The National tribune., 1910-02-03
THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN
CONTINUED from page one.) =.

ter in that neighborhood. 10 ID
In the light of subsequent events it
seems that the troops could have
marched farther and gained the covet-
ed open ground beyond the Wilderness,
and Gen. Grant has been much eriti-
cized for not doing this. But the troops
| had already accomplished marvels. and
Gen. Grant thought it wisdom to hold
them where they were. that they might
cover the trains against an attack which
he knew would come from Lee as soon
as the latter discovered that his Hank
had been turned. Gen. Humphreys says
of this:
1.-The troops might have easily con-
| tinued their march five miles farther,
the Second Corps to Todd's Tavern, the
head of the Fifth Corps to Parkers
Store and the head of the Sixth Corps
| to Wilderness Tavern: but even that
would have left the right too open dur
| ing the forenoon of the 5th, and it was
more judicious to let the troops remain
| for the night where they had halted, as
| it made the passage of the trains Sc
cure, and the troops would be fresher
when meeting the enemy the next day,
of which there was much probability"
Gen. Grant Crosses the River.
Gen. Grant, above ell things, believed
in being in the very heart of movements
and where he could have his controlling
hand upon every impulse. While he
gave the largest liberty to Gen. Meade
and to all his subordinates. he invaria-
bly, kept himself where they could have
the inspiration of his presence. He
says in his Memoirs that from first to
last his directions to Gen. Meade were
of the most general nature, of precisely
the same character as his instructions
to Gen. Sherman and other even more
distant commanders, and that he never
az 70, MI fa1 tn
as to details. He simply felt that the
Army of the Potomac had never been
fought as an army, but only by corps,
and had never been made to throw its
whole weight solidly and simultaneous
ly upon its object. He kept with the
army and very close to the thick of
things to make sure that this was done
He and Gen. Meade crossed the Rap
idan Immediately after the Sixth Corps,
and at first set up their tents at some
distance from each other on rise of
ground near Germanna Ford. From
there Gen. Grant teIegraphed back to
Washington as to the succass of the
crossing, and sent some necessary or
ders to the various armies and detach-
ments under his command. AZ the Fifth
Corps marched southwark and devel-
oped across the main roads, Grant fol-
lowed its movements. and he and Meade
established their headquarters at the
Old Wilderness Tavern, which had been
the scene of q fierce conflict a year be-
fore in the Charlottesville campaign.
Gen. Grant was well pleased with the
success of the movement thus far and
Gen. Humphreys says:
And he might well be grstified at
the result, for 1t was good days work
in such country, for so large an army,
with its artillery and fighting trains, to
march 20 miles, crossing river on five
bridges of it's own building, without a
single mishap, interruption or delay"
In many ways it was in marked con-
trast to Grants former great achieve
ment of crossing the Mississippi River
below Vicksburg to turn Pemberton's
flank. Then he had less than half as
many men as there were new in the
Army of the Potomac. He got them
across the river by the aid of gunboats
and transports, but had to leave behind
all his trains, artillery and even the
horses for the officers of every grade.
Gen. Grant himself had to march on
foot for several hours until horse was
picked up for him somewhere in the
country. Now he had an army COM
pletely equipped. with all its trains and
artillery across the river, and was con-
fronted by an army not much greater
than the combined armies of Pember-
ton and Johnston. BY bold, skilful
manuvering he had separated these and
defeated them in detail. He had reason
to hope for something like the same
success at this time; but r. e. Lee and |
the Army of Northern Virginia were
very different antagonists from the me-
diocre Penberton and the rather ileter- |
ogeneous. undiscipiined army under his
command
Gen. Burnside Ordered Up.
At 1:15 o'clock, May 4, Gen. Grant |
r1v-, L.
custom of being at the very front, and |
seeing with his own eyes the success of
the movement, he telegraphed Gen. |
Burnside to make a forced march and |
join the army. At that time Gen. Stew
enson's First Division had arrived at
Brandy Station, and the Fourth Colored
Division had marched from Manassas
Junction. Con. Stevenson crossed Ger
mamma Ford on the morning Of May 5.
and by evening Potter and Wilcox,
coming from Bealeton and Rappahan-
mock Station, were also across, and had
marched three miles before going into
bivouac. Ferrerro's Colored Division
crossed the river on the morning OF
May 8.
Gen. Lee Informed.
The sight that the early dawn brought
to the eyes of the signal men on Clark
Mountain was as picturesque at it WAS
startling. AS tar as their telescopes
would carry they could see. blue rivule:s
of marching men emerge from the regi-
mental camps, join into the larger
streams of brigades and divisions and
together these rolled onward like some
propulsive food, finally to unite into
great rivers, whose mighty and resist
less tide swelled on from Stevensburg
and Richardsville toward the Rapidan |
where it sank into the depths of the |
forest as the rivers of the West disap- !
pear into the sands. With the march |
of Burnside's Corps from Manassas
Junction, 40 miles away, to the edge of !
the horizon, it seemed as if this endless |
flow of deep blue came from the teem- |
ing North in a flood as continuous as |
that of the mighty Mississippi. In this |
spectacle there was something q thou |
sand-fold more impressive than the |
theatric eVolutions of which so much |
lures of European wars. There was |
none of the
"Neighing stecd and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-pierc- |
ing fife,
The royal banner and all quality,
Pride, pomp and circumstance of glori-
Gus war;"
The Army of the Potomac had none
Of this. The impressiyeness of the
spectacle came from the intense earn
the very unostentation of its
in its great work The
men in the solid infantry columns and
the close ranks of the cavalry moved |
forward with no beat of drum or fan