Battle of the Wilderness order of battle: Union

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7, 1864) of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately. Order of battle compiled from the army organization[1] May 5, 1864,[2] the casualty returns[3] and the reports.[4]

Abbreviations used

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Military rank

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Other

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Forces operating against Richmond

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LTG Ulysses S. Grant, General-in-Chief, Union Armies

Escort:

IX Corps

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MG Ambrose Burnside[5]

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
     BG Thomas G. Stevenson

1st Brigade


   Col Sumner Carruth[6]
   Col Jacob P. Gould

2nd Brigade


   Col Daniel Leasure

Artillery

Second Division
     BG Robert B. Potter

1st Brigade


   Col Zenas Bliss[6]
   Col John I. Curtin

2nd Brigade


   Col Simon G. Griffin

Artillery

Third Division
     BG Orlando B. Willcox

1st Brigade


   Col John F. Hartranft

2nd Brigade


   Col Benjamin C. Christ

Artillery

Fourth Division[12]
     BG Edward Ferrero

1st Brigade


   Col Joshua K. Sigfried

2nd Brigade


   Col Henry G. Thomas

Artillery

Reporting directly

Provost Guard
Cavalry
Reserve Artillery


   Cpt John Edwards, Jr.

Provisional Brigade


   Col Elisha Marshall

  • 24th New York Cavalry (dismounted): Col William C. Raulston
  • 14th New York Heavy Artillery: Ltc Clarence H. Corning
  • 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery: Col Thomas Wilhelm

Army of the Potomac

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MG George Meade

General Staff:

General Headquarters:

Provost Guard: BG Marsena R. Patrick

Engineer Troops:

Guards and Orderlies:

  • Independent Company Oneida (New York) Cavalry: Cpt Daniel P. Mann

II Corps

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MG Winfield S. Hancock

Escort:

  • 1st Vermont Cavalry, Company M: Cpt John H. Hazelton
Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
     BG Francis C. Barlow

1st Brigade


   Col Nelson A. Miles

2nd Brigade


   Col Thomas A. Smyth

3rd Brigade


   Col Paul Frank

4th Brigade


   Col John R. Brooke

Second Division
     BG John Gibbon

1st Brigade


   BG Alexander S. Webb

2nd Brigade


   BG Joshua T. Owen

3rd Brigade


   Col Samuel S. Carroll (w)[14]

Provost Guard
  • 2nd Company Minnesota Sharpshooters: Cpt Mahlon Black

Third Division
     MG David B. Birney

1st Brigade


   BG J. H. Hobart Ward

2nd Brigade


   BG Alexander Hays (k)
   Col John S. Crocker

Fourth Division
     BG Gershom Mott

1st Brigade


   Col Robert McAllister

2nd Brigade


   Col William R. Brewster

Artillery Brigade


   Col John C. Tidball

V Corps

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MG Gouverneur K. Warren

Provost Guard:

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
     BG Charles Griffin

1st Brigade


   BG Romeyn B. Ayres

2nd Brigade


   Col Jacob B. Sweitzer

3rd Brigade


   BG Joseph J. Bartlett

Second Division
     BG John C. Robinson

1st Brigade


   Col Samuel H. Leonard
   Col Peter Lyle[17]

2nd Brigade


   BG Henry Baxter (w)
   Col Richard Coulter

3rd Brigade


   Col Andrew W. Denison

Third Division
     BG Samuel W. Crawford

1st Brigade


   Col William McCandless (w)

3rd Brigade


   Col Joseph W. Fisher

Fourth Division
     BG James S. Wadsworth (mw)
     BG Lysander Cutler

1st Brigade[20]


   BG Lysander Cutler
   Col William W. Robinson

2nd Brigade


   BG James C. Rice

3rd Brigade


   Col Roy Stone[21]
   Col Edward S. Bragg

Artillery Brigade


   Col Charles S. Wainwright

VI Corps

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MG John Sedgwick

Escort:

