Take a comprehensive tour of the Battle of the Wilderness Battlefield, May 5-6, 1864.
The Battle of the Wilderness was the next major battle after Gettysburg and is known as the opening phase of Grant’s Overland Campaign. It was the first battle between Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Some historians will say it was the beginning of the end of the Confederacy.
Your private battlefield tour will start at the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter – National Park Service, where you will meet your battlefield guide. Receive a tour introduction and hear about General Grant coming east with a plan to end the war for President Lincoln.
See the opening shots of the battle and the Overland Campaign, Saunder’s Field, on May 5, 1864. While there, view the original Civil War earthworks still standing today!
We’ll stop at the Brock Road / Plank Road intersection, where some of the most intense and desperate fights took place both days. Learn how Grant’s big plan for the second day on May 6, 1864, was to land a hammering blow to Lee’s right wing with General Winfield Hancock’s combined forces.
Then, we’ll take you to Tapp Field, where the fate of the Confederacy hung in the balance. We’ll learn about the famous Lee to the rear! moment with the arrival of the famous Texas Brigade on the field.
In various portions of the tour, you will be surrounded by the forest of the Wilderness, where a new form of combat was waged in the woods. Confusion reigned supreme in the woods, where it was difficult to maneuver and navigate. A new hell on the battlefield was experienced when wildfires erupted.
Learn about Grant’s decision to withdraw from the Wilderness and head south on the road to Richmond, where there will be no turning back!
This private battlefield tour pairs nicely with the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House which is the next battle of the Overland Campaign; May 8-21, 1864.
If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Let us show you the way as you relax and skip the self-guided tour hassle. Your own battlefield guide will meet you in front of the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter – National Park Service.
After an introduction, your battlefield guide will join your vehicle as you depart to your first stop. It is recommended that the battlefield guide drive your vehicle so you can relax and enjoy the tour, but it’s up to you who drives.
Joining your vehicle keeps the cost down so you can see more battlefields with us.
Step-on battlefield guides are available for larger passenger vehicles (van or bus). For more information and prices, please contact us.
Note: Battle of The Wilderness can be tailored into one of our Custom Battlefield Tours.
