As the purpose of this writing is to convey ideas of personal observations and experience, it will be confined, as far as practicable, to campaigns or parts of them with which I was directly or indirectly connected. So, when participants and partisans have passed away, I shall have contributed my share towards putting the historian in possession of evidence which he can weigh with that of other actors in the great drama.

At midnight of the 3d of May, 1864, the Army of the Potomac took its line of march for the lower crossings of the Rapidan River at Germania and Ely’s Fords, the Fifth and Sixth Corps for the former, the Second for the latter, Wilson’s division of cavalry leading the first, Gregg’s the second column. The cavalry was to secure the crossings and lay bridges for the columns as they came up. Wilson’s cavalry crossed at Germania ford, drove off the Confederate outpost, and began the construction of a bridge at daylight. Gregg also was successful, and the bridges were ready when the solid columns came. Warren’s (Fifth Corps) crossed after Wilson’s cavalry, marching westward as far as Wilderness Tavern. Sedgwick’s corps followed and pitched camp near the crossing. Hancock’s corps followed Gregg’s cavalry, and made camp at Chancellorsville. Generals Grant and Meade went over after Warren’s column and established head-quarters near the crossing. General Grant despatched for Burnside’s corps to come and join him by night march. Sheridan was expected to engage Stuart’s cavalry at Hamilton’s Crossing near Fredericksburg.

General Grant had no fixed plan of campaign beyond the general idea to avoid the strong defensive line occupied by General Lee behind Mine Run, and find a way to draw him out to open battle.

The Wilderness is a forest land of about fifteen miles square, lying between and equidistant from Orange Court-House and Fredericksburg. It is broken occasionally by small farms and abandoned clearings, and two roads,—the Orange Plank road and the turnpike, which are cut at right angles by the Germania road,—in general course nearly parallel, open ways through it between Fredericksburg and the Court-House. The Germania Ford road joins the Brock road, the strategic line of the military zone, and crosses the turnpike at Wilderness Tavern and the Plank road about two miles south of that point.

Though the march was set on foot at midnight it was soon made known to General Lee, and its full purport was revealed by noon of the 4th, and orders were sent the different commanders for their march to meet the enemy,—the Second Corps (Ewell’s), consisting of Rodes’s, Johnson’s, and Early’s divisions, by the Orange Turnpike; the Third (A. P. Hill’s)—R. H. Anderson’s, Heth’s, and Wilcox’s divisions—by the Orange Plank road.

General Lee’s signals were interpreted and sent to General Grant, who so far modified his plans as to prepare for immediate battle. The commands of the First Corps, Field’s and Kershaw’s divisions and Alexander’s batteries, were stationed, Field’s north of Gordonsville, where he had been posted on the 1st of May in anticipation of a move around our left, the other commands near Mechanicsville. We were ordered forward by the Plank road to Parker’s Store; the order was received after one o’clock, and sent out for information of the commanders, who were ordered to prepare and march. But I asked for and received authority to march by a shorter route that would at the same time relieve the Plank road of pressure of troops and trains (for we had been crowded off the road once before by putting too many troops upon a single track). By the same despatch I asked and subsequently obtained leave to go on to the Brock road, where we could look for and hope to intercept the enemy’s march, and cause him to develop plans before he could get out of the Wilderness. We marched at four o’clock by the Lawyer’s road. Our chief quartermaster, Colonel Taylor, whose home was between Orange Court-House and the Wilderness, had been ordered to secure the services of the most competent guide to be found. We halted at Brock’s Bridge for rest, and there Colonel Taylor brought up our guide, James Robinson, who had been for several years the sheriff of the county, and whose whole life had been spent in the Wilderness. The march was resumed, and continued with swinging step, with occasional rests, until we reached Richard’s Shops, at five P.M. of the 5th. There we overtook Rosser’s cavalry, engaged in severe encounter with part of Sheridan’s. The enemy abandoned the contest and rode away, leaving his dead with some of ours on the field.

[Larger Image]

The distance of march was twenty-eight miles. Soon after my arrival at the shops, Colonel Venable, of general head-quarters staff, came with orders for a change of direction of the column through the wood to unite with the troops of the Third Corps on the Plank road. The rear of my column closed up at dark, and orders were sent to prepare to resume march at twelve o’clock. The accounts we had of the day’s work were favorable to the Confederates; but the change of direction of our march was not reassuring.

In accordance with the general plan of turning the Confederate right without touching our intrenched line along Mine Run, the Army of the Potomac had been put in motion early on the 5th, the Second Corps towards Shady Grove Church by the Todd’s Tavern road, the Fifth by the dirt road towards Parker’s Store on the Plank road, the Sixth on the right, to follow the Fifth as movements developed. General Warren moved with three divisions, leaving Griffin’s on the turnpike. Presently, after taking up his march towards Parker’s Store, the Confederates were discovered on the Plank road, and General Meade ordered the corps made ready for battle. The Sixth, except Getty’s division, was ordered to make connection on the right of the Fifth by wood roads, and prepare for the battle. Getty’s division was ordered to the Plank road at the Brock road crossing, to hold that point at all hazards until the Second Corps could join it, the latter being recalled from Todd’s Tavern for that holding and developments there indicated.