Gordon C. Rhea - The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864

The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864 — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

1234567...140

WINNER OF THE JULES AND FRANCES LANDRY AWARD FOR 1994

THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS
MAY 56, 1864

THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS
MAY 56, 1864

Gordon C. Rhea

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS Baton Rouge

Published by Louisiana State University Press
Copyright 1994 by Louisiana State University Press
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America

Louisiana Paperback Edition, 2004

Second printing, 2011

Designer: Glynnis Phoebe
Typeface: Body text Sabon, display Cochin
Typesetter: G&S Typesetters, Inc.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Rhea, Gordon C.
The Battle of the Wilderness, May 56, 1864 / Gordon C. Rhea.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Wilderness, Battle of the, Va., 1864. I. Title.
E476.52.R47 1994
973.736dc20

93-42110
CIP

ISBN 978-0-8071-3021-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

Contents

I
MAY 23, 1864 Lee and Grant Make Their Plans

II
MAY 4 The Armies Maneuver for Position

III
MAY 5, MORNING Lee and Grant Find Surprise and Opportunity

IV
MAY 5, AFTERNOON The Grand Offensive Breaks Down

V
MAY 5, EVENING Grant Strives for a Coordinated Assault

VI
MAY 6, MORNING The Tide Shifts

VII
MAY 6, MIDDAY Lee Struggles to Retain the Initiative

VIII
MAY 6, EVENING The Armies Reach Stalemate

Illustrations

PICTURES

MAPS

Acknowledgments

I WISH ESPECIALLY to thank the historian William Craig, who offered early inspiration and encouragement; Karl E. Sundstrom, who reviewed my draft and offered valuable insight; William D. Matter and Donald Pfanz, who found time in their busy schedules to read and comment on the manuscript; and Robert K. Krick, Chief Historian of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, whose ready assistance in all things asked of him, and in much more, made this book possible.

My debts extend to R. Monroe Waugh, recently deceased, who walked with me the overgrown remains of the Rapidan earthworks that he knew since childhood; Patricia J. Hurst, who helped identify numerous Orange County landmarks; and Anne B. Miller, who made available the resources of the Orange County Historical Society. I extend thanks also to librarians and research assistants at the numerous libraries and collections that I visited. Special gratitude must go to Richard J. Sommers and David Keough, who gave me a warm and gracious reception at the United States Army Military History Institute.

I am also indebted to George Skoch, whose wonderful maps constitute an important part of this work, and to Noel Harrison, of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, who aided in preparing those maps and afforded me access to parts of the battlefield inaccessible to the general public. Numerous friends read the manuscript and offered their views, including John Fisher, David Nissman, and Bernard Patty. Brian A. Bennett shared with me material about the 140th New York that I had overlooked. Barry L. Blose, of the LSU Press editorial staff, deftly applied his talents to the manuscript. My law partner, Thomas Alkon, deserves special thanks for his thoughtful comments and for putting up with this project during the past several years. And so also do Catherine and Campbell Rhea, who understood when, respectively, their husband and father sought time to investigate and record the deeds of his long-dead friends.

Abbreviations

ADAH	Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery
AU	Special Collections, Auburn University Libraries
B&L	Buel, Clarence C., and Robert U. Johnson, eds. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. 4 vols. New York, 188488.
BL	Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
BU	Mugar Library, Boston University
CL	William Clements Library, University of Michigan
DU	William R. Perkins Library, Duke University
ECU	Manuscript Department, East Carolina University Libraries
EU	Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University
FSMP	Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park Library
GDAH	Georgia Department of Archives and History, Atlanta
HSP	Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
HU	Houghton Library, Harvard University
LC	Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
MC	Eleanor S. Brockenbrough Library, Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond
MHS	Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston
MDAH	Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson
MOLLUS	Military Order of the Loyal Legions of the United States
NCDAH	North Carolina Department of Archives and History, Raleigh
NYHS	New York Historical Society, New York
NYSA	New York State Archives, Albany
OR	The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. 130 vols. Washington, D.C., 18801901. Unless otherwise stated, references are to Series I.
PMHSM	Papers of the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts. 14 vols. Boston, 18811918.
RL	Rundel Library, Rochester, N.Y.
RU	Special Collections and Archives, Rutgers University Libraries
SHC	Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina
SHSP	Southern Historical Society Papers. 49 vols. Richmond, 18761944.
TSL	Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville
UG	University of Georgia Libraries
USMHI	United States Army Military History Institute, Carlisle, Pa.
UV	Alderman Library, University of Virginia
VHS	Virginia Historical Society, Richmond
VSL	Virginia State Library, Richmond

INTRODUCTION

NEAR THE EASTERN end of General Robert E. Lees Confederate defensive line was a shallow spot in the Rapidan known as Mortons Ford. There the river bent in a lazy loop to create a broad floodplain along its southern bank. Ringed by hills, the place formed a natural amphitheater in which the rebels had front row seats. From heights above, the Richmond Howitzers, an elite Southern artillery unit, commanded the ford and its approaches. Gray-clad pickets patrolled the flat land along the river itself.

An ill-advised skirmish at Mortons Ford confirmed for the northerners that Lees Rapidan works were as tough as they looked. The business all started in February, 1864, when Major General Benjamin F. Butler, a Union commander known more for his political influence among radical Republicans than for military prowess, decided to chance a surprise attack against Richmond. According to Butlers calculations, a series of Confederate operations along the North Carolina coast must have stripped Richmonds defenses bare. The general proposed that he advance with six thousand troops up the swampy peninsula between the York and James rivers and swoop unannounced into the Confederate capital.

Next page

1234567...140

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864»

Look at similar books to The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.

Rhea Powers

Messages from Beyond / Botschaften von drüben: in English and German / in Englisch und Deutsch

Rhonda Rhea

High Heels in High Places: Walking Worthy in Way Cute Shoes

Gordon C. Rhea

To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13--25, 1864

Rhea

Constable on Trial

Wheelan

Bloody spring: forty days that sealed the Confederacys fate

Mackowski Chris

A Season of Slaughter: the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May 8-21, 1864

Gordon C. Rhea

On to Petersburg

Bauer

Gordon Setter

Dennis Peter

Petersburg 1864-65: the Longest Siege

Michael Frome

Battle for the wilderness

Gordon C. Rhea

The battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the road to Yellow Tavern, May 7-12, 1864

Grady McWhiney

Battle in the Wilderness: Grant Meets Lee (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders)

Discussion, reviews of the book The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864 and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.