Battle of the Wilderness

May 5–7, 1864 · Eastern Theater

Phases

1. 1May 5 — Collision in the ThicketsMay 5, 1864
2. 2May 6, Dawn — Hancock Rolls HillMay 6, 1864 — 5:00 to 6:00 AM
3. 3May 6 — Longstreet’s Flank AttackMay 6, 1864 — 11:00 AM to Dark
4. 4May 7–8 — Grant Turns SouthMay 7–8, 1864 — Night

May 5, 1864

Grant, now general-in-chief riding with the Army of the Potomac, crosses the Rapidan intending to pass through the Wilderness quickly — Lee attacks him inside it, where Union numbers and artillery mean least. Two separate battles erupt: Warren against Ewell across Saunders Field on the Turnpike, and a desperate meeting fight for the Brock–Plank crossroads, held by minutes. The scrub catches fire, and wounded men burn between the lines.

• ➤Warren’s V Corps — Attacks across Saunders Field
• ➤Ewell’s Corps — Digs in across the Orange Turnpike
• ➤A.P. Hill’s Corps — Pushes up the Plank Road toward the vital crossroads
• ➤Getty & Hancock — Holds the Brock–Plank crossroads by minutes
• ●Saunders Field — the burning brush takes the wounded