Misplaced Pages

#265734

90-824: General Roy Stone 's Centennial Monorail was demonstrated at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the U.S., which was held in Philadelphia ( Pennsylvania ) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence . The track was approx 155 m (170 yards) long and joined the Horticultural Hall and the Agricultural Hall in Fairmount Park . It

180-637: A Union Army officer during the Civil War and became noted for his stubborn defense of the McPherson Farm during the Battle of Gettysburg . He first served as major of the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves , a regiment that saw action at several early war battles, including Antietam . Stone returned to Pennsylvania to help recruit new regiments; he was commissioned as colonel of the newly raised 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in 1863. He commanded

270-669: A brigade in the third division of I Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the Battle of Chancellorsville but did not see serious combat. During the Gettysburg Campaign , Stone retained command of his three Pennsylvania regiments. On July 1, 1863, on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg , his brigade, largely composed of green troops, was posted on McPherson's Ridge south of the Chambersburg Pike. Although

360-478: A Confederate cavalry brigade commanded by Brigadier General Thomas L. Rosser . After initially driving Rosser back, both of Wilson's brigades fled east after finding Hill's infantry on their north side and Rosser's cavalry on the Catharpin Road on their south side. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment was the rear guard, and it became surrounded on three sides. The regiment left the road and blended into

450-566: A herd of cattle. The supply train crossed the Rapidan at Ely's and Culpeper Mine fords. At Culpeper Mine Ford, it was guarded by Brigadier General Alfred T. A. Torbert 's 1st Cavalry Division. Grant and Meade gambled that they could move the army quickly enough to avoid being ensnared in the Wilderness, but Meade halted the II and V corps to allow the wagon train to catch up. At the Wilderness

540-591: A quick, decisive battle, Grant was prepared to fight a war of attrition . Both the Union and Confederate casualties could be high, but the Union had greater resources to replace lost soldiers and equipment. By May 2, Grant had four corps positioned to begin Meade's portion of Grant's plan against Lee's army. Three of the corps, plus cavalry, composed Meade's Army of the Potomac. A fourth corps, reporting directly to Grant, added additional firepower. The Rapidan River divided

630-672: A small force west on the Orange Turnpike. After the head of the V Corps reached Wilderness Tavern around 11:00   am, Wilson continued south. He arrived at Parker's Store near the Orange Plank Road at 2:00   pm. Scouts were sent south to Catharpin Road and west to Mine Run where they found only small enemy squads. During that time, his squad on the Orange Turnpike skirmished with Confederate soldiers near Robertson's Tavern (Locust Grove). Assuming they were fighting with

720-582: A small group of Confederate cavalry pickets . After engineers placed pontoon bridges , the V Corps (Warren) and later the VI Corps (Sedgwick) crossed safely. Wilson continued south on the Germanna Plank Road toward Wilderness Tavern and the Orange Turnpike. He halted at Wilderness Tavern at noon to wait for the V Corps, and sent scouts to the south and west. A few miles east, Brigadier General David M. Gregg led his 2nd Cavalry Division across

810-638: A small group of Confederate pickets, they withdrew and by evening rejoined the division at Parker's Store. Meade's original plan was to have Torbert's 1st Cavalry Division join Wilson, but he received an erroneous report that the Confederate cavalry was operating in his army's rear, in the direction of Fredericksburg . He ordered his 1st and 2nd cavalry divisions to move east to deal with that perceived threat, leaving only Wilson's division to screen for three corps. Wilson had little experience with cavalry, and

900-412: A twisting road that was a narrow wagon route. The VI Corps's lead division of Brigadier General George W. Getty was waiting at Wilderness Tavern, so at 10:30   am Meade sent it to defend the important intersection until Hancock could get there. Hammond's 500-man cavalry force, employing repeating carbines and fighting dismounted, succeeded in slowing Hill's approach. However, Hammond's small force

990-604: A year earlier, Lee defeated the Army of the Potomac in the Battle of Chancellorsville despite having an army less than half the size of the Union army. Much of the fighting at that time occurred slightly east of the Union Army's current route. Having already secured a victory one year ago in similar circumstances, Lee hoped to fight Grant in the Wilderness. However, Lee needed Longstreet's First Corps to be in position to fight before

