Wilderness Campaign

by Edward Steere

On May 5 and 6, 1864, in a rugged area of tangled woods and brush on the south side of the Rapidan River in Virginia, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met for the first time on a Civil War battlefield. The vicious, confused fighting lasted for two days. Though no clear victor emerged, neither conceded defeat, and the death-grapple thus commenced continued for nearly a year. Now available in paperback, Edward Steere's thorough, accurate history, originally published in 1960, was the first full-scale study of the Battle of the Wilderness and remains a principal source on the conflict.

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, History, Nonfiction

542 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

Reviews

[Ray Comfort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although not a literary masterpiece, I really enjoyed to hear from battle history that was very much down in the weeds about the divisional leaders in this the first meeting of Grant and Lee. Given the context of the "blindness" of the heavily wooded terrain, it was interesting to see how Steele could not have written this without his painstaking evaluation over several years. I have been lucky enough to have been on a battle walk with teacher, who have "lived" their research and were able to bring the battle field to life. Nuances of rises and gulleys and views really put this to life and hopefully one day when I'm scootin' up 95, I'll make a trip to Wilderness Tavern, Chewnings Farm and Parkers Store. This is one of the best battle field reconstructions I have read.

[Carl Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a light read, but it is required if you are a military history buff. It is without doubt the most detailed analysis of Grant's first encounters with the Army of Northern Virginia. I realize this is too much for most readers, but I could not put it down.

[William Guerrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, nearly 500-page examination of the Battle of the Wilderness. Written in 1960 and once the best available comprehensive history of the battle, the book has since been superseded by more recent scholarship. Still, any Civil War history geek worth his salt will want to read it.

Be forewarned that it is a book only military history buffs will enjoy. The casual reader will have to put up with sentences like this: "Three of Wilcox's brigades, together with Davis (Stone commanding) of Heth's Division are thus identified in the forward line, Davis-McGowan-Scales-Thomas; the left wing, Davis-McGowan, being withdrawn to an angle to the Plank Road; the right wing, Scales-Thomas, striking the road perpendicularly." Got that?

But the author does makes a noble effort to enliven his book, subjecting readers to sentences like this: "Every face kindled with a look of stern elation that the sudden promise of victory brings, like the burst of sunlight on a storm-tossed sea, to features grown haggard in a continuous tumult of desperate strife." Bless his heart.

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly thorough, but his writing style is not the best. This is the only reason I didn't give him more stars.