This article is about the Battle of the Wilderness in the American Civil War. For the French and Indian War battle, see Battle of the Wilderness 1755. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... The French and Indian War was a nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America and was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... The Braddock Expedition was a failed British attempt to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. ...

The Battle of the Wilderness was the first battle of Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The battle was fought May 5–7, 1864. Download high resolution version (900x643, 498 KB)TITLE: Battle of the Wilderness--Desperate fight on the Orange C.H. Plank Road, near Todds Tavern, May 6th, 1864 CREATED/PUBLISHED: c1887. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... This article is about the month of May. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Spotsylvania County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... Ulysses Simpson Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th (1869–1877) president of the United States. ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... This article is about the Battle of the Wilderness in the American Civil War. ... On May 11th, 1864, Confederate General Jeb Stuart was shot at Yellow Tavern by a Union sharpshooter at a distance of 30 feet (10 m). ... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date May 24, 1864 Place Charles City, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Wilson’s Wharf (also called Fort Pocahontas) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. ... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date May 28, 1864 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Inconclusive The Battle of Haws Shop (also called Enon Church) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. ... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date May 23–26, 1864 Place Caroline County and Hanover County, Virginia Result Inconclusive The Battle of North Anna (also called Telegraph Road Bridge, Jericho Mill ( May 23), and Ox Ford, Quarles Mill, Hanover Junction ( May 24)) was a battle in Union... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date May 28–30, 1864 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Inconclusive The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek (also called Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Matadequin Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate... Battle of Old Church Conflict American Civil War Date May 30, 1864 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Old Church (also called Matadequin Creek) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. ... Battle of Cold Harbor Conflict American Civil War Date May 31 – June 12, 1864 Place Hanover County Result Confederate victory The Battle of Cold Harbor, the third and final battle of United States Lieut. ... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date June 11–12, 1864 Place Louisa County, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. ... Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Conflict American Civil War Date June 24, 1864 Place Charles City, Virginia Result Inconclusive The Battle of Saint Marys Church (also called Nances Shop) was a battle in Union General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. ... Ulysses Simpson Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th (1869–1877) president of the United States. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee The Overland Campaign, or Grants Overland Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ...

The battlefield was the Wilderness of Spotsylvania, an expanse of impenetrable scrub growth and rough terrain that encompassed more than 70 square miles (181 km²) of Spotsylvania County in central Virginia. A number of battles were fought in the vicinity between 1862 and 1864, including the bloody Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863. It is often said that the Wilderness and Chancellorsville were fought in the same spot, but the 1864 battle was actually fought a few miles to the west, and only overlapped the old battlefield along the Brock Road on the Union army's left flank. Spotsylvania County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... 1862 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Battle of Chancellorsville Conflict American Civil War Date April 30 – May 6, 1863 Place Spotsylvania County Result Decisive Confederate victory The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War in 1863. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Union was a name used by many to refer to the Northern states during the American Civil War. ...

On May 2, 1864, the Army of the Potomac, nominally under the command of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, but taking orders from Grant, crossed the Rapidan River at three separate points and converged on the Wilderness Tavern, which ironically was the concentration point for the Confederates one year to the day earlier when they launched their devastating attack on the Union right flank at Chancellorsville. But Grant chose to set up his camps to the west of the old battle site before moving southward. Unlike the Union army of a year before, Grant had no desire to fight in the Wilderness. May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... The Rapidan River is a river in Virginia that flows from the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Rappahannock River. ...

On the other hand, for Lee, who was massively outnumbered as usual (65,000 men to Grant's 123,000), accosting Grant in the Wilderness was imperative for the same reason as a year ago—in a battle contested in the tangled woods, the value of artillery was limited, and Lee's artillery possessed fewer guns of lower quality than Grant's.

While waiting for the arrival of Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet's First Corps, which had been posted 25 miles (40 km) to the west to guard the crucial railroad junction of Gordonsville, Lee pushed forward his Second Corps, commanded by Lieut. Gen. Richard S. Ewell, and the Third Corps under the command of Lieut. Gen. A.P. Hill, in an effort to engage Grant before he moved south. The Confederates were able to do this, and on May 5, both Ewell, on Lee's left flank, and Hill on the right, clashed with Union soldiers. James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 – January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost generals of the American Civil War, and later enjoyed a successful post-war career working for the government of his former enemies, as a diplomat and administrator. ... Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 - January 25, 1872) was a Confederate military officer during the American Civil War. ... Ambrose Powell Hill (November 9, 1825 _ April 2, 1865), was a Confederate States of America general in the American Civil War. ...

Sketch of the battle of the Wilderness. Position of 2d Corps. A.N. Va., Thursday May 5th 1864.