SECTION 10

#1732776186266

1080-697: Is buried at Arlington National Cemetery . Stone Avenue in the Gettysburg National Military Park is named in his honor and memory. The palm genus Roystonea is named in memory of the work he did in road building in Puerto Rico during the capture of the island. Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War . It

1170-573: Is located south of the Rapidan River in Virginia's Spotsylvania County and Orange County . Its southern border is Spotsylvania Court House , and western border is usually considered the Rapidan River tributary Mine Run. Its eastern border is less definite, causing estimates of the size of the Wilderness to vary. While the maximum area for the Wilderness is 132 square miles (340 km ) to 156 square miles (400 km ), historians discussing

1260-607: The 13th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment (a.k.a. the Bucktails) as skirmishers toward Hill, but Hammond's line was falling apart before the Bucktails arrived near the Orange Plank Road. Crawford did not support his Pennsylvanians, and instead worked to solidify his position at the Chewning Farm and get ready to assist in the Orange Turnpike fighting. By the time this was accomplished, Hammond was beyond helping. Meade's army

1350-474: The 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment . Hays was an old friend of Grant, having attended West Point with him and served with him in the Mexican War , and Grant was saddened to hear the news, remarking that he wasn't surprised to learn he'd died in battle as "It was just like him." Attacks and counterattacks continued into the night as casualties grew while neither side gained an advantage. Getty's division

1440-461: The 3rd Division was the smallest of the three cavalry divisions. Meade believed that Lee would fight from behind (west of) Mine Run, and aligned his army north to south from Germanna Ford to Shady Grove Church while it spent the night in the Wilderness. This change of plans by the Union leadership did not serve the army well. Not only were the Union forces spending the night in the Wilderness, "lax cavalry patrols" were causing leadership to be unaware of

1530-499: The Battle of the Wilderness was the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee. Listed below are Lee's three infantry corps and one cavalry corps, which totaled to 66,140 men including staff and men in the artillery. Each corps had three divisions plus artillery except the First Corps, which had only two divisions. The Third Corps was the largest, with 22,675 men plus another 1,910 for artillery. The Wilderness

1620-519: The Brock Road near Alsop . At nightfall, Rosser sat on the high ground west of the Po River bridge, Lee's men camped near Alsop, and Wilson's exhausted division camped north and east of Todd's Tavern. Wilson was surprised that evening when the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, thought to be captured, rejoined the division. During the night, Gregg remained at Todd's Tavern, Wilson put Chapman's Brigade on

1710-442: The Brock Road, and the brigade of George Armstrong Custer from Torbert's division began moving to relieve Wilson. While the remaining portion of Torbert's Division was south of Chancellorsville at Alrich, Torbert checked into a hospital and Brigadier General Wesley Merritt assumed command of the division. Grant's plan for May 6 was to resume the attacks at 5:00   am. Sedgwick and Warren would renew their attack on Ewell at

1800-545: The Confederate Second Corps , commanded by Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell , on the Orange Turnpike. That afternoon the Third Corps , commanded by Lieutenant General A. P. Hill , encountered Brigadier General George W. Getty 's division ( VI Corps ) and Major General Winfield S. Hancock 's Union II Corps on the Orange Plank Road. Fighting, which ended for the evening because of darkness,

1890-519: The Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia . The battle was tactically inconclusive, as Grant disengaged and continued his offensive. Grant attempted to move quickly through the dense underbrush of the Wilderness of Spotsylvania , but Lee launched two of his corps on parallel roads to intercept him. On the morning of May 5, the Union V Corps under Major General Gouverneur K. Warren attacked

SECTION 20

#1732776186266

1980-407: The Confederate line. Getty attacked at 4:15   pm while elements of Hancock's II Corps began arriving shortly thereafter. Getty was reinforced by Hancock's men, while Confederate commander Heth was reinforced by Wilcox's division. The fighting was fierce, with casualties for the brigade commanded by Brigadier General Alexander Hays particularly high—including Hays who was killed while addressing

2070-459: The Germanna Plank Road to Spotswood Road to protect Warren's right. Warren requested a delay from attacking to wait for Wright. By 12:00   pm, Meade was frustrated by the delay and ordered Warren to attack before Sedgwick's VI Corps could arrive. Warren's troops arrived at Saunders Field around 1:00   pm. The Confederate division of Major General Edward Johnson was positioned on the Orange Turnpike west of Sanders Field, and it also guarded

