The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-04
been visiting Grant, and wished to see
something of the campaign.
Grant Orders I'm Burnsfde.


Grant Orders Up Burnside.
Crossing the river about noon. st Ger
mama Ford, Grant established his head
quarters in a small abandoned house at
the top of the blum above the river.
There was scarcely any furniture In
the place. Grant sat on the dilapidated
porch and watched the long. brilliant
columns of troops swing past on the
road. Warren's men were all past by
j O'Clock. and the Sixth Corps was cross
ing the river. to bivouac around the gem
erals headquarters and for mile back
from the stream.
As Grant sat on the porch smoking.
silent and calm, he appeared not to feel
the significance of the day. His stan
officers seemed more concerned In what
was going forward than he. Yet Grant
felt a quiet exultation at his success of
getting his army across the river without
a fight He believed that Gen. Lee had
been surprised; still he looked for early
evidence that Lee had learned of the
crossing.
This evidence was not long in coming
A Federal signal officer on Stony Noun
tain. a high point within the Federal
lines, at $50 a m. had read a message
flashed from a Confederate signal station
on Clarks Mountain in the rear OF Lees
position. 1t showed that Lees watchers
4
porting II. Another message, read at IL
a. m, indicated that the Confederate d.
vision Of Gen. R. s. Ewell, which held
the works along the Rapidan, was under
orders to march to the right, or in the
direction of the Wilderness
II was about 1 o'clock when this infor-
nation reached Grant. 1t revealed to
him what he most wished to know. Lee
would move out of his works at once.
fnE,1n- I'D In a
alton thus clarified: Would Lee fight in
this section. or retire to the defenses OF
Richmond?
In either event the news at hand
! showed that the Federals need think no
longer of the Rapidan. Grant need now
take no further precaution to guard the
| railroad in his rear. Neither need he
look for Lee to attempt slipping past
him and marching on Washington.
Acting at once on. his latest informa-
ton, Grant began writing an order. II
was timed Ills. and was directed TO Gen.
Ambrose E. Burnside. whose command,
the Ninth Corps. had been left behind TO
guard the railroad
Make forced marches until you reach
this place" the order ran. Start your
troops now in the rear the moment they
can be got of. and require them to make
night march. Answer"
| Grant decided to remain at the ford
until Burnside came up. in order to hur-
~ forward the 2O,OOo men he would bring.
This would give Grant a force OF about
| 12l 900 men, Of whom 81 600 could be put
into battle. or these about 1900 were
infantry.
Halt of Marching Columns.
As Grants marching columns penetrat-
ed the Wilderness they cav no sign of
the enemy. The woods were as sweet and
peaceful as IL war were horrid dream.
Hancock's advance was at Chancellors-
willie at $50 a. m. after a march OF about
twenty-five miles. The whole corps OF
700 electives was up at $40 p. m and
| in bivouaC on the ground from which
Hooker had retreated year before to
day Only charred ruins marked the site
| OF the old Chancellor mansion. Roses
struggled with wild growth to the bloom
| amid the ruins.
All about the ground was strewn with
| the debris of battle-rotting clothing. bits
of harness, fragments of shells, bleach
| ing bones of horses, and here and there
| a grinning skull.
While Hancocks men were resting in
| these battle-scarred woods and fields,
| Warrens Corps was going into divouac
! at Wilderness Tavern. four miles west.
on the Orange road. The whole command
was up al 3:O5 and the men were washing
| their rect. clustered from the campaign
first march. in the soft water OF num-
erous brooks.
While the infantry advance was thus
halted. Sheridans cavalry was pushing
west in quest OF Lees advance. Grant.
at the river. waited the reports of these
| ewes of the army"
AT $50 Grant had reported the crossing
Of the Rapidan to the Washington au-
thortries, adding: ''Forty-eight hours
will demonstrate whether the enemy in
| tends to give baSle this side OF Rich
mOnd."
Grants policy, as expressed by him
self was to take the initiative when
ever the enemy could be drawn from his
in1renChments." He appears TO have
considered the character of the field OF
battle a secondary Importance. To tight
at the earliest moment was his first OBJ
ject. This policy. as applied here, has
been often criticised by military writers,
who claimed that Grant should first have
got his army through the wilderness. This
was a thing not to be done offhand, for
the army could not advance without its
ammunition and subsistence. and twenty
four hours would be required for the
immense wagon train to cross the Rapi-
dan.
Each Side Seeks Battle
Grants limit of forty-eight hours in
he