Editing Battle of the Wilderness (section)

===Fight at Saunders Field===
[[File:Battle of the Wilderness May 5 Orange Turnpike.png|thumb|upright=1.75|3:00 pm May 5: Sedgewick arrives to assist Warren|alt=troop positions]]
By the time the Union line arrived near the enemy, it had numerous gaps, and some regiments faced north instead of west.<ref name="Schaff152">{{harvnb|Schaff|1910|p=152}}</ref> The concerns about Warren's right flank were justified. As Griffin's division advanced, Ayres's brigade held the right but had difficulty maintaining its lines in a "blizzard of lead".<ref name="Rhea145-146">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=145–146}}</ref> They received [[Enfilade and defilade|enfilading]] fire on their right from the brigade of Confederate [[Brigadier General (CSA)|brigadier general]], [[Leroy Augustus Stafford|Leroy A. Stafford]], causing all but two regiments ([[140th New York Infantry Regiment|140th]] and [[146th New York Infantry Regiment|146th New York]]) to retreat east across Saunders Field.<ref name="Rhea152">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=152}}</ref> On the left of Ayres, the brigade of Brigadier General [[Joseph J. Bartlett]] made better progress and overran the position of Confederate brigadier general, [[John M. Jones]], who was killed.<ref name="Rhea152-153">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=152–153}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Jones' brigade was protected on its right by only a small group of dismounted cavalry, and it was outflanked on that side. Jones and a member of his staff, Captain Robert D. Early, were killed. Early was the nephew of Major General Jubal A. Early.<ref name="Rhea153">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=153}}</ref>|group=Note}} However, since Ayres's men were unable to advance, Bartlett's right flank was now exposed to attack and his brigade was forced to flee back across the clearing. Bartlett's horse was shot out from under him, and he barely escaped capture.<ref name="Rhea154-156">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=154–156}}</ref>

To the left of Bartlett was Wadsworth's [[Iron Brigade]], which was composed of regiments from [[Midwestern United States|the Midwest]] and commanded by Brigadier General [[Lysander Cutler]].<ref name="Schaff154">{{harvnb|Schaff|1910|p=154}}</ref> The Iron Brigade advanced through woods south of Saunders Field and contributed to the collapse of Jones' brigade while capturing battle flags and taking prisoners.<ref name="Schaff154"/> However, the Iron Brigade outdistanced Bartlett's men—exposing the Midwesterner's right flank. The Confederate brigade of Brigadier General [[George P. Doles]] attacked the exposed flank, and the Iron Brigade's [[6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment]] suffered nearly 50 casualties in only a few minutes.<ref name="Rhea157">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=157}}</ref> Soon, the Confederate brigade of Brigadier General [[John B. Gordon]] joined in the attack, tearing through the Union line and forcing the Iron Brigade to break and retreat.<ref name="Rhea161">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=161}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The famed Iron Brigade, sometimes called the Iron Brigade of the West (today's [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]) to differentiate it from other units that claimed the same name, was formerly one of the elite fighting units in the Union army, earning its reputation at battles such as the [[Battle of South Mountain]], the [[Battle of Antietam]], and the [[Battle of Gettysburg]]. At Gettysburg, it suffered over 60 percent casualties.<ref name="Fox117">{{harvnb|Fox|1889|p=117}}</ref> By then, losses were so heavy that the brigade was never again as effective as it was earlier, despite replacements.<ref name="Woodford110">{{harvnb|Woodford|Woodford|1999|p=110}}</ref>|group=Note}}

Further to the Union left, near the Higgerson farm, the Union brigade of Colonel [[Roy Stone (general)|Roy Stone]] was ambushed in waist-high swamp water, and the survivors fled northeast to the fields of the Lacy House (a.k.a. [[Ellwood Manor]]). One soldier blamed the fiasco on the gap between Stone's brigade and the Iron Brigade.<ref name="Rhea162-163">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=162–163}}</ref> On Wadsworth's farthest left, the brigade of Brigadier General [[James C. Rice]] suffered severe losses when the North Carolina brigade commanded by Brigadier General [[Junius Daniel]] got around Rice's unprotected left. The problem was compounded when Stone's brigade fell back from Rice's right.<ref name="Rhea163-164">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=163–164}}</ref> Rice's survivors were chased by Daniel's men almost back to the Lacy House, where the V Corps artillery was used to slow the pursuing Confederates. A quick fight over the guns resulted in casualties for both sides.<ref name="Rhea164">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=164}}</ref> Rice's losses were severe, including two of his five regimental commanders wounded.<ref name="Rhea165">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=165}}</ref>

{{Quote box
|align=right
|width=30%;background-color:#E6F2FF"
|quote=Suddenly, to the horror of the living, fire was seen creeping over the ground, fed by dead leaves which were thick. All who could move tried to get beyond the Pike, which the fire could not cross. Some were overtaken by the flames....
|source=Unnamed wounded soldier, [[7th Indiana Infantry Regiment|7th Indiana Infantry]]<ref name="Schaff166">{{harvnb|Schaff|1910|p=166}}</ref><!-- Probably Lt. William "Billy" Davis -->
}}

Further south, Crawford's First Brigade, commanded by Colonel [[William McCandless]], did not reach the fighting in time to help Wadsworth's left. The brigade became surrounded by Confederates, and its [[7th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment]] was captured. Crawford was in danger of having the remaining portion of his division cut off, so it withdrew toward the Lacy House while the Confederates occupied the Chewning farm.<ref name="Rhea166-167">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=166–167}}</ref> Back at Saunders Field, Warren had ordered an artillery section into Saunders Field to support his attack, but it was captured by Confederate soldiers, who were pinned down and prevented by rifle fire from moving the guns.<ref name="Rhea168-169">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=168–169}}</ref> Amid hand-to-hand combat at the guns, the field caught fire and men from both sides were shocked as their wounded comrades burned to death.<ref name="Rhea170-171">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|pp=170–171}}</ref> The first phase of fighting on the Orange Turnpike was over by 2:30{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="Rhea172">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=172}}</ref>

The lead elements of Sedgwick's VI Corps reached Saunders Field around 3:00{{nbsp}}pm. Wright commanded the renewal of fighting until Sedgwick arrived around 3:30{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="Eicher666">{{harvnb|Eicher|2001|p=666}}</ref> The fighting was now in the woods north of the turnpike, and both sides traded attacks and counterattacks.<ref name="Eicher666"/> Ewell held his position for the remainder of the afternoon.<ref name="Gallagher148">{{harvnb|Carmichael|1997|p=148}}</ref> During the fray, Confederate brigadier general, [[Leroy A. Stafford]], was shot through the shoulder blade, the bullet severing his spine. Despite being paralyzed from the waist down and in agonizing pain, he managed to still urge his troops forward.<ref name="Rhea181">{{harvnb|Rhea|2004|p=181}}</ref> He died four days later.<ref name="Eicher666"/>