2160-883: The James would approach Richmond, Petersburg , and Lee from the southeast near the James River . Major General Franz Sigel 's Army of the Shenandoah would move through the Shenandoah Valley and destroy the rail line , agricultural infrastructure, and granaries used to feed the Confederate armies. Brigadier generals George Crook and William W. Averell would attack the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad , and salt and lead mines, in western Virginia before moving east to join Sigel. Sherman would attack Georgia with

2250-577: The Midwest and commanded by Brigadier General Lysander Cutler . The Iron Brigade advanced through woods south of Saunders Field and contributed to the collapse of Jones' brigade while capturing battle flags and taking prisoners. However, the Iron Brigade outdistanced Bartlett's men—exposing the Midwesterner's right flank. The Confederate brigade of Brigadier General George P. Doles attacked

2340-422: The Orange Plank Road and Catharpin Road, where they would protect Hancock and the army's wagons. The IX Corps (Burnside) remained north of the river near Germanna Ford, with orders to protect the supply train. Although Grant insisted that the army travel light with minimal artillery and supplies, its supply train was 60 to 70 miles (97 to 110 km) long. Meade had an estimated 4,300 wagons, 835 ambulances, and

2430-443: The Orange Plank Road near Parker's Store where they found men from Hill's corps retreating. Brigadier General John Gregg 's Texas Brigade was the vanguard of Longstreet's column. General Lee did not recognize the brigade's commander Brig. Gen John M. Gregg , a former officer from the Army of Tennessee who got command of the outfit the previous fall when it was serving out west and he asked what unit this was. Gregg replied that it

2520-552: The Orange Turnpike, and Hancock and Getty would attack Hill again on the Orange Plank Road. At the same time, an additional force of men currently stationed around the Lacy House would move south and attack Hill's exposed northern flank. Wadsworth requested leadership of this force, and it consisted of his division plus a fresh brigade from Robinson's division commanded by Brigadier General Henry Baxter . Adding to Wadsworth, two divisions from Burnside's IX Corps were to move through

2610-503: The Spotswood Road route of Sedgwick. Behind Johnson and further south was the division of Major General Robert E. Rodes , while the division of Major General Jubal Early waited further west in reserve. By the time the Union line arrived near the enemy, it had numerous gaps, and some regiments faced north instead of west. The concerns about Warren's right flank were justified. As Griffin's division advanced, Ayres's brigade held

2700-469: The area between the turnpike and the Plank Road and move south to flank Hill. Hill's weary men spent the evening of May 5 and the early morning hours of May 6 resting where they had fought—with little line integrity and some regiments separated from their brigades. The men from Heth's division were generally on the north side of the Orange Plank Road, while the men from Wilcox's division were mostly on

2790-408: The battle started. As Grant's plan became clearer to Lee on May 4, Lee arranged his forces to use the advantages of the Wilderness. He needed his Second and Third corps to delay Grant's army until Longstreet's First Corps could get in place. Ewell's Second Corps was sent east on the Orange Turnpike, reaching Robertson's Tavern at Locust Grove. His lead column camped about two miles (3.2 km) from

Centennial Monorail - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-578: The battlefield. Stone commanded Camp Curtin , Pennsylvania, September 7, 1864–December 15, 1864, and the Alton Military Prison in Alton, Illinois , December 15, 1864–January 27, 1865. He resigned from the volunteers on January 27, 1865. On December 12, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Stone for appointment as brevet brigadier general , U.S. Volunteers, to rank from September 7, 1864, for "gallant services during

2970-474: The battlefield. Once Longstreet's men arrived, Lee planned to shift Hill to the left to cover some of the open ground between his divided forces. Longstreet calculated that he had sufficient time to allow his men, tired from marching all day, to rest and the First Corps did not resume marching until 1:00   am. Moving cross-country in the dark, they made slow progress and lost their way at times, and by sunrise had not reached their designated position. During

3060-402: The battles fought there typically use 70 square miles (180 km ). At the time of the battle, the region was a "patchwork of open areas and vegetation of varying density." Much of the vegetation was a dense second-growth forest consisting of small trees, bushes, shrubs, and pines . Since clearings were scarce, and the region had only a few narrow winding roads, mounted cavalry fighting

