Reference Entry
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS
Almost twenty years later, the United States tore itself apart in civil war, and May 5th, 1864 marked the beginning of a grim new phase. That day, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant pushed the Army of the Potomac south across the Rapidan River into a tangle of underbrush and second-growth forest known simply as the Wilderness. In that terrain, visibility collapsed, lines broke apart, and musket flashes set the woods on fire, trapping wounded soldiers in flames.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Battle of the Wilderness and the Overland Campaign
Almost twenty years later, the United States tore itself apart in civil war, and May 5th, 1864 marked the beginning of a grim new phase. That day, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant pushed the Army of the Potomac south across the Rapidan River into a tangle of underbrush and second-growth forest known simply as the Wilderness. In that terrain, visibility collapsed, lines broke apart, and musket flashes set the woods on fire, trapping wounded soldiers in flames. The resulting clash with Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia produced staggering casualties on both sides. Yet the strategic significance lay in what Grant did after the bloodshed. Instead of retreating north as previous Union commanders had done after hard battles, he continued moving south and east toward Spotsylvania Court House, signaling a relentless campaign he intended to press until the Confederate army could no longer stand. The Wilderness shows how leadership choices after a battle can matter as much as decisions made during the firing.
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