Editing Battle of the Wilderness (section)

==Background==
{{Main|Overland Campaign}}
{{further|Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|American Civil War}}
[[File:GrantsPlanForLee.png|thumb|upright=1.5|right|Grant planned to surround Lee's army and cut off its sources of supplies|alt=map showing plan to surround Lee's army]]

In the three years since fighting in the American Civil War had begun in 1861, the [[United States Army]] (a.k.a. the [[Union Army]]) made little progress against the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]] in the [[Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|Eastern Theater]]. The Union Army's most impressive successes came in the [[Western Theater of the American Civil War|Western Theater]], especially at the [[Battle of Vicksburg]] where nearly 30,000 Confederates surrendered.<ref name="Gallagher9">{{harvnb|Simpson|1997|p=9}}</ref> [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] wanted a military leader who would fight.<ref name="Rhea42">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=42}}</ref> In March 1864, [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]] was summoned from the Western Theater, promoted to [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]], and given command of all the Union armies.<ref name="Gallagher2">{{harvnb|Simpson|1997|p=2}}</ref> Grant was the Union commander at Vicksburg, and also had major victories at [[Battle of Fort Henry|Fort Henry]], [[Battle of Fort Donelson|Fort Donelson]], [[Battle of Shiloh|Shiloh]], and [[Chattanooga campaign|Chattanooga]].<ref name="ABTGrant">{{cite web |title=Ulysses S. Grant |publisher=American Battlefield Trust |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/ulysses-s-grant |access-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-date=July 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702010536/https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/ulysses-s-grant |url-status=live}}</ref> He chose to make his headquarters with the [[Army of the Potomac]], although Major General [[George Meade]] retained formal command of that army. Major General [[William Tecumseh Sherman]] succeeded Grant in command of most of the western armies.<ref name="McPherson718">{{harvnb|McPherson|1988|p=718}}</ref>

Grant believed that the eastern and western Union armies were too uncoordinated in their actions, and that the previous practice of conquering and guarding new territories required too many resources. Grant's new strategy was to attack with all forces at the same time, making it difficult for the Confederates to transfer forces from one battlefront to another. His objective was to destroy the Confederate armies rather than conquering territory.<ref name="Chernow356">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=356}}</ref> The two largest Confederate armies became the two major targets, and they were [[Full General (CSA)|General]] [[Robert E. Lee]]'s [[Army of Northern Virginia]] and General [[Joseph E. Johnston]]'s [[Army of Tennessee]].<ref name="Esposito120">{{harvnb|Esposito|1959|p=120}}</ref> This new strategy pleased President Lincoln.<ref name="Chernow357">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=357}}</ref>

Grant considered Lee's army "the strongest, best appointed and most confident Army in the South."<ref name="Chernow363">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=363}}</ref> Lee was a professional soldier who fought in the [[Mexican–American War]]. At the beginning of the American Civil War, he rejected an offer to be commander of the United States Army.<ref name="Chernow368">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=368}}</ref> He was considered a master tactician in individual battles, and had the advantage of fighting mostly on familiar (Virginia) territory.<ref name="Chernow369">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=369}}</ref> Although the Confederate Army had fewer resources and men than the Union Army, Lee made good use of railroads to move his forces from one front to another.<ref name="Whisonant156-157">{{harvnb|Whisonant|2015|pp=156–157}}</ref> By the time Grant appeared in the Eastern Theater, the Confederate soldiers knew that his six predecessors all failed against Lee, and believed that Grant's successes in the Western Theater were against inferior opponents.<ref name="Chernow366">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=366}}</ref>