3150-520: The brigade had not seen previous combat, it was instrumental in holding back several assaults by the Confederates . Stone moved his regiments to block attacks by Colonel John Brockenborough and Brigadier General Junius Daniel . His troops held until the Iron Brigade and other Federal units fell back. Stone's men were among last to withdraw from their sector. Stone was severely wounded in

3240-469: The charge north of the road, fought gallantly at a heavy price—only 250 of the 800 men emerged unscathed. Field's division drove back Wadsworth's force on the north side of the Widow Tapp farm, while Kershaw's division fought along the road. Although Wadsworth and his brigadier Rice tried to restore order near the front, most of his troops fled to the Lacy House and were done fighting for the remainder of

3330-437: The course of history. By noon, Hill had the division of Major General Henry Heth past the Widow Tapp farm, and the division of Major General Cadmus M. Wilcox followed near Parker's Store. Hammond was nearly out of ammunition and was eventually pushed back to the vital intersection around noon, but was relieved by Getty's advance brigade just before Hill's forces arrived. Hammond's force moved further east behind Getty, and

3420-642: The dense woods and the large infantry force made fighting on horseback inadvisable. The command fought dismounted and spread out as a skirmish line while utilizing their Spencer repeating rifles. The regiment slowly retreated east, moving toward and beyond Parker's Store on the Orange Plank Road. Once the Confederates advanced east of Parker's Store, the remainder of Wilson's cavalry division was cut off from Meade and Warren's V   Corps. At 6:00   am on May 5, Warren's V Corps began moving south over farm lanes toward Parker's Store. The Confederate infantry

3510-576: The east of the Confederate fortifications on the Rapidan, using the Germanna and Ely fords, but he could not be certain. To retain flexibility of response, Lee had dispersed his army over a wide area. Longstreet's First Corps was around Gordonsville , from where they had the flexibility to respond by railroad to potential threats to the Shenandoah Valley or to Richmond. Hill's Third Corps was outside Orange Court House . Ewell's Second Corps

3600-457: The effectiveness of artillery. Grant was aware of how the Wilderness made his advantages in size and artillery less effective, and preferred to move his army further south to fight Lee in open ground. On May 2, Lee met with his generals on Clark Mountain, obtaining a panoramic view of the Union camps. He realized that Grant was getting ready to attack, but did not know the precise route of advance. He predicted (correctly) that Grant would cross to

3690-567: The exposed flank, and the Iron Brigade's 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment suffered nearly 50 casualties in only a few minutes. Soon, the Confederate brigade of Brigadier General John B. Gordon joined in the attack, tearing through the Union line and forcing the Iron Brigade to break and retreat. Further to the Union left, near the Higgerson farm, the Union brigade of Colonel Roy Stone was ambushed in waist-high swamp water, and

Centennial Monorail - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-412: The guns, the field caught fire and men from both sides were shocked as their wounded comrades burned to death. The first phase of fighting on the Orange Turnpike was over by 2:30   pm. The lead elements of Sedgwick's VI Corps reached Saunders Field around 3:00   pm. Wright commanded the renewal of fighting until Sedgwick arrived around 3:30   pm. The fighting was now in the woods north of

3870-467: The hip and arm in the fighting, and he returned home to recuperate. After his return to active duty, Stone served briefly as a brigade commander in James Wadsworth 's 4th Division, V Corps during Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant 's 1864 Overland Campaign . He was removed from command during the Battle of the Wilderness . Stone's horse fell on him on May 5, but many presumed he had been drunk on

3960-422: The ill-prepared Third Corps in concert with Wadsworth. Following Hill's orders, Lieutenant Colonel William T. Poague 's 12 guns at the Widow Tapp farm fired tirelessly at the road—despite the Confederate soldiers retreating in front of the guns. This slowed the Union advance, but could not stop it. Brig. Gen Alexander S. Webb 's brigade of Gibbon's division was sent to support Getty but ended up being isolated from

4050-555: The initiative. Longstreet would arrive a day later, or Ewell and Hill could retreat west to Mine Run if necessary. Orders were sent around 8:00   pm to move early in the morning. The Wilderness was "peculiarly unsuitable for the operations of cavalry, covered...in every direction with dense thickets that were impenetrable to horsemen and intersected by few and narrow paths which permitted of movement only in long-extended and thin columns...." Brigadier General James H. Wilson, 3rd Cavalry Division At Wilderness Tavern, Wilson sent