On the left, Ewell met up with the V Corps under the command of Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, and fought it to a standoff. For much of the day, Ewell's 20,000-man corps actually held a slight numerical advantage on this part of the field. But on the right, Hill was hit hard and driven back by the Union II Corps under Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock and a division from the VI Corps. He held his ground, however. Download high resolution version (2355x1519, 2490 KB)Sketch of the battle of the Wilderness. ... Download high resolution version (2355x1519, 2490 KB)Sketch of the battle of the Wilderness. ... The V Corps (Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ... Gouverneur K. Warren Gouverneur Kemble Warren (8 January 1830 - 8 August 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps (Second Corps) during the American Civil War. ... Portrait of Winfield S. Hancock during the Civil War Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a career U.S. Army officer who served with with distinction as a general in the American Civil War and ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1880. ... The VI Corps (Sixth Corps) was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ...

On May 6, Hancock, now commanding close to 40,000 men, resumed the attack on Hill's corps, while heavy Union reinforcements on Ewell's front prevented Lee from sending Second Corps men to aid Hill. By late morning, Hancock had driven Hill's corps back more than two miles and inflicted heavy casualties. With the Third Corps in dire straits, Lee began to look desperately for Longstreet, whose arrival had been expected hours before. May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ...

At around noon, Longstreet and the 20,000-man First Corps arrived at last, and its timing was perfect. Hancock's men were tired and disorganized from six hours of fighting. When Longstreet hurled his forces at the Union attackers, they recoiled and within two hours, the situation was totally reversed. Not only had Longstreet regained all the ground lost, he had advanced one mile beyond that, forcing Hancock to regroup along the Brock Road. At a crucial moment in the fighting, Longstreet attacked through the cut of an unfinished railroad that had divided the Union forces in two, increasing the confusion. However, Longstreet did not have enough men to complete his victory, and the fighting soon petered out near the Brock Road. As the fighting wound down on this part of the battlefield, Longstreet was badly wounded and did not return to the Army of Northern Virginia for several months. (Ironically, Longstreet was the victim of friendly fire, just as fellow general Stonewall Jackson had been nearby a year previously.) Friendly fire (non-hostile fire) is United States military parlance for fire from friendly forces as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces known as enemy fire. A friendly fire incident refers to a military situation where forces or material assets of one side are attacked and damaged in error... Stonewall Jackson For the 1960s country music artist, see Stonewall Jackson (musician); for the submarine, see USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634). ...

Just as this phase of the battle was ending, a division of the Second Corps under Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon launched one final assault on the Union right, partially turning the Army of the Potomac's flank and taking close to 1,000 prisoners. But darkness fell before the Confederates had a chance to press their advantage, and with that, the battle came to a close. John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon ( February 6, 1832 – January 9, 1904) served as one of Robert E. Lees most trusted generals during the Civil War. ...

On May 8, Grant ordered the Army of the Potomac to resume its advance, and a few days later, the two armies clashed again 10 miles to the southeast, at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ...

Aftermath

The battle is usually described as a draw; a better way of describing it would be as a tactical Confederate victory, but a strategic victory for the Union army. At the end of the battle, Grant withdrew his force, which is normally how the loser in a Civil War battle is determined. However, unlike his predecessors since 1861, Grant did not retreat back to the safety of Washington, D.C., but continued in his campaign. Lee inflicted heavy casualties (see estimates below) on Grant, but they were a smaller percentage than the casualties his army suffered. And unlike Grant, Lee had very little opportunity to replenish his losses. Understanding this disparity, part of Grant's strategy was to wage a war of attrition. The only way that Lee could escape from the trap that Grant had set was to destroy the Army of the Potomac while he still had sufficient force to do so, and Grant was too skilled to allow that to happen. 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Estimates vary as to the casualties in the Wilderness. The following table summarizes estimates from a variety of popular sources:

Portions of the Wilderness battlefield are now preserved as part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, administered by the National Park Service. The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...

References

• National Park Service battle description (http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va046.htm)
• Esposito, Vincent J., West Point Atlas of American Wars, Frederick A. Praeger, 1959.
• Foote, Shelby, The Civil War, A Narrative: Red River to Appomattox, Random House, 1974, ISBN 0-394-74913-8.
• Fox, William F.: Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, Albany Publishing, 1889 (online text (http://www.civilwarhome.com/foxspref.htm))
• McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States), Oxford University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-195-03863-0.
• U.S. War Dept., The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.

Shelby Foote (born November 17, 1916) is a noted author and historian of the American Civil War. ... For the Civil War General of the same name see James B. McPherson James M. McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis 86 Professor of United States History at Princeton University. ...

External links

• National Park Service battlefield site (http://www.nps.gov/frsp/wild.htm)
• West Point Atlas map of the Overland Campaign (http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/american%20civil%20war/acw%20pages/richmond_advance_rapidan.htm)