The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
Nav ss4-Oe Were the Various Commands Of the Army
the Potomac March Midnight from Their Winter Camps and Cross
t. Rapdan in Early Monins-Besnng of the Final Campaign Of
the War; that Was One of the Boodet in History.
Written Expressly for The Herald.


wilderness. would bring Grant into open
country. and more directly upon the enc
my's lines of communication. II aeemed
to promise better results in case OF i'm
mediate success: but on the other hand
1t would carry him away from his own
communications and leave him in greater
danger in case of a drawn battle. or q
counter attack from the enemy.
Grant hoped to be able to crush Lee at
a single blow. or at most in a few days.
but he was too sagacious to count GER
tainly upon this. He therefore deter
mined to move by the left flank. cross
ing the Rapidan by the lower fords and
pushing through the wilderness toward
the open country in the direction OF
Spottsylvania.
BY choosing the route east Of Lee.
supply by water. after he had cut loose
from the railroad in his rear.
To assume that Grant wished to avoid
battle until near Richmond. would be
an error. His purpose was to strike Lee
at the first opportunity, ''if he would
stand. Fighting was what he most
wanted. for by fighting was he surest OF
wearing down his opponent. 1t does not
appear that Grant anticipated fighting in
the wilderness, however. or that he un-
derstood at first the willingness, indeed
the eagerness, Of Gen Lee to deliver
battle there. Lee had met and defeated
one Federal commander. Gen. Hooker. in
a portion of that same wilderness the
year before, and he knew its strength &c
his inferior force.
Cavalry at RapIdan.
Grants orders for the movement y:
the army had been issued on May :.
through Gen. George G. Meade. its COM
mander TO the Infantry Corps COM
manders-Gen. Winfield S. Hancock Gen
John Sedgwick. and Gen. G. X. War
remand to Gen. Philip II. Sheridan.
commanding the cavalry All the details
for crossing the Rapidan and proceed
ing through the Wilderness had been
worked out by Gen Meade.
The orders directed that one division
Of Sheridans command, that under Gen
d. McM. Gregg. should move on May
toward the river, halting at Richards
| Vile. The cavalry moved promptly as
ordered. a fine array of about 400 men.
Accompanying the column went force
of engineers and sappers and a train
Of pontoon boats. The engineers beGar
repairing a road leading to Ely's Ford.
and proceeded as far as practicable
/ without exposing themselves TO the view
OF the enemy at his signal stations
south OF the river. Guards posted at
all houses on the road prevented any
one from proceeding in the direction OF
! the river.
After nightfaII the boats were carried
down to the bank, ready for launching
At midnight the cavalry fOrded the
stream. seized the pickets on the Other
bank. and took the road into the Will
derness The engineers then laid their
pontoon bridge.
/ Meanwhile another division of Sheri-
dams command. the third. under Gen
.
proceed at midnight to Germanna Ford.
a few miles further up the Rapidan. and
here another pontoon bridge was laid.
{ Last Might in Old Camps.
! On the evening Of May the infantry
: soldiers of the army went to sleep for
the last time in the log huts in which
they had spent the winter They knew
| that the army was soon to move All
surplus baggage had been sent 70 q"
rear: fifty rounds of ammunition and
three days rations per man had been
issued. and only the orders to march
were wanting to set the whole vast host
in motion.
/ Yet the soldiers retired to rest with
out knowing that at midnight the
veille was to sound to call them into
the ranks for the greatest of their cam
paigns.
/ Hancock's Corps. the second. was 10
march at midnight for EIy's Ford. ami
I the Fifth and Sixth Corps for German
ma Ford. with proper intervals between
I the divisions to prevent crowding. Stro~S
was lad on the need of keeping the
roads free from bIockades and in cool
repair. in order that the march through
the Wilderness might be rapid and uHin-
| terrupted.
! The great wagon trains of more than
| 400 vehicles, and the 500 ambulances
of the army were to follow the infaH-
| try, under guard Of infantry and eS-
| cOrted by one OF Sheridan's division'.
while another division of cavalry was
1 to remain on the river. picketing its
bank. until the whole army had crossed
the bridges to be left for the use Of the
Ninth Corps.
Every contingency for rapidly and Sc
cretly crossing the Rapidan appeared to
have been provided for. Gen Grant
feared that Gen. Lee cO1ld offer formi-
dable resistance to the crossing. He be-
lieved that, with his army safely across,
the first great stSp in his campaign
| would be accomplished.
! Tomor-owi Grant crosses the Rap
idan and camps In the Wilderness.
| tCop5nsht. IslI.)