MAJOR-GENERAL G. W. C. LEE, 0. S. A.
less of numbers, flanks, or supports, dashed directly upon them. There was a terrific crash, mingled with wild yells, which settled down into a steady roar of musketry. In less than ten minutes one-half of that devoted eight hundred were lying upon the field dead or wounded; but they had delivered a staggering blow and broken the force of the Federal advance. Benning’s and Law’s brigades came promptly to their support, and the whole swept forward together. The tide was flowing the other way. It ebbed and flowed many times that day, strewing the Wilderness with human wrecks. Law’s brigade captured a line of log breastworks in its front, but had held them
MAJOR-GENERAL EDWARD JOHNSON, C. S. A.
march of Longstreet’s troops, and another to prepare the trains for a movement to the rear, was assisting in rallying the disordered troops, and directing the fire of the artillery, when the head of Longstreet’s corps appeared in double column, swinging down the Orange Plank road at a trot. In perfect order, ranks well closed, and no stragglers, those sjdendid troops came on, regardless of the confusion on every side, pushing their steady wray onward like “a river in the sea” of confused and troubled human waves around them. Kershaw’s division took the right of the road, and, coming into line under a heavy fire, moved obliquely to the right (south) to meet the Federal left, which had “ swung round” in that direction. The Fed-erals were checked in their sweeping advance, and
thrown back upon their front line of breastworks, where they made a stubborn stand. But Kershaw, urged on by Long-street, charged with his whole command, swept his front, and captured the works.
Nearly at the same moment Field’s division took the left of the road, with Gregg’s brigade in front, Benning’s behind it, Law’s next, and Jenkins’s following. As the Texans in the front lines swept past the batteries where General Lee was standing, they gave a rousing cheer for “Marse Robert,” who spurred his horse forward and followed them in the charge. When the men became aware that he was “going in” with them, they called loudly to him to go back. “Wewon’tgo on unless you go back” was the general cry. One of the men dropped to the rear, taking the bridle turned the general’s horse around, while General Gregg came up and urged him to do as the men wished. At that moment a member of his staff (Colonel Venable) directed his attention to General Longstreet, whom he had been looking for, and who was sitting on his horse near the Orange Plank road. With evident disappointment General Lee turned off and joined General Longstreet.
The ground over which Field’s troops were advancing was open for a short distance, and fringed on its farther edge with scattered pines, beyond which began the Wilderness. The Federals [Webb’s brigade of Hancock’s corps] were advancing through the pines with apparent resistless force, when Gregg’s eight hundred Texans, regard-
ness.” Cadmus Wilcox’s division went to Heth’s support, and Poague’s battalion of artillery took position in a little clearing on the north side of the Plank road, in rear of the Confederate infantry. But there was litt le use for artillery on such a field, with the angry flashing and heavy roar of the musketry, mingled with the yells of the combatants as they swayed to and fro in the gloomy thickets. Among the killed were General Alexander Hays, of Hancock’s corps, and General J. M. Jones, of Ewell’s.
When the battle closed at 8 o’clock, General Lee sent an order to Longstreet to make a night march, so as to arrive upon the field at daylight the next morning. The latter moved at 1 A. M. of the 6th, but it was already daylight when he reached the Plank road at Parker’s store, three miles in rear of Hill’s battle-field.
During the night the movements of troops and preparations for battle could be heard on the Federal line, in front of Heth’s and Wilcox’s divisions, which had so far sustained them-- selves against every attack by six divisions under General Hancock. But Heth’s and Wilcox’s men were thoroughly worn out. Their lines were ragged and irregular, with wide intervals, and in some places fronting in different directions. In the expectation that they would be relieved during the night, no effort was made to rearrange and strengthen them to meet the storm that was brewing.
As soon as it was light enough to see what little could be seen in that dark forest, Hancock’s troops swept forward to the attack. The blow fell with greatest force upon Wilcox’s troops south of the Orange Plank road. They made what front they could and renewed the fight, until, the attacking column overlapping the right wing, it gave way, and the whole line “rolled up” from the right and retired in disorder along the Plank road as far as the position of Poague’s artillery, which now opened upon the attacking force. The Federals pressed their advantage and were soon abreast of the artillery on the opposite side, their bullets flying across the road among the guns where General Lee himself stood. For a while matters looked very serious for the Confederates. General Lee, after sending a messenger to hasten the
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LIEUTENANT-GENERAL RICHARD H. ANDERSON, C. S. A.
pike, A. P. Hill’s advance struck the Federal outposts on the Plank road at Parker’s store, on the outskirts of the Wilderness. These were driven in, and followed up to their line of battle, which was so posted as to cover the junction of the Plank road with the Stevensburg and Brock roads, on which the Federal army was moving toward Spotsylvania. The fight began between Getty’s division of the Sixth Corps, and Heth’s division, which was leading A. P. Hill’s column. Hancock’s corps, which was already on the march for Spotsylvania by way of Chancellorsville, was at once recalled, and at J o’clock in the afternoon was ordered to drive Hill “out of the Wilder-
MAJOR-GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE, C. S. A.