4140-410: The latter and blunder into some of Hill's troops. The brigade was forced to retreat with 300 casualties and Webb wrote afterward that he never did figure out exactly where or what he was supposed to be doing. While Hill's corps retreated, reinforcements arrived. Longstreet rode ahead of his men and arrived at the battlefield around 6:00   am. His men marched east and then turned north, arriving on

4230-474: The momentum was lost when Longstreet was wounded by his own men . An evening attack by Brigadier General John B. Gordon against the Union right flank caused consternation at the Union headquarters, but the lines stabilized and fighting ceased. On May 7, Grant disengaged and moved to the southeast, intending to leave the Wilderness to interpose his army between Lee and Richmond, leading to the Battle of Todd's Tavern and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House . In

4320-470: The night, Ewell placed his artillery on his extreme left and on both sides of the Orange Turnpike. He also had an abatis in front of his trenchline. He attacked Sedgwick on the north side of the turnpike at 4:45   am. His line moved forward and then back on multiple occasions, and some ground was fought over as many as five times. To the south on the Orange Plank Road, Hancock's II Corps with Getty's division attacked Hill at 5:00   am, overwhelming

4410-415: The position of Confederate brigadier general, John M. Jones , who was killed. However, since Ayres's men were unable to advance, Bartlett's right flank was now exposed to attack and his brigade was forced to flee back across the clearing. Bartlett's horse was shot out from under him, and he barely escaped capture. To the left of Bartlett was Wadsworth's Iron Brigade , which was composed of regiments from

4500-544: The proximity of Lee's Second Corps (Ewell). The Battle of the Wilderness had two distinct fronts, the Orange Turnpike and the Orange Plank Road, where most of the fighting was conducted by infantry. Any efforts to bridge the gap between those two fronts did not last long. Most of the cavalry fighting occurred south of the infantry, especially along Catharpin Road and Brock Road. At 5:00 am on May 5, Wilson's Division proceeded southward from Parker's Store. The 5th New York Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Hammond ,

4590-407: The right but had difficulty maintaining its lines in a "blizzard of lead". They received enfilading fire on their right from the brigade of Confederate brigadier general , Leroy A. Stafford , causing all but two regiments ( 140th and 146th New York ) to retreat east across Saunders Field. On the left of Ayres, the brigade of Brigadier General Joseph J. Bartlett made better progress and overran

SECTION 50

#1732776186266

4680-470: The river at Ely's Ford. They tried to capture the nearby Confederate outpost, but the southerners fled into the darkness. By 9:00   am a pontoon bridge was placed across the water, and the II Corps (Hancock) began crossing. Gregg's cavalry moved south to Chancellorsville , where Hancock's men planned to camp. Once Hancock's men began arriving, Gregg moved further south to Alrich near the intersection of

4770-416: The similar goal of destroying rail lines, resources, and infrastructure used to equip and feed the Confederate armies. Grant's campaign objective of the destruction of Lee's army coincided with the preferences of both Lincoln and his military chief of staff , Henry Halleck . Grant instructed Meade, "Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also." Although he hoped for

4860-429: The south side. Although he was aware that Hill's front line along the Orange Plank Road needed to be reformed, Lee chose to allow Hill's men to rest where they were—assuming that Longstreet's First Corps and Hill's remaining division, commanded by Major General Anderson, would arrive in time to relieve Heth and Wilcox. Longstreet's men had marched 32 miles (51 km) in 24 hours, but were still 10 miles (16 km) from

4950-467: The survivors fled northeast to the fields of the Lacy House (a.k.a. Ellwood Manor ). One soldier blamed the fiasco on the gap between Stone's brigade and the Iron Brigade. On Wadsworth's farthest left, the brigade of Brigadier General James C. Rice suffered severe losses when the North Carolina brigade commanded by Brigadier General Junius Daniel got around Rice's unprotected left. The problem

5040-432: The threat was probably a delaying tactic without the intent to give battle, he stopped his entire army—the exact thing Lee wanted him to do. The Confederate force was Ewell's Second Corps, and his men erected earthworks on the western end of the clearing known as Saunders Field. Ewell's instructions from Lee were to not advance too fast, since his corps was out of the reach of Hill's Third Corps—and Longstreet's First Corps

