16 - Hell On Earth: The Battle Of The Wilderness

About this episode: 

Since the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863, the two, George Gordon Meade and Robert E. Lee, and their respective armies had shadowboxed down in Central Virginia. The sparring continued throughout the fall and winter, but in spring, there was a new federal presence, and he meant business. General-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant now wore a third star; the first true lieutenant general since George Washington, and rather than be mired in political intrigue in the capital, he chose to travel with Meade's Army of the Potomac. Before, Union generals ordered the Army of the Potomac forward, gave battle, retreated, and then sat on its haunches for months at a time before the next offensive. That would not be the case come spring of 1864. U.S. Grant was going to give battle and do so in relentless fashion, and so in May, he launched a campaign unlike anything the Federal Army of the Potomac had ever experienced before. This is the story of the first battle in what would be called "The Overland Campaign." This is the story of the first encounter between Lee and Grant.

Some Characters Mentioned In This Episode: 

Winfield Scott Hancock

Ulysses S. Grant

Gouverneur K. Warren

Charles Griffin

James Wadsworth

Ambrose Burnside

James Longstreet

Richard Stoddert Ewell

 

Other References From This Episode:

 

Battle Of the Wilderness: May 5, 1864.

 

Battle of the Wilderness: May 6, 1864 - 5am.

Battle of the Wilderness: May 6, 1864 - 6-10am.

Battle of the Wilderness: May 6, 1864 - 11am.

Battle of the Wilderness: May 6, 1864 - 2-6pm. 

 

*** Maps by Hal Jespersen, www.CWmaps.com, http://www.posix.com/CW/

Get The Guide:

Want to learn more about the Civil War? A great place to start is Fred's guide, The Civil War: A History of the War between the States from Workman Publishing. The guide is in its 9th printing.

 

*Title Image by G.O. Brown

 

Producer: Dan Irving