Existing comment:
Shock, Surprise:
The Union army's tortuous advance westward on the Orange Turnpike revealed the especial horrors of fighting in a place like the Wilderness. In some places, soldiers could see only a few dozen feet through the undergrowth. Enemy lines popped up unexpectedly, then disappeared as quickly. Smoke choked the forest. The fighting gravitated toward the few open spaces, like Saunders Field and Widow Tapp's farm. The battle took on a cycle of surprise, incredible violence, and then relentless killing. |