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
     BG Horatio Wright

1st Brigade


   Col Henry W. Brown

2nd Brigade


   Col Emory Upton

3rd Brigade


   BG David A. Russell

4th Brigade


   BG Alexander Shaler (c)
   Col Nelson Cross

Second Division[22]
     BG George W. Getty (w)
     BG Frank Wheaton
     BG Thomas H. Neill

1st Brigade


   BG Frank Wheaton

2nd Brigade


   Col Lewis A. Grant

3rd Brigade


   BG Thomas H. Neill
   Col Daniel D. Bidwell

4th Brigade


   BG Henry L. Eustis

Third Division
     BG James B. Ricketts

1st Brigade


   BG William H. Morris

2nd Brigade


   BG Truman Seymour (c)
   Col Benjamin F. Smith

Artillery Brigade


   Col Charles H. Tompkins

Cavalry Corps

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MG Philip H. Sheridan

Escort:

  • 6th United States: Cpt Ira W. Claflin (Headquarter)
  • 8th Illinois (detachment): Lt William W. Long (Third Division)
Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
     BG Alfred T. A. Torbert[23]
     BG Wesley Merritt

1st Brigade


   BG George A. Custer

2nd Brigade


   Col Thomas Devin

Reserve Brigade


   BG Wesley Merritt
   Col Alfred Gibbs

Second Division
   BG David McM. Gregg

1st Brigade


   BG Henry E. Davies, Jr.

2nd Brigade


   Col J. Irvin Gregg

Third Division
     BG James H. Wilson

1st Brigade


   Col Timothy M. Bryan, Jr.
   Col John B. McIntosh[25]

2nd Brigade


   Col George H. Chapman

1st Brigade Horse Artillery


   Cpt James M. Robertson

Artillery

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BG Henry J. Hunt[26][27]

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

Artillery Reserve
     Col Henry S. Burton

1st Brigade


   Col J. Howard Kitching

2nd Brigade


   Maj John A. Tompkins

3rd Brigade


   Maj Robert H. Fitzhugh

2nd Brigade Horse Artillery[12]


   Cpt Dunbar R. Ransom

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Multiple commander names indicate command succession of command during the battle or the campaign.
  2. ^ Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 1, pages 106-116
  3. ^ Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 1, pages 119-136
  4. ^ Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 1, pages 1162-1168
  5. ^ The IX Corps was under the direct orders of Lieutenant General Grant until May 24, 1864, when it was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 3, page 169)
  6. ^ a b Sun-struck May 6, 1864
  7. ^ Train guard; not engaged
  8. ^ Train guard
  9. ^ 1st and 2nd Companies Michigan Sharpshooters attached
  10. ^ a b Detached at Warrenton Junction; rejoined Brigade on May 7, 1864 (see: Cutcheon's report)
  11. ^ 9th and 10th Companies Ohio Sharpshooters attached
  12. ^ a b Not engaged
  13. ^ Detachment 7th New York attached
  14. ^ Wounded, but did not relinquish command (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, page 395)
  15. ^ 2nd Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters attached
  16. ^ Brady's Company Sharpshooters attached
  17. ^ Assigned May 6, 1864
  18. ^ Small detachment of the 107th Pennsylvania attached
  19. ^ Assigned to First Brigade May 7, 1864
  20. ^ Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, page 138
  21. ^ Accidentally disabled May 6, 1864
  22. ^ Brigadier General Getty was wounded May 6, 1864, and was succeeded in command of the First, Second, and Fourth Brigades by Brigadier General Wheaton, who was relieved by Brigadier General Neill early on the morning of May 7, 1864, when the Division was reunited
  23. ^ Relinquished command, on account of sickness May 7, 1864
  24. ^ Detached guarding trains and prisoners
  25. ^ Assigned May 5, 1864
  26. ^ Chief of Artillery to the whole Army
  27. ^ 1st Brigade Horse Artillery detached with Cavalry Corps; 2nd Brigade Horse Artillery attached to the Artillery Reserve (see: Hunt's report)

References

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  • Rhea, Gordon C. The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8071-3021-4
  • U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901. Volume XXXVI Part I