Year: 1878




IGen,t C. NJ. Wilcox, in tho Philadesphia


IL M Weekly Times.1 alf \


Such was the battle of the Wilder
ness. The impression has been made
that the Federals attacked the Confed-
crates in a position carefully selected /;
the latter had no advantage of position,
as it has been seen that the two armies
fought where they met. On the plank
road the Confedeatesi had no cover,
save that of the woods, until the 7th !;
the battle ceased on the 9Th. And this
was common with the two armies. It
was different on this road with the
Federals. On the old pike the Federals
were covered by works, the Confeder-
ates, If at all, slightly SO. It would
have shown but little enterprise on the
part of the former, with their superb
ority' of numbers, to have allowed the
latter to intrench In their immediate
presence. It has been seen that the
iConfederates acted on the offensive In,
the battle as often as the 'Federals; if
the latter attacked on the old pike and
plank road on the 9th and renewed the
attack ON the morning OF the 9Th on
the latter, the Confederates' began the
battle of the 9Th by attacking the
enemy's right, and on The plank road
Longstreet made n vigorous attack, and
In the midst of success was wounded
seriously. Later in the day the attack
was renewed on the plank road and
intrenchments carried, and yet later
the Federal right attacked. The battle
of the Wilderness was u Confederate
victory. Gen.. Grant had crossed the
Rapidan below the right flank of Gen.
Lee, and purposed to pass through the
Wilderness toward tGordonsville and
down the railroad to Richmond he
hoped to have battle to the north OF
Richmond, after having made his way
through the Wilderness. Gen. Meade
was fearful the North Anna would be
reached by the Oonfederates and forti-
fled and was also anxious lest they
would get back to Mine run, ten miles
in rear of where the Wilderness battle
was fought. "F tY .iissE Ae ts'.~


/ About 8 am. on the 9Th of May Gen
erals Grant and Meade road up to the
old Wilderness tavern. This was the
first appearances of the former in what
is called the Wilderness by citizens OF
Orange and Spottsylvania counties,
Va. g He was personally wholly ignor-
ant of this section OF Virginia, with
its peculiar features. That he was not
familiar with its Topography, the fol-
lowing extract from his official report
of this battle will show: "Early on
the 9th, the advance, the fifth corps,
Major Gen. G. X. Warren command
ing, met the enemy outside his intrenct,-
ments near Mine rum" And after
giving details of the battle, says: tsOn
the morning of the 7th Reconnaissance
showed that the enemy had fallen be.
hind his intrenched line, with pickets
to the front covering u part OF the
battlefield" Mine run, at the date ot
the battle of the Wilderness, was well
known North as the place were Gen
erals Lee and Meade confronted each
other for a week the winter previous,
and it is also we'll known that the
latter retired without battle, and
upon the grounds that the Mine run
line was one of great strength. Gen.
Grants statement that the enemy were
met outside his entertainments near
Mine run carries with it the inference
that it was in the immediate vicinity
of this entrenched position that Gen.
Lee was met and the further state
ment, reconnaissance made on the
morning of the 9TH showed they had
fallen behind their entrenched line,
with pickets covering part OF the
battlefield" makes the impression that
Gen. Lee had soaght the protection
of the Mine run line. Gen. Meade and
the army of tbe Potomac knew Mine
run was ten or twelve miles in rear
of the Wilderness battlefield; he and
his army had passed an entire week
near this run, made generally known
to the country by his army retiring from
ii without fighting. The country about
and near it was as well known TO his
army as to that commanded by Gen.
Lee the Ninth Corps only were stran-
gers in this section of Virginia.


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