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As night came, May 5, 1864, Ewell's forces, on the Confederate left, were
entrenched across the Orange Turnpike (9) facing Warren and Sedgwick. On the
Confederate right, Hill's forces had just barely survived that day on the Orange
Plank Road and Lee knew that they could not withstand the expected Union attack
in the morning without the support of Longstreet's Corps, which had not yet
arrived.
Hill-Ewell Drive at the Orange Plank Road (4)
Where Hill's Soldiers spent the night of May 5, 1864.
(Click Here to read the N.P.S. text.)
On the Morning of May 6, 1864, Grant ordered an attack against Ewell by Warren
and Sedgwick and an attack against Hill by Hancock. He also ordered Burnside's
ninth Corps to fill in the gap between Warren, on the Orange Turnpike, and
Hancock, on the Plank Road.
General Ambrose E. Burnside 43
When the attack began, Burnside's Corps, delayed and lost in the Wilderness, did
not participate. Sedgwick and Warren were soundly repulsed by Ewell on the Orange
Turnpike, but Hill's troops were forced to retreat down the Orange Plank Road to
near the Widow Tapp's farm (5), which was Lee's headquarters.
Battle of the Wilderness --- May 6th, 1864.
Desperate fight on the Orange C.H. Plank Road, near Todd's Tavern.
Kurz & Allison, Art Publishers, Chicago, U.S.A., [1887].
When the Federals arrived at the Widow Tapp farm (5) only a few pieces of
artillery stood in their way.
Widow Tapp Farm (5)
Confederate Artillery
N.P.S. Marker near the location
of the Tapp Farm House (5)
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