The Meeker herald., 1922-05-27


l. rInes marched, skirm!shed. formed
lines of battle. took up and abnn-
doned positions, executed strategic
movements. aud made charges on the
historic fields of the Wilderness and
Spottsyivania. The pop and wiiz of
Springfield fire, the rip-rip OF machine
guns. the smash of field pieces and
the crash Of shell and bomb sounded
through the shndowy woods, close
tangles and across rolling. hilly fields
near the Chancellor house, Wilder
ness church, Wilderness tavern, Park
er's store, DOdd's tavern, AlsOp's
farm. and Bloody Angle. and along the
Fredericksburg aud Orange turnpike
the Plank road. the Brock road, and
the banks of the Rapitlan. and the
smaller rivers, Ny and Pc. Here on
one OF the blOOdlest and ghostllest
areas of the American Civil war the
marines held maneuvers. Four days
were spent In the vicinity of Wilder
ness run. and those days were devot-
ed to battle exercises ana problems.
Where Stonewaii jackson Fell.
Three miles west of the western
limit OF Fredericksburg Is Salem
church. Five miles west of Salem
church Is Charlottesville. One mile
west OF Charlottesville Is a little
monument In the woods by the road
side which marks where Stonewall
Jackson received the wound from
which he died In a plain little farm.
house near Guinea station. II miles
south of Fredericksburg. One mile
west of the solemn little monument
In its lonely site is Wilderness church
About two miles northwest OF the
courthouse is IA battle area once 80
strewn with dead and so Uttered with
wounded men that for so years It
has been called Bloody Angle. and that
name will never be effaced from the
tragic ground. Something more thun
4 mile from Bloody Angle, Mt the fork
Of tw" old reads that are full OF steep
and humpy hills and closely bortiered
ny thick woods. is a monument that
marks where General Sedgwlck-Afaj.
Gen. John Sedswick, United States
Volunteers. commanding the Sixth
Army cOrps-a corps commander un-
der Grant, was killed in action on
the morning OF May 0. 1864.
This description points out some of
the landmarks, some of the high
spots" us II were. of n section of that
country In which the battle OF Fred
crirl;sburg was fought In December,
1867. in Which the battles of Chuncel-
louisville and Salem Church were
fought In May. 1863 and In which the
battles of the Wilderness and Spott-
sylvanla Courthouse were fought in
May. 1864 little patch of country
that has been appropriately cnlled
"the cockpit Of America"
Still the Wilderness.
IL there are such things as ghosts
there must he armies Of them In this
tangie land, for many, many thousan ds
OF young men no wore the blue and
many, many thousands of other young
men who wore the gray were shot
and LnyOneied to death in this wild
ii country. Much of that country west
Of charlottesville and northwest OF
Spottsyivania Courthouse. which was
called the Wilderness before ana dur.
Ing the Civil war, Is still 'the wilder.
ness"
great hardship and privntion- for the
Coafetlerate Army Of Northern vir.
ainia. a. well AS for other Confeder
!. ate armies. The winter Of 1s84.O5 was
Valley Forge wiater to: the south.
err troops. Gen. e. II. Law. C. 8. A..
v-stia~ Of the wilderness and SDott