5130-872: The three years since fighting in the American Civil War began in 1861, the United States Army (a.k.a. the Union Army ) made little progress against the Confederate Army in the Eastern Theater . The Union Army's most impressive successes came in the Western Theater , especially at the Battle of Vicksburg where nearly 30,000 Confederates surrendered. President Abraham Lincoln wanted a military leader who would fight. In March 1864, Major General Ulysses S. Grant

5220-626: The time Grant appeared in the Eastern Theater, the Confederate soldiers knew that his six predecessors all failed against Lee, and believed that Grant's successes in the Western Theater were against inferior opponents. Grant's plan for Meade's Army of the Potomac was to move south to confront Lee's army between the Union and Confederate capital cities, Washington and Richmond . At the same time, General Benjamin Butler 's Army of

5310-414: The turnpike, and both sides traded attacks and counterattacks. Ewell held his position for the remainder of the afternoon. During the fray, Confederate brigadier general, Leroy A. Stafford , was shot through the shoulder blade, the bullet severing his spine. Despite being paralyzed from the waist down and in agonizing pain, he managed to still urge his troops forward. He died four days later. Visibility

5400-466: The two foes. A few days later, Grant and Meade would cross the river and begin what became known as the Overland Campaign , and the Battle of the Wilderness was its first battle. The Union force in the Battle of the Wilderness was the Army of the Potomac and a separate IX Corps . The Army of the Potomac was commanded by Major General George G. Meade, and Major General Ambrose E. Burnside

5490-447: The unsuspecting Union soldiers. Hill was sent east on the Orange Plank Road and stopped at the hamlet of New Verdiersville. Hill had two of his three divisions. The division commanded by Major General Richard H. Anderson was left at Orange Court House to guard the river. These two corps were to avoid battle, if possible, until Longstreet's First Corps arrived. That evening, Lee decided that Ewell and Hill should strike first, preserving

SECTION 60

#1732776186266

5580-609: The vehicle. The load-bearing wheels had a diameter of 711 mm (28-inch). The boiler was similar to that of conventional steam engines: it was 6,400 mm (21 feet) long with a diameter of 863 mm (34 inch). The driver's cabin was at the rear end, and just below there were two water tanks with coal heaped behind them. A modified version of this demonstrator was exploited in 1878 on the Bradford & Foster Brook Railway in Pennsylvania. Roy Stone (general) Stone

5670-624: The war, and especially at Gettysburg" and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on February 20, 1865. Stone became a leading advocate of the Good Roads Movement which is now known. His contributions led to major changes and improvements in highway construction and design. He served as one of the early heads of the Division of Public Roads from October 3, 1883 - October 13, 1899. Among his inventions

5760-399: The western armies. Grant believed that the eastern and western Union armies were too uncoordinated in their actions, and that the previous practice of conquering and guarding new territories required too many resources. Grant's new strategy was to attack with all forces at the same time, making it difficult for the Confederates to transfer forces from one battlefront to another. His objective

5850-432: The woods and a swamp. While Wilson battled Rosser, Sheridan's other two cavalry divisions were further east. Around noon, Meade notified Sheridan that Wilson had been cut off, and Gregg's 2nd Cavalry Division was sent to explore the Catharpin Road. Gregg found Wilson and confronted Rosser, who was driven back across the Po River bridge. In late afternoon, Gregg also fought Major General Fitzhugh Lee 's cavalry division on

5940-614: Was a steam-driven monorail at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia. A larger version was built in 1878 as Bradford and Foster Brook Railway , Pennsylvania. Stone briefly returned to active military duty with the rank of Brigadier General in 1898, serving in the Puerto Rican Campaign of the Spanish–American War . Roy Stone died August 5, 1905, at Mendham, New Jersey . He

6030-671: Was a professional soldier who fought in the Mexican–American War . At the beginning of the American Civil War, he rejected an offer to be commander of the United States Army. He was considered a master tactician in individual battles, and had the advantage of fighting mostly on familiar (Virginia) territory. Although the Confederate Army had fewer resources and men than the Union Army, Lee made good use of railroads to move his forces from one front to another. By

