Many view the American Civil War as a battle of wits and strength between two great generals: Robert E. Lee of the South and Ulysses S. Grant of the North. However, their direct confrontation only truly began in May 1864, when Grant was transferred to the Eastern Theater and appointed as the general-in-chief of all Union forces.
The Battle of the Wilderness marked the first time Grant and Lee faced each other directly in a series of battles that followed. This was not only an important battle but also a significant turning point, beginning a tense struggle between the two most brilliant strategists of the U.S. Civil War.
In this article, Thefactsofwar will delve into the details of the Battle of the Wilderness, including its causes, developments, and consequences. We will analyze the strategies of both generals, the difficult terrain of the Wilderness area, and how this battle paved the way for the prolonged Overland Campaign.
Victory declared by the Confederacy
The Battle of the Wilderness was a large-scale engagement that marked the beginning of the final and perhaps the bloodiest phase of the American Civil War. General Ulysses S. Grant, the newly appointed commander of all Union forces, was given a simple yet challenging task: to attack General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, no matter where they were.
This army was defending the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, and had defeated every prior Union attempt to capture the city. Defeating the Army of Northern Virginia would mean ending the war.
From May 5 to May 7, 1864, Grant’s Army of the Potomac, with its massive force, clashed with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the area that had seen many previous battles. The dense forested terrain of Virginia, known as the Wilderness, became the site of fierce fighting as the two armies often encountered each other at close range.
Although Grant began strongly on May 5, he saw his campaign wear down due to Lee’s skillful defense. Ultimately, Grant was unable to defeat Lee, allowing the Confederacy to declare victory. However, Grant did not retreat, which led many to consider the battle as a stalemate.
Timeline of the Battle of the Wilderness
- May 2, 1864: General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy realized that the Union’s Army of the Potomac was about to launch a major attack. He predicted that the next target would be Richmond. Lee quickly spread his forces to be ready to block Grant, no matter which direction he chose to move.
- May 4: The Army of the Potomac crossed into Virginia, preparing for the attack.
- Early May 5: The first Union cavalry regiments encountered Confederate infantry positioning in the Wilderness. General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to march his forces through this dense forest to achieve surprise, but was detected.
- Morning and afternoon of May 5: The fighting began in earnest. By the afternoon, a Union assault surprised Lee, as he had previously hoped to avoid a major battle.
- 9:00 PM, May 5: The Union assault was halted just before they could achieve a breakthrough.
- May 6: Intense fighting continued as the Union launched another attack. Confederate General James Longstreet counterattacked, leading to fierce battles that lasted throughout the day. However, most of the engagements resulted in no clear outcome.
- Morning of May 7: Grant decided to continue moving his army southward instead of attempting to attack the Confederacy’s entrenched positions. This decision directly led to the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House shortly after.
Causes of the Battle of the Wilderness
General Ulysses S. Grant recognized the need to change the Union’s strategy to deal with the Confederacy. Previous efforts to capture the capital, Richmond, had failed, and the Army of the Potomac’s repeated withdrawals after each battle gave the Confederate army time to rest and build stronger defensive lines. Although a war of attrition would result in heavy losses, Grant believed it would weaken the South more than the North.
With this new strategy, in May 1864, Grant began a relentless campaign to defeat General Robert E. Lee’s army and open the path to Richmond. Grant believed that moving his forces through the dense Wilderness would allow him to avoid detection and create an opportunity to engage the Confederacy on open ground, thereby utilizing his artillery advantage. However, things did not unfold as he had hoped.
For Lee, he knew that an attack was necessary while the Army of the Potomac was still trapped in the Wilderness area. With fewer troops—almost half the Union’s strength—Lee faced the risk of being decisively defeated if Grant advanced to open terrain and deployed his artillery. Lee hoped to use a strategy similar to the previous year’s Battle of Chancellorsville: sending some divisions to hold off the Union while others would launch a surprise attack from both flanks.
However, the thick woods of the Wilderness not only reduced Grant’s strategic options but also made it difficult for Lee’s army to deploy and organize an effective attack. As a result, both sides became entangled in a protracted and brutal struggle.
Why was the Battle of the Wilderness important?
