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<h3 align="center"><b><font size="3" face="Arial">The Wilderness: Ghosts
in the Darkness</font></b></h3>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial" size="2">by</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Arial" size="2">Nicholas E. Hollis<br>
(All Rights Reserved)</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b><i>Summary<br>
</i></b>Scholars tell us that
Gettysburg was the pivotal battle of the Civil War � and its
devastation on both armies was such that neither mounted a major action
for almost one year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But
Wilderness was that next massive engagement, and it was by many measures
more terrible, fought in the dense forests and tangled undergrowth south
of the Rapidan River, west of Fredericksburg, Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The armies of Union commander U.S. Grant and CSA General Robert
E. Lee clashed for two days (May 5-6, 1864) with staggering losses to
both sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In terms of
casualties, Wilderness was the third bloodiest battle of the entire war
(nearly 29,000 casualties in two days).<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Although neither side gained clear advantage, Wilderness
marked the beginning of the long road to Appomattox as Grant moved south
toward Richmond after the battle instead of withdrawing as his
predecessors in Union Command had done in each of three earlier
campaigns.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">In Spring 1864, Lee
ordered Longstreet to re-deploy from East Tennessee to central Virginia
to guard Richmond against the anticipated Union campaign under Grant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Longstreet�s 1<sup>st</sup> Corps was strategically posted at
Gordonsville (28 miles southwest of Wilderness), enabling him to protect
against invasion via the Shenandoah Valley, or quickly reunite with the
main body of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lee�s Army
of Northern Virginia, should the thrust come near Fredericksburg.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Early on May 4, Lee
realized Grant was rushing directly, crossing the Rapidan, and summoned
Longstreet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>�Old Pete�
received the orders to march at 1:00 p.m. that day, and his columns
broke camp and began a forced march toward Wilderness at<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>4:00 p.m. (three hours later).</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Vastly outnumbered
with only Ewell�s and Hill�s corps at hand on May 5, Lee sought to
delay Grant�s drive, containing him in the dense woods long enough for
Longstreet�s corps to move up on the right where offensive actions
against the Union Army might be possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>But intense fighting in the late afternoon/early evening of May
5, starting with attacks by Warren�s V corps and Sedgwick�s VI
corps, left the Hill/Ewell line wavering with Union Commander
Hancock�s Corps II threatening Lee�s right (Hill) near Widow Tapp
Farm along the Brock Road.</font></p>
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<td width="100%"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt"><font face="Times New Roman">STRETCHED
TO THE LIMIT: HETH�S DIVISION AT <u>4:30 P.M.</u> ON MAY 5,
1864 -- As Grant�s troops massed to cross the Rapidan (May 3),
Lee inexplicably delayed ordering Longstreet�s First Corps up
from Gordonsville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Permitting
Longstreet to remain out of position brought the ANV to its
greatest crisis since
<a href="Longstsreet/Battle%20of%20Antietam.htm">Antietam</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>On May 5, A.P. Hill�s Third Corps faced overwhelming
odds, yet held the field, buying precious time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Heth�s division was outnumbered fifty to one (50:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Nearly shattered , they were spared destruction by the
fall of darkness.</font></span><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><BR>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b><i>A Timely Intervention</i></b><br>
Longstreet�s Texas brigades arrived early on May 6, running the last
five miles after marching through the night, in time to shore up
Hill�s disintegrating position, slamming into Hancock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Lee had ridden to
the front, trying to rally Hill�s retreating men, when the Texans
under Kershaw (Hood�s old brigade) moved up and shouted: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">�Lee,
to the rear!� </i>followed by a refusal of the men to go forward until
their beloved leader took himself out of danger.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">By 8:00 a.m.,
Longstreet had checked Hancock�s advance and began pushing back his
right flank, while pummeling Wadsworth�s Federals on the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In �the fog of the battle,� with confusion and mistakes
piling up, the Army of the Potomac suddenly seemed lethargic � and
momentum shifted to �Old Pete.�<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Wisely, Longstreet had held three brigades out of the heavy
fighting as reserves � and, receiving information on the existence of
unfinished railroad trace extending through the woods along the
battlefield�s right (southern edge), ordered his fresh troops to move
concealed under the dense cover along the twelve-foot-wide gap and form
an attack line on Hancock�s left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>When the famous flank attack began at 11:00 a.m., with rebel
yells magnifying their numbers as they came crashing through the woods,
the Federals could hardly see them.</font></p>
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<td width="100%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><font face="Times New Roman">VERMONT�S
STUBBORN STREAK: <u>11:00 A.M.</u> ON MAY 6, 1864 -- Grant�s
brigade holds on against Longstreet�s flank attack, while Mott
and Birney collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Today
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<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Many fired blindly
into the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Errant
federal artillery fire raked Vermonters under Brigadier General Lewis A.