6120-426: Was able to convince Lee that he had matters well in hand and the commanding general relented. Starting from near Poague's guns, Longstreet counterattacked with the divisions of Major General Charles W. Field on the left and Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw on the right. A series of attacks by both sides caused the front line to move back and forth between the Widow Tapp farm and Brock Road. The Texans, leading

6210-666: Was born in Plattsburgh, New York , to Ithiel V. and Sarah Stone. His family had been among the early settlers of the region, and his father owned a large estate. As a young man, he was an engineer and lumberman before the Civil War. Stone married Mary Elizabeth Marker at the First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh on August 14, 1862. They had two children, a son, Richmond and a daughter, Romaine (Mrs. L. Turnure Jr. and later Lady Monson ). Stone served as

6300-490: Was captured. Crawford was in danger of having the remaining portion of his division cut off, so it withdrew toward the Lacy House while the Confederates occupied the Chewning farm. Back at Saunders Field, Warren had ordered an artillery section into Saunders Field to support his attack, but it was captured by Confederate soldiers, who were pinned down and prevented by rifle fire from moving the guns. Amid hand-to-hand combat at

6390-548: Was commander of the IX Corps. Both Meade and Burnside reported to Grant, who rode with Meade and his army. The II Corps was the largest of the corps, with 28,333 officers and enlisted men present for duty and equipped as of April 30, 1864. At the beginning of the campaign in May, Grant's Union forces totaled 118,700 men and 316 artillery pieces including Meade's Army of the Potomac and Burnside's IX Corps. The Confederate force in

6480-413: Was compounded when Stone's brigade fell back from Rice's right. Rice's survivors were chased by Daniel's men almost back to the Lacy House, where the V Corps artillery was used to slow the pursuing Confederates. A quick fight over the guns resulted in casualties for both sides. Rice's losses were severe, including two of his five regimental commanders wounded. "Suddenly, to the horror of the living, fire

6570-483: Was detached and instructed to patrol west of the Parker's Store area until relieved by Warren's V Corps. A probe west on the Orange Plank Road discovered Confederate soldiers. Despite being reinforced, the Union probe was driven back toward Parker's Store. It was soon discovered that they were fighting infantry from most of Hill's Third Corps. Hammond's total force consisted of only about 500 men. Hammond understood that

6660-420: Was done fighting. Because of Hammond's repeating rifles, the Confederate prisoners stated that they believed they had been fighting an entire brigade. Getty's men skirmished briefly with Heth's advance, and held the intersection. Getty held the intersection for hours waiting for Hancock's II Corps to arrive. By 3:30   pm, initial elements of Hancock's corps were arriving, and Meade ordered Getty to assault

6750-498: Was fierce but inconclusive as both sides attempted to maneuver in the dense woods. At dawn on May 6, Hancock attacked along the Plank Road, driving Hill's corps back in confusion, but the First Corps of Lieutenant General James Longstreet arrived in time to prevent the collapse of the Confederate right flank. Longstreet followed up with a surprise flanking attack from an unfinished railroad bed that drove Hancock's men back, but

6840-430: Was in danger if Hill could push Hammond beyond Brock Road and take control of the intersection (Orange Plank and Brock roads). That would cause Warren's V   Corps to have large enemy forces on two sides, and Hancock's II   Corps could get isolated from the rest of Meade's army. Although Hancock was not far from the intersection of Orange Plank Road and Brock Road, he would have to move four miles (6.4 km) on

6930-422: Was in reserve closer to Wilderness Tavern. It took time to align Warren's divisions, and there was some concern about Griffin's northern (right) flank. A major problem was that "once a division left the roads or fields it disappeared utterly, and its commander could not tell whether it was in line with the others...." Brigadier General Horatio Wright 's 1st Division from Sedgwick's VI Corps began to move south on

7020-500: Was limited near Orange Plank Road, and officers had difficulty controlling men and maintaining formations. Attackers would move blindly and noisily forward, becoming targets for concealed defenders. Unable to duplicate the surprise that was achieved by Ewell on the turnpike, A.P. Hill's approach was detected from the Chewning farm location of Crawford's 3rd Division of the V Corps. Crawford notified Meade, and his message arrived at Meade's headquarters around 10:15   am. Crawford sent

