The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864 (Jules and Frances Landry Award)

The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864 Product Details * Hardcover: 520 pages * Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (July 1994) * Language: English * ISBN: 0807118737 The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864 Product Details * Hardcover: 483 pages * Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 1997) * Language: English * ISBN: 0807121363 To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864 Product Details * Hardcover: 505 pages * Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 2000) * Language: English * ISBN: 0807125350 Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864 Product Details * Hardcover: 552 pages * Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (September 2002) * Language: English * ISBN: 0807128031 I am reviewing the four books a single series although each book is a full stand-alone history. This is a highly detailed military history of Grant's Overland Campaign of 1864. Two of the best generals commanding two of the best armies, in American history, decide the Civil war in the East. Gordon Rhea gives this month the detailed attention it requires and had never received. The 2,000 pages allows for the full story of the campaign, the personalities, failures and success. The first book covers the major battle of The Wilderness an area Grant wished to clear and Lee hoped to trap him in as he had Hooker in 1863. Through a series of Union miscalculations and command problems, Lee manages to get in Grant's way. What follows is a confused bloody two-day battle that has been termed "Bush whacking on a grand scale". An excellent series of maps, help the reader stay abreast of the battle and understand the confusion of both sides. Lee loses Longstreet and starts to make the hard decisions about personnel that he has avoided since 1862. Grant while testing his relationship with Meade and Burnside, is trying to learn the AOP's generals too. This process dominates the four books as repeatedly Grant is forced to deal with the problems this creates and Lee takes steps that were unthinkable in 1863. The second book moves the battle from The Wilderness south to Spotsylvania and Yellow Tavern. Grant refuses to "play the game" and retreat behind the Rappahannock but pushes past Lee and continues south. What follows is a race from defensive point to defensive point, which the AOP concedes to the AoNV. Union commanders hesitate at critical moments while the AoNV reinforces the objective. This allows Lee to stay up or ahead producing one of the bloodiest battles in our history at Spotsylvania. In addition, this book covers the critical cavalry operations, Grant's reasoning, and the price paid in taking Sheridan away from Meade. J.E.B. Stuart's death, is well covered. Both in terms of what it means to the AoNV, to Lee and to the Confederacy. After one of the hardest weeks in their history, the two exhausted bloodied armies eye each other over their entrenc

Rhea has done an excellent job of sorting out fact from friction in this major civil war campaign. I have read several accounts including Grant's own biographical account of the wilderness battle. This is by far the most complete coverage of the two critical days of the conflict. I especially enjoyed reading the account of the medical treatment associated with the fatal wounding of Union General James S. Wadsworth. Wadsworth was a major land holder and statesmen in the Genesse Valley near Rochester NY were I grow up. I had never heard of the unsusal story of the rebel farmer who went to his aid and eventually claimed the General's remains. This kind of detail makes the author's account of the people in the terrible collision of forces so remarkable. This is a classic narrative of the final wilderness tragedy where so many on both sides lost thier life in early 1864 to end the conflict. The beginning of the end of the rebellion by attrition.

This is quite possibly the best book on the battle of the Wilderness particularly since this is one of the most difficult battlefields to visualize with an on site visit since the wilderness, barring suburban encroachment, is still hard to see since much of the growth has or was still there. Rhea does a wonderful job providing the reader the plans that each commander had in mind for the campaign particularly Grant's original plan to move south than west to attack Lee, which was obviously upset by Lee's aggressive move forward. Rhea also does Freeman like bios on the key officer corps of both armies including a well detailed discussion of the complex nature of Grant being present and active with the Army of the Potomac and Meade but not yet taking a firm hand in operations while Burnside's 9th Corps is an independent unit commanded by Grant. Rhea provides outstanding maps with several showing the overall plan of the campaign (Xerox the overall geographic layout map and use it as a book mark for later reference) while also providing several timely spaced close up maps of the various battle developments. Rhea also provides excellent detail on the failure of the Union cavalry to detect Ewell's and Hill's forward movements particularly Wilson's inability to provide reconnaissance as he becomes isolated and virtually cut off on the Catherprin Road entangled with ANV Rosser while the ANV infantry move up the Orange Turnpike colliding with the unsuspecting 5th corps entangling Warren and upsetting Meade's move. Rhea provides tremendous detail on the complicated movements and the interplay of commands while providing a wonderful balance of quotes from participants. Some of the highlights are Ewell's strong defensive performance on the turnpike, Warren's forced dilemma in attacking an entrenched foe without proper support, Hancock's suspended movement to support the union right wing, Longstreet's bulldozer attack and flank move, Burnside's difficulties in positioning for a center attack, and Longstreet's long march and his ordered change of march. Rhea also highlights discussion ion on Hill's failure to secure his lines after the first day of battle where his two divisions held back virtually four union divisions, Longstreet's great march of 32 miles in one day yet with one extensive break, Gordon's late flank attack delayed by Ewell and Early, Burnsides almost piercing of the vulnerable center, Lee's desperate attempts to rally Hill's crushed division, the mysterious lack of cavalry participation by Stuart and Sheridan, Grant's gradual assertion of command and Lee's desperate attempt to break through Hancock's line after Longstreet's wounding and great flank attack. The only mild criticism is that some of the officers are somewhat stereo typed and they do not always have their actions judged by face value in the campaign. For example, Ewell is praised throughout the book because of his staunch command of the initial aspects of the battle and his handling

This is by far the best book on one of the mose terrifying battles of the war. It's full of details, from indivdual regiments to General's personal thoughts. I read through it in no time, and quickly moved on to the following books in Rhea's series (this being my favorite). Rhea uses a wealth of primary sources and soldier's accounts to add flair to the excellent writing. I would reccomend this book to anyone who has an interest in the American Civil War

"Battle of the Wilderness", by Gordon C. Rhea, is simply the best treatment of any Civil War battle. Rhea's narrative is as captivating as the best work of fiction, and more so. As a reader, I felt as though the action was un-folding right before my eyes, and I found it exceedingly difficult to put the book down! As for the content, this book was well researched, and presented in a very orderly fashion. Rhea does an excellent job of making clear the tangled mess that was the Wilderness. I had no difficulty in following the ebb and flow of the battle as I have had with other works. Rhea makes the reader realize that this was a major effort by both sides on the scale of the great battles of Gettysburg and Antietam. The Overland Campaign is often overshadowed by these more "glorious" battles from earlier in the war, but after reading this book, I am convinced that the Southern cause was by no means lost in May 1864, and that Grant was not the invincible juggernaut people think. He was very nearly whipped in the Wilderness, and Rhea does a good job of making that clear to the reader. To conclude I gave this book five stars because it touches a subject that not many people know about, it is well researched, and is written so well that some novelists could learn lessons from it. In short, this is a must own for any Civil War or military buff!