Grant from their rear, making the terrifying situation worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The men of the 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> Vermont
regiments in the first line, absorbed the brunt of the Confederate fire
exploding from the woods, and were reinforced with the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Vermont and the 6<sup>th</sup> Vermont.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">The Green Mountain
brigades hung tough, under a hail of bullets, exacting ghastly
casualties. The sons of Vermont were stubborn that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Amidst the low-hanging smoke and fires, with most of their
Federal comrades in rout, the Vermonters held the intersection of Brock
and Orange Plank roads.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b><i>Heavy Hand of
Fate: Longstreet�s Wounding<br>
</i></b>As Longstreet rode up to assess the success of his attack, and
plan his next massive strike with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Brig.
Gen. Micah Jenkins and others of his entourage, a volley of shots rang
out from Mahone�s 41<sup>st</sup> Virginia lined up parallel to Orange
Plank Road in the woods (but almost at right angles to the main
Confederate battle line) � and �Old Pete� caught a near-fatal neck
wound, lifting him straight up in his saddle. Others, like Jenkins, were
not so fortunate and died instantly.</font></p>
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<td width="100%"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt"><font face="Times New Roman">FRIENDLY
FIRE TAKES A HEAVY TOLL � <u>NOON</u> ON MAY 6, 1864 �
Longstreet�s party is fired upon by disoriented troops of
Mahone�s 41<sup>st</sup> Virginia infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Today�s cooperation among groups seeking to preserve
the �Hamilton�s Thicket� area has been hampered by
�friendly fire� of a political nature.</font></span><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><BR>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="2">A hush fell on the
advancing rebels. The counterattack stalled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Lee intervened and, after using precious time to realign his
troops, ordered a frontal assault on Hancock�s center � reminiscent
of Pickett�s charge at Gettysburg � with similar results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The Union center held without great difficulty with rebels taking
staggering losses. Exhaustion descended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The troops dug new earthworks, while listening to the screams of
the wounded being consumed by fires in the underbrush of �No Man�s
Land.�</font></p>
<p><b><i><font face="Arial" size="2">Conclusion</font></i></b><font face="Arial" size="2"><br>
The Battle of the Wilderness had ended in stalemate, desperately fought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Years later, veterans would liken the struggle to Indian warfare
in the forests � a great bushwhacking in the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">On the evening of
May 6th, Lt. General U.S. Grant whittled sticks and chided some of his
lieutenants:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> �I am heartily
tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem
to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault and land</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">in
our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">commands, and try to think about
what we are going to do instead of wondering what Lee is</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">going to do</i>.�</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Grant had decided
his next move: a march off Lee�s flank toward Spotsylvania Courthouse
and Richmond, and he could take this bold action because of Vermont
valor in holding the key road/intersections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The orders were issued the following morning (May 7). The Union
troops cheered when they realized Grant would not retreat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Perhaps somehow this justified horrors of the Wilderness. But as
one of the epic battles of the Civil War, much of what happened at
Wilderness remains a mystery, blurred in the swirl of unspeakable
terrors and events which followed.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Longstreet, borne
off on a litter after designating R.H. Anderson to take his command, had
the presence of mind and courage to raise his hat off his face �
thereby reassuring his troops that their leader would fight another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Longstreet was moved to safety at a private home in Lynchburg,
Virginia and later, further south near Augusta, Georgia. The mini-ball
had passed through his neck and shattered his brachial plexus � an
injury which cost him the use of his right arm. It was a slow recovery,
but �Old Pete� rejoined Lee later in October 1864, and was placed in
