William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac

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[419] hostile armies bivouacked, unsuspecting, very close to each other—Warren's corps at Wilderness Tavern, situate at the junction of the Germanna Ford plank with the Orange and Fredericksburg turnpike; Ewell's corps on the latter road, within three miles of Warren's position.

Early next morning—the morning of the 5th of May—the Union columns set out to resume the onward march—the left column, under Hancock, being directed from Chancellorsville on Shady Grove Church, and the right column, led by Warren's corps, from Wilderness Tavern to Parker's Store, on the Orange and Fredericksburg plankroad. Warren's command was next to the enemy, and as the opening of the battle of the Wilderness took shape from Warren's movements, it will be necessary to describe these in detail.

The proximity of the Confederates, the position of whose advance has been indicated above, was not at all known.¹ But to guard against any approach by the Orange turnpike, Warren threw out the division of Griffin on that road to guard against any irruption of the enemy into the route upon which Sedgwick's corps, which followed the Fifth, was yet to move from Germanna Ford; while he set the van of his column, composed of the division of Crawford, in motion by a wood road to gain Parker's Store.

Now Ewell also continued his eastward march early that morning on the turnpike, so that presently the skirmishers of Griffin's division, which had been thrown forward on that road, were driven in. Moreover, no sooner had Crawford's force neared Parker's Store than the troopers in his front, which had already occupied that point early in the morning, were met running back; and on sending forward a reconnoitring force, it was found that a column of the enemy was pressing