7110-455: Was near Morton's Ford and Mine Run, northeast of Hill. Stuart's cavalry was scattered further south from Gordonsville to Fredericksburg. On May 4, 1864, the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River at three places and converged on the Wilderness of Spotsylvania in east central Virginia. Brigadier General James H. Wilson led his 3rd Cavalry Division across the river at Germanna Ford between 4:00   am and 6:00   am, and drove off

7200-462: Was nearly impossible. The dense woods, often filled with smoke, made it difficult to see enemy soldiers. This put attackers at a disadvantage, as soldiers often fired at sounds instead of visual cues. Infantry units had difficulty keeping alignment, and often became lost or were involved in friendly-fire incidents. The Confederates had a better knowledge of the terrain, and it diminished the Union advantage of greater manpower. The terrain also diminished

7290-398: Was not yet at the battlefield. Warren approached the eastern end of Saunders Field with the division of Brigadier General Charles Griffin along the road on the right and the division of Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth on the left. Brigadier General Samuel W. Crawford 's division was too far away on the left near Chewning Farm, and the division of Brigadier General John C. Robinson

7380-412: Was observed in the west near the Orange Turnpike, and Meade was notified. Grant instructed "If any opportunity presents itself of pitching into a part of Lee's army, do so without giving time for disposition." Meade halted his army and directed Warren to attack, assuming that the Confederates were a division and not an entire infantry corps. Hancock was held at Todd's tavern. Although Meade told Grant that

7470-460: Was relieved by the II Corps after dark, and Getty's horse was killed in the day's fighting. Leaving Hammond's regiment at Parker's Store at 5:00   am on May 5, Wilson moved his two brigades south. His Second Brigade led the way, and it was commanded by Colonel George H. Chapman . His First Brigade was commanded by Colonel Timothy M. Bryan. Chapman reached Catharpin Road and moved west beyond Craig's Meeting House, where he found 1,000 men from

7560-536: Was seen creeping over the ground, fed by dead leaves which were thick. All who could move tried to get beyond the Pike, which the fire could not cross. Some were overtaken by the flames...." Unnamed wounded soldier, 7th Indiana Infantry Further south, Crawford's First Brigade, commanded by Colonel William McCandless , did not reach the fighting in time to help Wadsworth's left. The brigade became surrounded by Confederates, and its 7th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment

7650-474: Was summoned from the Western Theater, promoted to lieutenant general , and given command of all the Union armies. Grant was the Union commander at Vicksburg, and also had major victories at Fort Henry , Fort Donelson , Shiloh , and Chattanooga . He chose to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac , although Major General George Meade retained formal command of that army. Major General William Tecumseh Sherman succeeded Grant in command of most of

7740-534: Was the Texas Brigade whereupon Lee waved his hat over his head and shouted, "Texans always move them!" Caught up in the excitement, Lee began to move forward behind the advancing brigade. As the Texans realized this, they halted and grabbed the reins of Lee's horse, Traveller , telling the general that they were concerned for his safety and would only go forward if he moved to a less exposed location. Longstreet

7830-526: Was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant 's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia . The fighting occurred in a wooded area near Locust Grove, Virginia , about 20 miles (32 km) west of Fredericksburg . Both armies suffered heavy casualties, nearly 29,000 in total, a harbinger of a war of attrition by Grant against Lee's army and, eventually, against

7920-467: Was to destroy the Confederate armies rather than conquering territory. The two largest Confederate armies became the two major targets, and they were General Robert E. Lee 's Army of Northern Virginia and General Joseph E. Johnston 's Army of Tennessee . This new strategy pleased President Lincoln. Grant considered Lee's army "the strongest, best appointed and most confident Army in the South." Lee

8010-537: Was used by one elaborately decorated double-decker railcar in Victorian art deco style. It had two load-bearing double-flange wheels, of which one was driven by a rotary steam engine of the "La France" type. The concept was similar to that of the Lartigue Monorail : The load-bearing rail was installed on top of wooden A-frames. 1,346 mm (4 feet 5-inch) below there were two guide-rails for balancing

8100-413: Was vastly outnumbered and continued to gradually retreat east. Lee established his headquarters at the Widow Tapp farm. Lee, Jeb Stuart, and Hill were meeting there when they were surprised by a party of Union soldiers entering the clearing. The three generals ran for safety and the Union men, who were equally surprised by the encounter, returned to the woods, unaware of how close they had come to changing

#265734