Military
4
These woods saw some of the heaviest fighting of the Battle of the Wilderness. On May 5, then again on May 6, 1864, ragged Union and Confederate battle lines surged back and forth on both sides of the Orange Plank Road. The stalemate here finally broke late on the morning of May 6, when Confederate General James Longstreet managed to move troops opposite the Union left flank. At 11 a.m., Longstreet’s men surged through the woods screaming the rebel yell. Panic gripped the Union army. One after another, Northern soldiers broke ranks and fled through the brush toward the Brock Road, one-half mile away. Within minutes, the entire left wing of the Union army was in tatters. Back at the Brock Road, General Winfield Scott Hancock strove to rally the fragments of his shattered command.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Virginia · United States
