The times., 1899-05-07
STORY OF THE BATTLE
In THE WILDERNESS
Thirty-fifth Anniversary of
the Great Struggle.
Movements Of the Armies of GeneP-
ais Grant and Lee.
The Great Union Commander Sought
to Turn the Confederate
Chicftnin's Right.

Today. thirty-five years ago. thousands
of human lives were being blotted out. and
the plains OF old Virginia was being drench-
ed in the blood of the patriot sons of
North and South.
ing fought.
In that part OF the country bounded on
the south by Brooks and the Germanna
plank roads. on the east by the Orange
Court House turnpike and on the west
by the Orange Court House plank road, the
earth was trembling under the tread of an
armed and mighty host. The thunier OF
guns, the whistle of lead, the shrek of
shell, the roll and sputter of muskeIy.
the yells of the combatants. and the groans
of the wounded made grand and awful
martial chorus which caused a sea OF tears
TO well from women's hearts and which
has stirred the eloquence OF orators and
the imagery OF poets for long, long years
Position of the Armies.
The Army of the Potomac in the spring
OF 1864 rested between the rivers Rapidan
and the Rappahannock. General Meade
was in command.
The Army Of Northern Virginia lay along
its intrenchments on the Rapidan from
Barnet's Ford TO Morton's Ford, distance
of about twenty miles. Ewell's Corps held
one-half of these intrenchments and Hills
Corps the other half. 4 few brigades
guarded the river. the main body of the ar
my being concentrated in the rear, ready
TO advance TO the river or to either flank.
Small detachmeDts OF cavalry guarded the
fords above and below the line of en-
trenchments. though the main cavalry
force lay along the Rappahanncck below
Fredericksburg The Wilderness stretched
away on the right flank of Lees army.
Longstreet, with two divisions of his corps,
lay near Gordonsville.
Turning to the Army of the Potomac,
General Andrew A. Humphries in his mar
rative of the Virginia campaign of "a and
'e5 states that the Federal infantry, before
the battle of the Wilderness. was posted
chiefly in the vicinity of Culpeper Court
House, covering the roads leading from
Lees position, the First and Third corps
about two miles in advance of the court
house, the Second corps near Steyensburg,
the Sixth corps near Welfords ford, on
Hazel River. and the Fifth corps guarding
the railroad from the Rappahannock River
back TO Bristoe Station, near Manassas
Junction. on what was then the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad, now 4 part OF the
Southern system.
The main body of the cavalry OF the
Army of the Potomac was about two miles
in front OF the First Corps, the other TART
of IL near Stevensburg. a chain OF in
fantry pickets, well in advance, encircled
the whole army; cavalry pickets extend
ing outside of these to give early notice of
any serious movement of the enemy. The
Rapidan was carefully watched, particular
ly at the fords and at the railroad bridge.
Five infantry corps of the Army of the
Potomac had been consolidated on the rec
ommendation OF General Meade into three
corps This reorganization was brought
about by the reduced strength of nearly
all the regiments in the army. During the
first week in May. 1864, the strength OF
the army under General Meade was ap
proximately s9, 600 officers and men
Grant Made Lieutenant General.
By an act Of Congress approved Feb
ruary %, 1864. the grade of lieutenant gen.
eral of the army was revived, and on the
9th of March the President assigned Gen.
eral Grant TO this rank. General Grant,
in his report made on July %, 1855, said:
Il may here state that commanding all
the armies, as did, tried, as far as pos
sible, to leave General Meade in indepen-
dent command of the Army OF the Poto-
mac My instructions for that army we're
nature, leaving all the details and the exc
cution to him"
General Meade. early in April, was in
structed that Lees army would be mis- OBJ
jective; that General Butler, with the Army
of the James, would move against Rich
mond by the south bank Of the James Riv-
er on the same day that the Army Of the
Potomac moved against Lee. and that IL
Lee fell back upon Richmond the two ar
mics would form junction on James BiY-
er.
General sigel was directed to move with
his force in two columns, one under Gen
eral Crook through Lewisburg and unite
up the Shenandoah Valley to Siaunton,
Join the army OF the Potomac by way of
Gordonsville, destroying railroads used as
lines OF supply by the enemy and also the
James River and Kanawha Canal.
General Benham. Chief of Engineers. On
Aprtl Is, was instructed to provide water
transportation fer the pontoon bridge ma
terial for crossing James River, and Cen
erai Hunt, Chief Of Artillery, was ordered
TO have siege guns and siege material
ready at Washington for transportation at
that time
Before the time for the army to move,
there arose the serious question as 20
whether the movement should be by the
right or the left flank. The movement by
the left flank was decided on. The obiec-
tion TO moving by this flank consisted in
the character of the country south OF the
Rapidan. The army knew the chief roads
passing through that region, known as
''the wilderness" and there were besides
these chief roads, numerous wood-roads,
connecting the farms and mines and inter
secting the main roads. The country for
the greater part was covered with forest.
mostly of dense growth, and over large
part OF this country. there was also dense
underground. which made it difficult for
even small bodies Of men 10 move in. Ex-
cept along the main roads and on the
farms. artillery was Of little use. Il was
believed. though. that By setting the whole
army in motion at midnight, 1t might move
SO far beyond the Rapidan the first day,
that 1t would be able 10 pass out OF the
wilderness and turn the right flank OF Lee
before q general engagement took place.
Thus 1t was that the movement by the
left flank was determined on, 5nd General
Humphries prepared project for turning
Lees right By the Catha:p.n and the Pa
munkey roads.
The Confederate Strength.
The Army of Northern Virginia on May
], 1864. was composed of three infantry
Longstreet, Lieut. Gen. Richard S. EweI.
and Lieut.. Gen. A. p. Hill. The cavalry
corps was commanded by Major Gen. ]. E.
d. Stuart, the whole force being about
e2.OOe strong. with probably 22i guns.
The order for the movement of the Army
of the Potomac was issued or May 2, and
the movement began promptly at midnight
OF May 3. The Second Corps. preceded by
Griggs' Cavalry Division. crossed at Ely's
Ford and moved to Charlottesville, fo,-