The Battle of the Wilderness was significant because it marked the beginning of a strategy of attrition in Virginia. General Ulysses S. Grant was determined to prevent the enemy from having time to reorganize and reinforce, signaling a major shift in tactics from previous years. Before this, every time the Union withdrew, the Confederacy had time to build new defensive lines. However, with limited manpower, the South could not endure losses as the North could.
Meanwhile, the administration of President Abraham Lincoln in the North faced immense political pressure to end the war, as Northern citizens were growing weary and unwilling to accept an endless war.
Secondly, the Battle of the Wilderness was one of the largest engagements of the American Civil War. Approximately 100,000 Union soldiers faced over 60,000 Confederate troops, resulting in about 30,000 casualties. After three years of war, this was a significant loss for both sides. This further motivated Grant to continue his attacks to bring the war to a quick end, as the people of the North could not accept escalating casualties without seeing clear progress.
Fortunately, Northern victories in other areas, such as General Sherman’s March to the Sea in Georgia, gave Lincoln some political breathing room to maintain the war effort until its conclusion.
5 Facts about the Battle of the Wilderness
Casualties
The total estimated casualties in the Battle of the Wilderness were around 30,000, including 17,000 Union soldiers and 13,000 Confederate soldiers. These numbers remain disputed, with some suggesting that Grant’s losses were twice as high as Lee’s. However, even with a two-to-one ratio, the North was better able to replace its losses than the South, which was struggling.
Commanders
The Union forces were led by General Ulysses S. Grant, but most of the fighting on May 5 was directed by Major General Gouverneur K. Warren. A trained engineer and terrain expert from West Point (graduating in 1850), Warren’s skills played a critical role at the Battle of Gettysburg, earning him a promotion. However, Warren was later relieved of command by General Philip Sheridan, leading to a prolonged dispute. An investigation in 1879 concluded that Sheridan’s actions were unjust.
Troop Numbers
Under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, over 160,000 soldiers participated in the Battle of the Wilderness. Of these, approximately 100,000 Union soldiers from the Army of the Potomac and around 62,000 Confederate soldiers from the Army of Northern Virginia were engaged. However, due to the dense forest terrain, it was difficult to accurately determine the number of troops directly involved in the fighting at any given moment, as well as the true number of casualties.
Visiting the Wilderness Area Today
Today, visitors can visit the sites of the Battle of the Wilderness, which are part of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia. A self-guided driving tour with audio commentary is available, although part of the route passes through public roads. Additionally, the park features an outdoor exhibit dedicated to the Battle of the Wilderness, located on a walking trail. Several historic farms also form part of the tour, reenacting where soldiers rested during the battle.
Fun Fact: One of the Confederacy’s Greatest Generals Was Shot by His Own Men
With fewer troops and a less developed industrial base than the North, the Confederacy relied heavily on its generals’ leadership to maintain its fighting capacity. One of the Confederacy’s finest generals, James Longstreet, proved his skill even while enduring the grief of losing three children to scarlet fever in 1862.
Longstreet often led attacks and rescued situations in battles, earning a stellar reputation. However, he was also known for his public disagreements with other generals, including Robert E. Lee. After the Battle of Gettysburg, where Longstreet opposed the decision to carry out Pickett’s Charge, his reputation began to decline. In the Battle of the Wilderness, Longstreet was tragically shot by his own men, causing severe wounds and temporarily losing his ability to command.
Aftermath of the Battle of the Wilderness
For the first time, the Army of the Potomac did not retreat to the North after failing to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia. Instead, General Ulysses S. Grant continued moving south, maintaining continuous pressure on the Confederacy. Grant had promised President Abraham Lincoln that he would persist with the campaign of attack, regardless of the outcome of each battle, and he kept his word despite heavy losses. When news reached General William T. Sherman that Grant continued his offensive, he called it “the greatest act of his life.”
Grant’s Overland Campaign ultimately succeeded, leading to the Siege of Petersburg and the eventual capture of Richmond, the Confederate capital. With the strategic space shrinking, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia grew increasingly exhausted. Depleted in resources and manpower, Lee eventually surrendered after the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865, officially ending the American Civil War.
After the war, Grant continued his political career and became the 18th President of the United States, leaving a significant mark on American history.
Translated by: Minh Tuan
Source: thecollector.com – Who Won the Battle of the Wilderness?
