Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-06

or three bullets that fall out as the
trunk grows.
once the government WAS almost
persuaded 10 make the field Il park.
but the plan crawlcd into some
pigeonholc and died. Now the Bloody
Angle lines are doomed
Fate of COnfederncy Sealed.
The conflict OF the bloody Angle
was the main point OF the battle Of
Spo,sylvania Courthouse. which was
really the end Of the Wilderness cam
raign. and II was In this campaign
that the fate OF the Confederacy was
sealed. According TO the best mill
tary authorities. it was not at Get
tysburg that the decisive battle OF
the war was fought. but in the Will
derness campaign II Lee, after he
had almost broken Grants army at
him back across the Rappahannock
as he did Hooker and Burnside. the
Confederacy would have been vie
torious.
But-and here Tor tho second time
fate seems 10 have directly inter
vened-LonGstreet had been wound
ed just at the crucial moment at the
Wilderness and Grant had time for
breath. Seeing the impossibility OF
he moved his army silently by the
HANK along the Brook Road. south
from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania.
distance of only ten miles or, so.
he would have blocked every road
and reachd Lees rear.
He was already nearing Spotsyi-
vania Courthouse with his advance
when Lee learned OF .,, his movement r, mt
building military road through the
forest and moving his entire army TO
the courthouse in time to construct
and thus block Grants advance.
General Lee had covered the. Rich
mond road on the night of May 10,
the line during May IL, and OH the
night Of May u, after riding over the
lines with General Ewell, he ordered
built the salient known as the Bloody
Angle.
The Confederate commander and
General Ewell had decided that the
line was weak here. where bit Of
highland in which there are a few
hundred acres juttcd out toward the
enemy, sloping down ut each side
TO small streams; Along the edges of
the high, ground a trench line was
built which formed an imperfect
angle pointing from the main lines OF
the Confederates directly toward the
woods where Grants army was sta
toned awaiting favorable oppor-
tunity for attack.
Grant Plan In Doubt.
It is doubtful whether or not
| Grant intended to make any violent
assault at this point on the line, al
| though il il thought he considered it
tain that after the building OF the
| salient he knew that he must smash
the line here. or give up the battle
sp9t,syyaniF r his was the mass
! led General Lee TO think that Grant
probably intended to move his army
in the night and caused him TO give
orders to withdraw all artillery In
the Angle. which was not in position
to move on short notice. General
Long Withdrew twenty guns from
| the pits inside the angle.
At midnight General Edward John
son, guarding the apex with his shat
tered division, heard the assembling
OF an army in the darkness in his
guns. but because of an error they
were not returned until daylight.
Meantime, through the early morning
ffog Hsnsesk sent his supess
OF johnson and swept them In con-
fusi6n. breaking the apex and TAX
ing half OF the right side OF the
division. The guns came racing in
time to fall into Hancock's hands
Grant had broken Lees Lines. pierced
MS army with q wedge, and the re-
suit OF the days lighting chad the
Union troops been able TO hold the
ground gainedl would have been ut
ter defeat for Lee. who had either to
drive back tho Union forces or give
up tho Richmond road
Lee Ready to Lend.
General Gordon was preparing TO
charge forward with whole corps.
General Lee WAS awakened by tho
Gin of musketry and rode Into the
melee TO lead the charge, but was
| restrained by officers, and Gordon led
his men In himself. Brigade after
brigade was brought up and sent to
re-enforce him, aDf. HANCOCK sent In
one command nfterYnnother, theStwo
forces fghting hand In hand for hours
In tfhA thin nj II, hInk y IN es 4, q a al