Battle of Wilderness
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Military History
- Subcategories: Wars, Battles, American Civil War, Civil Wars, Coups
- Curriculum: American Civil War & Reconstruction Era (1856-1877)
- Geographical Location: Virginia
- Date: May 5-7, 1864
Article abstract: Type of action: Ground battle in the American Civil War. Result: Tactical draw in first battle of the 1864 Overland Campaign.
On May 4, 1864, when Ulysses S. Grant crossed the Rapidan River, Robert E. Lee moved quickly to strike the Union army in the dense, overgrown Wilderness, hoping to minimize the Union’s manpower and artillery advantages. Fighting began the following morning along the Orange Turnpike and later along the Orange Plank Road. Fed into battle as they arrived, soldiers rarely saw their opponents in this wooded maze and were...
[The entire page is 309 words long]
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