Hell Itself: The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5-7, 1864

by Chris Mackowski, Gregory A. Mertz (Foreword)

A Civil War historian recounts the first battle between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee—a bloody and horrifying conflict in the Wilderness of Virginia.Known simply as the Wilderness, soldiers called the seventy square miles of dense Virginian forest one of the “waste places of nature” and “a region of gloom.” Yet here, in the spring of 1864, the Civil War escalated to a new level of horror.Ulysses S. Grant, commanding all Federal armies, opened the Overland Campaign with a vow to never turn back. Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, moved into the Wilderness to block Grant’s advance. Thick underbrush made for difficult movement and low visibility. And these challenges were terrifyingly compounded by the outbreak of fires that burned casualties and left both sided blinded in a sea of smoke.Driven by desperation, duty, confusion, and fire, soldiers on both sides marveled that anyone might make it out alive. “This, viewed as a battleground, was simply infernal,” a Union soldier later said. Another called it “Hell itself.”

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

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2016

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry in the Savas Beatie series. Here, the focus is the brutal Battle of the Wilderness. This was a bloody battle, with both Confederate and Union forces losing many men. More casualties were on the Union side, but the arithmetic was such that more northern troops could die and be wondered and captured and still damage the fortunes of the Army of Northern Virginia. The latter, simply, had fewer troops to spare.

The Wilderness marked the first of many battles featuring Ulysses Grant squaring off against Robert E. Lee (with General George Meade caught in an uncomfortable position as commanding general of the Army of the Potomac, with Grant right up there on the battlefield--often giving key orders). Union forces wanted to move forward quickly, to clear the Wilderness--a large piece of land featuring second growth trees, making it a difficult place for a battle. The conflict itself was confusing and deadly. Fires began in the foliage, killing many wounded troops who could not escape.

The book focuses on two issues, as per the structure of the series: (a) a relatively brief discussion of the battle; (b) how to go to the battlefield and see major parts of the landscape to envision better the battle itself. Both are done well.

Thne battle was a mess. Both sides would make successful thrusts and then suffer setbacks. One critical moment was when James Longstreet's First Corps was able to outflank Winfield Scott Hancock's Second Corps and give it a drubbing. As Longstreet tried to maximize the struggle, he was shot by hos own troops by mistake--almost one year after Stonewall Jackson died after being shot by his troops.

Finally, the armies separated. Grant moved south, unlike other Union commanders who had run into Robert E. Lee. And the War in the East continued. . . .

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 5th, 1864 was the first time Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee faced off against each other. It was a brutal and violent battle. Reading about men being burned alive after the natural scene burst into flames is haunting. I remember hiking part of the wooded portions of the battlefield, and I felt a shiver go down my spine.

This book provides a solid introduction to The Battle of the Wilderness. I recommend Gordon Rhea's phenomenal book if you would like to read something more in depth. This book just gives you the basics, which is not a negative criticism.

What I like about The Emerging Civil War series is the modern-day pictures to show you what happened there during the time of the battle. It is perfect to bring this book with you on a tour of the battlefield. If you plan to visit The Wilderness, I recommend bringing this book with you. A good book to that presents a battle that could be argued as a turning point in an excellent fashion.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of the Wilderness has been getting some serious attention recently, so I was happy to see that Chris Mackowski wrote a book from the Emerging Civil War Series about it. Hell Itself encompasses May 5 -7 and does what most other books from this series has done. They give an excellent overview of the battle with great information, along with readable maps and clear driving instructions around the battlefield. This series has been invaluable and Hell Itself is no exception. Mackowski brings the same academic outlook to the battle which he has done in his previous works and all other works in the Emerging Civil War series.
Chris Mackowski is the editor-in-chief of Emerging Civil War along with being the writing profession in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Saint Bonaventure University. He is a former historian with the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, which includes the Wilderness battlefield, and is the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge. He is the author and co-author of twelve Civil War books from both the Emerging Civil War series and others including: Seizing Destiny, and Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front. Also in Hell Itself are appendices written by other contributing authors of Emerging Civil War.
Hell Itself works on two fronts, as all other Emerging Civil War books have done. Not only is it informative, but it also offers a driving schedule for those who want to tour the battlefield. The strength of this series is that tourists can take them along when they go to these places. Each page is accompanied by either a picture of the battlefield or a picture from the war which gives readers a more visual idea of what happened here. Also, the maps given throughout are excellently drawn and quite simple to understand. This book is the perfect aide to anyone visiting the battlefield who have not been fore. The narrative of the battle is the excellence which Mackowski brings to all of his works and I found the Quandary at Saunders Field most interesting. It seemed that there, over all other places for me, the battle came alive. There was so much going on, so much confusion being thrown around the field that it just jumped out of the page. The appendices in the back were also quite informative covering such subjects as cavalry, analysis on Ambrose Burnside, and even the wounding of James Longstreet. Overall, the book is quite informative and a great aide to the battle.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in visiting the Wilderness Battlefield, and anyone interested in the Wilderness Campaign. There are many who have told me that the Wilderness is quite confusing when you begin to analyze it. I believe this is a great introductory book to that battle and moreover, a springboard for more people to learn about the campaign. The driving instructions are once again, second to none, and Mackowski has done a masterful job of making the battle come alive. Highly Recommended.

Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle

[John Matthew IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the Battle of the Wilderness.

p. 13: With Grant and Meade from the Wilderness to Appomattox

p. 22: Grant planned to tell Meade what he wanted done and leave it to Meade to figure out the best way to execute those wishes.

p. 27: Longstreet on Grant: "That man will fight us every day and every hour till the end of the war." Longstreet had served as best man at Grant's wedding.

p. 82: Lee to the rear

p. 83: "For Lee, though, a different sort of calamity loomed--one that would certainly tip the balance against him and his army in the months to come. And the calamity would feel hauntingly familiar."

p. 91: Grant on fighting in the Wilderness: "As desperate fighting as the world has ever witnessed."

p. 114: "The Army of the Potomac, for the first time in its career, was moving forward to a battle."

p. 116: "But once Grant made his choice at the crossroads in the Wilderness, once he resolved to take the road southward, direction would never again matter. It would only be a manner of time before the road led to Appomattox Court House."

[Brian O'Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I've always been fascinated with The Wilderness and what a terrible place it was to fight. I walked it a few years ago, along with the other 2 nearby battlefields, Spotsylvania and Chancellorsville. A few miles of walking and you get only a taste of the harsh conditions the armies had to contend with, and the horrors of the confusion and fires in the thickets of trees. The day I walked The Wilderness was a somewhat gloomy autumn afternoon, misty, and felt almost ghostly. The big bonus for this book are the many appendices, focusing on everything from the geographical layout, the flora and fauna, the preservation efforts over the last 150 years, etc. These flesh out the story, providing background information I hadn't known. It gave me a larger picture to view within the framework of history.

[W Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book. Like all the Emerging Civil War Series, this book provides a solid introduction to The Battle of the Wilderness and a battlefield tour. It is well worth the read whether you are a novice or a long time Civil War student.

[Michael Deighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The importance of the battles in this Wilderness have always held my attention! . This book provided the best organized & researched books on this famous battle! A good read for anyone with an interest in the Civil War!

[Jd Mayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bloody battle to start the overland campaign. I love the Emerging Civil War series. I have six of their books.

[Steven Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall fascinating account of the first major battle between Lee and Grant in May of 1864. Grade: B+

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book detailing the battle of the Wilderness. It also follows the driving tour so you can use it as a guide when visiting the battlefield.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good guide to a complicated battle.

[Peter Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very succinct overview of the Battle of the Wilderness with accompanying detail for the modern day battlefield visitor.

[Myrick Crampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hybrid of the battle and the national park. Well written, informative. Reads like you’re talking to a park ranger.

[Sheritta Bitikofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I adore about the Emerging Civil War series is the way all the authors have the uncanny knack for putting the reader right in the middle of the action with immersive details of the battle. One aspect of Chris' style that I enjoy is the abundance of quotes taken directly from primary sources, from the soldiers, generals, and civilians who survived the engagement. It takes studying the Civil War to a whole new level. An intimate level.
My husband and I also took the tour mapped out in the book and I can tell you, it's a spectacular experience that should not be overlooked.