===Grant's plan===
Grant's plan for Meade's Army of the Potomac was to move south to confront Lee's army between the Union and Confederate capital cities, [[Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War|Washington]] and [[Richmond in the American Civil War|Richmond]].<ref name="Chernow357"/> At the same time, General [[Benjamin Butler]]'s [[Army of the James]] would approach Richmond, [[Petersburg, Virginia#American Civil War|Petersburg]], and Lee from the southeast near the [[James River]]. Major General [[Franz Sigel]]'s [[Union Army of the Shenandoah|Army of the Shenandoah]] would move through the [[Shenandoah Valley]] and destroy the [[Virginia Central Railroad#Civil War|rail line]], agricultural infrastructure, and [[Granary|granaries]] used to feed the Confederate armies.<ref name="Chernow357"/> Brigadier generals [[George Crook]] and [[William W. Averell]] would attack the [[Virginia and Tennessee Railroad]], and [[Salt in the American Civil War|salt]] and lead mines, in western Virginia before moving east to join Sigel.<ref name="Hogan11-12">{{harvnb|Hogan|2014|pp=11–12}}</ref> Sherman would attack [[Georgia in the American Civil War|Georgia]] with the similar goal of destroying rail lines, resources, and infrastructure used to equip and feed the Confederate armies.<ref name="Chernow357"/>{{#tag:ref|Grant's plan was not solely focused on the Army of Northern Virginia. Johnston's Army of Tennessee was a target for Sherman in Georgia.<ref name="Gallagher6">{{harvnb|Simpson|1997|p=6}}</ref> Major General [[Nathaniel P. Banks]] would fight for the Union in the west where Grant hoped he could capture the important [[Gulf of Mexico]] port at [[Mobile, Alabama in the American Civil War|Mobile, Alabama]].<ref name="Chernow357"/><ref name="ABTMobileBay">{{cite web |title=Mobile Bay |publisher=American Battlefield Trust |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/mobile-bay |access-date=September 19, 2021 |archive-date=September 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925221534/https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/mobile-bay |url-status=live}}</ref>
|group=Note}}

Grant's campaign objective of the destruction of Lee's army coincided with the preferences of both Lincoln and his military [[chief of staff]], [[Henry Halleck]].<ref name="Gallagher6"/> Grant instructed Meade, "Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also."<ref name="Gallagher7">{{harvnb|Simpson|1997|p=7}}</ref> Although he hoped for a quick, decisive battle, Grant was prepared to fight a [[attrition warfare|war of attrition]].<ref name="Scott1891b-12-13">{{harvnb|Scott|1891b|pp=12–13}}</ref><!--Rhea p.46--> Both the Union and Confederate casualties could be high, but the Union had greater resources to replace lost soldiers and equipment. By May 2, Grant had four [[Corps#American Civil War|corps]] positioned to begin Meade's portion of Grant's plan against Lee's army. Three of the corps, plus cavalry, composed Meade's Army of the Potomac. A fourth corps, reporting directly to Grant, added additional firepower. The [[Rapidan River]] divided the two foes.<ref name="Rhea23">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=23}}</ref> A few days later, Grant and Meade would cross the river and begin what became known as the [[Overland Campaign]], and the Battle of the Wilderness was its first battle.<ref name="NPSOverland">{{cite web |title=Ulysses S. Grant's Path to Victory: The 1864 Overland Campaign |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/ulysses-s-grant-s-path-to-victory-the-1864-overland-campaign.htm |access-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121205227/https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/ulysses-s-grant-s-path-to-victory-the-1864-overland-campaign.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The other armies that were part of Grant's plan had mixed results. Sigel was defeated at the [[Battle of New Market]] on May 15.<ref name="Chernow397">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|p=397}}</ref> Sherman won the [[Battle of Atlanta]] on July 22.<ref name="Eicher709-710">{{harvnb|Eicher|2001|pp=709–710}}</ref> He continued his destruction of Confederate infrastructure in November in what became known as [[Sherman's March to the Sea]].<ref name="Eicher761">{{harvnb|Eicher|2001|p=761}}</ref> Butler's [[Bermuda Hundred campaign]] along the James River near Richmond was a failure, although his forces would eventually be used in the [[Siege of Petersburg]], which lasted from June until late March 1865.<ref name="Eicher680">{{harvnb|Eicher|2001|p=680}}</ref><ref name="NPSSiege">{{cite web |title=The Siege of Petersburg |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/civil_war_series/20/sec1.htm |access-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121182930/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/civil_war_series/20/sec1.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> Major General [[Philip Sheridan]], with Crook and Averell as part of his army, would eventually inflict damage on the Shenandoah Valley with victories at [[Third Battle of Winchester|Winchester]], [[Battle of Fisher's Hill|Fisher's Hill]], and [[Battle of Cedar Creek|Cedar Creek]]—occurring in September and October 1864.<ref name="Starr279-280">{{harvnb|Starr|2007|pp=279–280}}</ref><ref name="Starr320">{{harvnb|Starr|2007|p=320}}</ref> Johnston's Army of Tennessee surrendered to Sherman in [[North Carolina in the American Civil War|North Carolina]] on April 26, 1865.<ref name="Chernow533-536">{{harvnb|Chernow|2017|pp=533–536}}</ref>|group=Note}}