A* summary of The Wilderness: a battle of the Civil War. For AQA A Level Modern History: depth study: America. Written by a student now studying at Oxford University.
-1st stage of a major Union offensive towards Richmond ordered by Grant (newly named
general-in-chief.)
Before the Battle
-Army of Potomac: Two-one majority in manpower.
-Grant hoped to outmaneuver Lee into an open field of combat.
-Lee wanted to keep Grant from Richmond.
-He also wanted to force Grant to attack fortified positions and make the cost of trying to
defeat the Confederacy so high that Northerners would refuse to continue and ultimately
vote Lincoln out.
-May 1864: Grant threatened to slip around Lee’s flank.
5th May 1864
-Union Meade orders Warren to strike the Confederates. However, Warren was hesitant
to do this.
-This was because impenetrable thickets would make it hard to maintain a battle line.
-Confederate Ewell halts troops 3 miles west of Wilderness Tavern and build strong
earthworks.
-Warren’s men suffer a fearful toll in casualties from Ewell when they step out of the
woods.
-Close combat fighting in tangled thickets continues until nightfall.
6th May 1864
-Hancock’s Federals continue the offensive, and the Confederates seem on the verge of
collapse.
-Longstreet’s corps arrive just in time to stave off disaster, however, just before they
achieve success, Longstreet is wounded by friendly fire.
-With Longstreet wounded, Lee coordinates the final attacks on the Union line.
-Hampered by the heavy brush, the Confederates stumble forward without cohesion until
they reach obstructions in front of the Union line.
-They are stopped by volleys from Hancock’s veterans.
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