August； when Farragut did nearly all the fighting； and the cooperating army was far too late to produce the distracting effect that Grant had originally planned。
General Franz Sigel was sent to the upper Shenandoah Valley； both to guard that approach on Washington and to destroy the resources on which Lee's army so greatly relied。 General George Crook was given a mounted column to operate from southern West Virginia against the line of rails running toward Tennessee through the lower end of the Valley。
The most notable new general was Philip H。 Sheridan； whom Grant selected for the cavalry command。 Sheridan was thirty…three； two years older than his Southern rival； Stuart； and； like him； a young regular officer who rose to well…earned fame the moment his first great chance occurred。
Sherman we have met from the very beginning of the war and followed throughout its course。 He was continually rising to more and more responsible command； but it was only now that he became the virtual Commander…in…Chief of all the river armies and the chosen cooperator with Grant on a universal scale。 He was of the old original stock； his first American ancestors having emigrated from England in 1634。 An old regular； with special knowledge of the South； and in the fullness of his powers at the age of forty…four； he had developed with the war till there was no position which he could not fill to the best advantage of the service。
Grant fixed the fourth of May for the combined advance of all the converging forces of invasion。 There were two weak points where the Union armies failed： one in the farthest south； where； as we have so often seen； Banks could not attack Mobile owing to his absence at Red River； the other in the farthest north； where Sigel was badly beaten and replaced by Hunter。 Here； after much disabling interference at the hands of Stanton； Hunter was succeeded by Sheridan； whom Grant himself directed with consummate skill。 There were also two Confederate thorns in the Federal side： Forrest's cavalry in Sherman's rear； Mosby's cavalry in Grant's。 Forrest roved about the river area； snapping up small garrisons； cutting communications； and doing a good deal of damage right up to the Ohio。 Mosby； with a much smaller but equally efficient force； actually raided to and fro in Grant's immediate rear； and on one occasion nearly captured Grant himself just on the eve of the opening move。 As Grant's unguarded special train from Washington pulled up at Warrenton Junction； where there was only one Union official； Mosby's men had just crossed the track in pursuit of some Federal cavalry。
But neither these two Confederate thorns in the side nor the more serious Federal failures could stop the general advance。 Nor yet could Butler's lack of success on the James。 Butler had seized and fortified。 an exceedingly strong defensive position at Bermuda Hundred on a peninsula； with navigable water on both flanks and in rear； and a very narrow neck of land in front。 The only trouble was that it was as hard for him to surmount the Confederate front across the same narrow neck as it was for the enemy to surmount his own。 He was； in fact； bottled up； with the cork in the enemy's hands。 He did send out cavalry from Suffolk to cut the rails south of Petersburg。 But no permanent damage was done there。 Petersburg itself； which at that time was almost defenseless； was…not 。 taken。 And in the middle of the month Beauregard attacked Butler so vigorously as to make the Army of the James rather a passive than an active force till it was presently； absorbed by Grant when he arrived before Richmond in June。
Grant felt perfect confidence only in four prime elements of victory： first； in his ability to wear Lee down by sheer attrition if other means failed； next； in his own magnificent army； then in Sherman's； and lastly in Sheridan's cavalry。 His supply and transport services were nearly perfect； even in his own most critical eyes。 〃There never was a corps better organized than was the quartermaster's corps with the Army of the Potomac in 1864。〃 His field engineering and his signal service were also exceedingly good。 At every halt the army threw up earth and timber entrenchments with wonderful rapidity and skill。 At the same time the telegraph and signal corps was busy laying insulated wires by means of reels on muleback。 Parallel lines would be led to the rear of each brigade till quite clear； when their ends would be joined by a wire at right angles； from which headquarters could communicate with every unit at the front。 Sherman's army was equally efficient； and Sheridan's cavalry soon proved that sweeping raids could be carried out by one side as well as by the other。
Crossing the Rapidan at the Germanna Ford； Grant marched south through the Wilderness on the fifth of May。 The Wilderness was densely wooded； the roads were few and bad； the clearings rare and too small for large units。 When Lee attacked from the west and Grant turned to face him the fighting soon became desperate； close； and somewhat confused。 Neither side gained any substantial advantage on the first day。 Next morning Grant； preparing to attack at five； was forestalled by Lee； who wished to keep him at arm's length till Longstreet came up on the southern flank。 Again the opposing armies closed and fought with the greatest determination for over an hour； when the Confederates fell back in some confusion。 Then Longstreet arrived and restored the battle till he was severely wounded。 After this Lee took command of his right； or southern； wing and kept up the fight all day。 Meanwhile Sheridan had countered the Confederate cavalry under Stuart； which had been trying to swing round the same southern flank。 The main bodies of infantry swayed back and forth till dark； with the woods and breastworks on fire in several places； and many of the wounded smothering in the smoke。
On the seventh reassuring news came in from Sherman and Butler； Sheridan drove off the Confederate cavalry at Todd's Tavern； and the southward march continued。 As Grant and Meade rode south that evening； past Hancock's corps； and the men saw they were heading straight for Richmond； there was such a burst of cheering that the Confederates； thinking it meant a night attack； deluged the intervening woods with a heavy barrage till they found out their mistake。
The race for Richmond continued on the eighth； each army trying to get south of the other without exposing itself to a flank attack。 Grant had sent his wagon trains farther east； to move south on parallel roads and keep those nearest Lee quite clear for fighting。 This movement at first led Lee to suspect a Federal retirement on Fredericksburg； which caused him to send Longstreet's corps south to Spotsylvania。 The woods being on fire； and the men unable to bivouac； the whole corps pushed on to Spotsylvania； thus forestalling Grant； who had intended to get there first himself。
This brought on another tremendous battle in the bush。 Lee formed a semicircle； facing north； round Spotsylvania； in a supreme effort to stem； if not throw back； Grant's most determined advance。 Grant； on the other hand； indomitably pressed home wave after wave of attack till the evening of the twelfth。 The morning of that desperate day was foggy； and the attack was delayed。 The Federal objective was a commanding salient； jutting out from the Confederate center； and now weakened by the removal of guns overnight to follow the apparent Federal move toward the south。 The gray sentries； peering through the dripping woods； suddenly found them astir。 Then wave after wave of densely massed blue dashed to the assault； swarming up and over on both sides； regardless of losses； and fighting hand to hand with a fury that earned this famous salient the name of Bloody Angle。 Back and still back went the outnumbered gray； many of whom were surrounded by the swirling currents of inpouring blue。 But presently Lee himself came up； and would have led his reinforcements to the charge if a pleading shout of 〃General Lee to the rear！〃 had not induced him to desist。 Every spare Confederate rushed to the rescue。 From right and left and rear the gray streams came； impetuous and strong； united in one main current and dashed against the blue。 There； in the Bloody Angle； the battle raged with everincreasing fury until the rising tide of strife； bursting its narrow bounds； carried the blue attackers back to where they came from。 But they were hardly clear of that appalling slope before they reformed； presented an undaunted front once more； and then drew off with stinging resistance to the very last。
After five days of much rain and little fighting Grant made his final effort on the eighteenth。 This was meant to be a great surprise。 Two corps changed position under cover of the night and sprang their trap at four in the morning。 But Lee was again before them； ready and resolute as ever。 Thirty guns converged their withering fire on the big blue masses and seemed to burn them off the field。 These masses never closed； as they had done six days before； and when they fell back beaten the fortnight's battle in the Wilderness was done。
During it there had been two operations that gave Grant better satisfaction： Sheridan's raid and She