Wilderness, Va., 5-7 May 1864. Army of the Potomac.
9 March 1864
Maj.-Gen. U. S. Grant was raised to the rank of lieutenant-general and
placed in command of all the United States armies in the field. The interval
from that time until the 1st of May was spent in planning campaigns, and
in strengthening, organizing and equipping the several armies in the different
military districts. Grant remained with the Army of the Potomac, which
was under the immediate command of Maj.-Gen. George G. Meade, and which
had for its objective the destruction of the Confederate army under command
of Gen Robert E. Lee.
The Army of the Potomac lay along the north side of the Rapidan river
and was organized as follows:
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Maj.Gen. U. S. Grant
Maj.Gen. George G. Meade
(120,000 Men Of Arms) |
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| 2nd
Corps Maj.Gen. W. S. Hancock
1st Division - Brig.Gen. F. C. Barlow
2nd Division - Brig.Gen. John Gibbon
3rd Division - Maj.Gen. D. B. Birney
4th Division - Brig Gen.Gershom Mott.
Artillery Brigade - Col John C. Tidball |
5th
Corps Maj.Gen. G. K Warren
1st Division - Brig Gen. Charles Griffin
2nd Division - Brig Gen. J. C. Robinson
3d Division - Brig Gen. S. W. Crawford
4th Division - Brig Gen. J. S. Wadsworth
Artillery Brigade - Col. C. S. Wainwright |
6th Corps Maj.Gen. John
Sedgwick
1st Division - Brig.Gen. H. G. Wright
2d Division - Brig.Gen. G. W. Getty
3d Division - Brig.Gen. James B. Ricketts
2d Brigade
67thRegiment
Artillery Brigade - Col. C. H. Tompkins |
| 9th Corps Maj.Gen. A. E. Burnside
1st Division - Brig Gen T. G. Stevenson
2nd Division - Brig Gen R B. Potte
3rd Division - Brig Gen O. B. Willcox
4th Division - Brig Gen Edward Ferrero |
Cavalry Corps - Maj.-Gen. P. H. Sheridan
1st Division - Brig.Gen T. A. Torbert
2nd Division - Brig.Gen. G. A. Custer
3rd Division - Brig Gen. J. H. Wilson. |
18th Corps Maj.- Gen. W. F. Smith
Division - Brig.- Gen. W. T. H. Brooks
Division - Brig.- Gen. Godfrey Weitzeld
Division - Brig.- Gen. E. W. Hinks
Cavalry Division Brig- Gen. August V. Kautz. |
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Artillery
Reserve Brig.Gen. Henry J. Hunt. Burnside
Kitching's Brigade
J. A. Tompkins' Brigade
Burton's Brigade
14 Light Batteries
2 Heavy batteries |
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Lee's army-the Army of Northern Virginia-consisted of: approximately
61,000 Men Of Arms
1st Corps - Lieut.Gen
James Longstreet
Division - Kershaw
Division - Field
Artillery Brigade - Brig.Gen. E. P. Alexander |
2nd Corps - Lieut.Gen
R. S. Ewell
Division - Early
Division - Edward Johnson
Division - Rodes
Artillery Brigade - Brig.Gen. A. L. Long |
3rd Corps - Lieut.Gen A. P. Hill
Division - R. H. Anderson
Division - Heth
Division - WilcoxA
Artillery - Col. R. L. Walker |
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Cavalry Corps - Maj Gen J. E. B. Stuart
Division - Wade Hampton
Division - Fitzhugh Lee
Division - W. H. F. Lee
Horse Artillery - Maj. R. P. Chew |
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The Union loss in the battle of the Wilderness was 2,246 killed 12,037
wounded and 3,383 captured or missing. No doubt many of the wounded were
burned to death or suffocated in the fire that raged through the woods
on Hancock's front.
Concerning the enemy's casualties Badeau, in his Military History of U.
S. Grant, says: "The losses of Lee no human
being can tell. No official report of them exists, if any was ever made,
and no statement that has been put forth in regard to them has any foundation
but a guess. It seems however, fair to presume that as Lee fought outside
of his works as often as Grant, and was as often repelled, the slaughter
of the rebels equalled that in the national army. The grey coats lay as
thick as the blue next day, when the national scouts pushed out over the
entire battle-field and could discover no living enemy "
For more reading of this story please visit The
National Park Service.
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