The National tribune., 1910-03-17
THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN
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THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN
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by directing Gregg to hold Corbin's
Bridge, while Merritt's Division was or
Idered to lead the Fifth Corps toward
Spotsylvania. In the darkness of the
night the infantry and cavalry became
tangled up, stopping the march and pro-
lducing much confusion. In the Life
| of Gen. Meade written by his son,
Gen Sheridan is bitterly attacked for
not clearing away the enemy's cavalry
| and holding the bridges, and also for
not keeping his cavalry out of the way
of our own ifantry.
Grant and Meade Go Forward.
| AS the evening drew on and the
troops began to move out according to
orders, Gems. Grant and Meade, with
their respective stats, were recognized
riding rapidly to the left to lead the
movement Among the weary soldiers,
who had lounged about their bivouacs
during the day, talking over the recent
events, was the tensest conjecturing as
to what this new commander from the
West would now do. In their fatigue
of the night before they had gone to
bed DULY wondering what his course
would be, but now that their minds
were more active and their perceptions
clearer as to what had happened in the
past two days their wonderment grew
apace with the hours.
Nor was this wonderment confined to
the private soldiers. 1t was sharper the
higher up in rank one went and prob
ably no one studied Grant more keenly
or watched more alertly for indications
of what the terrible fighting had effect
ed than did Gen. Meade and the coterie
of officers around him. A very large
proportion of these felt certain that
| Grant had encountered in the Wilder
ness a much sitter problem than ever
before, and that his laurels were liable
to wIther in the fierce heat of that con-
| fiict.
When. therefore, Grant and Meade
were recognized as they rode toward
! the left, the enthusiasm of the troops
knew no bounds. 1t meant TO them, in
the first place, that Grant and Meade
were the heroes that they had been rep
resented to be, that the awful struggle
had been successful, but, above all, that
now the army was really going forward
to Richmond. Gen. Porter gives this
picture of the scene:
Soon after dark Gems. Grant and
Meade, accompanied by their staffs,
after having given personal supervision
to the starting of the march, rode along
the Brock road toward Hancocks head
quarters, with the intention of waiting
there till Warren's troops should reach
that point. While moving close to Han
cocks line there occurred an uneXpect-
ed demonstration on the part of the
troops, which created one of the most
memorable scenes of the campaign. Not
withstanding the darkness of the night,
the form of the commander was recog-
nized, and word was passed rapidly
along that the chief who had led them
thru the maZes of the Wilderness was
again moving forward, with his horses
head turned toward Richmond. Troops
know but little about what is going on
in a large army, except the occurrences
which take place in their immediate
vicinity; but this night ride of the Cen
eral-in-Chief told plainly the story of
success, and gave each man to under
stand that the cry was TO be: "On to
Richmond" Soldiers, weary and sleepy
after their long battle, with stiffened
limbs and smarting wounds, now sprang
to their feet, forgetful of their pains,
and rushed forward to the roadside.
Wild cheers echoed thru the forest and
glad shouts of triumph rent the air.
Men swung their hats, tossed up their
arms and pressed forward to within
touch of their chief, clapping their
hands and speaking to him with the
of comrades. Pine knots
and leaves were set on fire and lighted
the scene with their weird, fiickering
glare. The night march had become a
triumphal procession for the new COM
mander The demonstration was the
emphatic verdict pronounced by the
troops upon his first battle in the East.
The excitement had been impaired to
the horses, which soon became restive,
and ven the Generals large bay, over
which he possessed ordinarily such per-
f1. I.np Il IL tn
Instead of being elated by this signifi-
cant ovation, the General, thoughtful
only of the practical question of the
success of the movement, said: This is
most unfortunate. The sound viii reach
the ears of the enemy, and l fear it may
reveal our movement BY his direc-
ton staff officers rode forward and