charge of Richmond�s defenses. Longstreet stayed by Lee�s side until
Appomattox. </font></p>
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<td width="100%"><font face="Times New Roman" size="2">BUSHWHACKED
IN THE WILDERNESS � The driver of this overturned car had
recently slowed for a battlefield turn-off on Orange Plank Road
when he was rear-ended by a reckless motorist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The victim suffered neck and back injuries near the site
of Longstreet�s wounding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
(November 29, 1998). After a protracted battle with NPS
"warlord bureaucrats" known for their unsympathetic views on
Longstreet, an expanded turnoff space and parking area with
interpretive signs at the wounding site were opened to the pubic
years later. A granite monument honoring the Vermont
brigades was also unveiled in 2006.</span><BR>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b><i>Call to Action</i></b><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">Veterans of the Battle
of Wilderness, like the laconic Vermonters by nature, spoke little and
wrote less about their experiences of May 5-6 for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Yet, like ghosts in the darkness, the spirits of the thousands
who fell there still can be heard on quiet nights in the month of May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Please consider joining GLRP�s campaign to honor �Old Pete�
and the valiant Green Mountain State brigades with an expanded viewing
area near the wounding site and the intersections of Brock/Orange Plank
Roads.</span></font></p>
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<font size="2">
<a href="http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/112009/11082009/501645">
VERMONT BRIGADE MONUMENT</a> - GLRP action, including tribute
services, speeches, and letter writing (as reported in <i>Civil War
News</i> articles), helped spark independent campaign in the Green
Mountain State, which resulted in statue placement in 2006.</font><p style="line-height: 0"> </td>
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<p align="center"><font face="Arial" size="2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Suggested
References</span></b></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt">Benedict,
G.G. <i><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Vermont in the Civil War:
A History of the</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Part</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:
normal"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Taken by Vermont Soldiers and
Sailors in</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">the
War for the Union</span></i><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-style:normal">, 1861-1865 (2 Volumes).<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Burlington, VT: Free Press Association, 1897 (Volume 1, p.
235).</span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt">Grant,
Gen. L.A. <span style="font-size:10.0pt">�In the Wilderness.�<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-style:normal">Washington, DC: </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><i>National
Tribune</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">
(January 28, 1897).</span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Hollis, N.E. "Small Victories at
Wilderness Battlefield" (Editorial). <i>Culpeper Star-Exponent</i>
(October 21, 2009); and "Out of the Wilderness: Heroes on Both Sides are
Easier to Locate" (Op.Ed). <i>Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star </i>
(November 8, 2009).</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">Hollis, N.E. Commentary: "Is Sacred
Ground Walmart's Manifest Destiny." <i>Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star</i> (March 13, 2010).</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt">Longstreet,
James A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt"><i>From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil War in America</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>New York: Da Capo Press Edition, 1992 (pp. 551-571).</span></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt">Reardon,
Carol.<i> <span style="font-size:10.0pt">The Other Grant</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">:
</span> </i><span style="font-size:
10.0pt"><i>Lewis A. Grant and the Vermont Brigade</i> </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-style:normal">(article</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:normal">published
in </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">The Wilderness Campaign</span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-style:normal">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>University
of North Carolina Press: 1997, pp. 201-235.</span></span></font><p align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-style: normal">Enlist
in the campaign to restore Longstreet's honor!</span></font></b><p align="center">
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