
1t seems tho orders for the day contemplated
marching rather than fighting, for Hancock,
with the I'd corps, was on his way from Chan.
cellorsvllo to Shady Grove church. separated
by several miles from the remainder of the
army. To have been caught in this frag,
mentary condition by the whole of Lees
force would have meant for Grant simply
ruin. With map the situation might BIZ
rendered tolerably clear; without one will
make only general statement. Burnside
was still north of the Rapidan, where he had
been left to guard against movement Of the
enemy in that direction.
Sedgwick and Warren were on the turn
pike, facing Ewell. Getty's division, of th'
9th corps, was ON its way to the intersection
NJ the Rrnnk and tho Oranpo nlank rnadl