· overland · 2 min read

Overland.13: Hat in Hand

There is no more waiting and the orders have come to send Griffin's men out into the openness of Saunders Field to pitch into the enemy alone.

There is no more waiting and the orders have come to send Griffin's men out into the openness of Saunders Field to pitch into the enemy alone.

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Overland Season 1 - Episode 13

In This Episode

It’s 1:00 PM on May 5th, 1864 — Grant has had enough of both General Meade’s and General Warren’s excuses and has now directed them to send Griffin and Wadsworth’s divisions forward and pitch into the enemy at once. Unfortunately, Grant does not yet know that General Sedgwick’s 6th Corps, overcome by the tangles of The Wilderness, will not arrive on Griffin’s RIGHT flank for hours. Worse yet, Wadsworth’s men are also stuck trying to push through the dense Wilderness. When the order comes to march, Griffin’s men will be stepping out into an open cornfield to confront the enemy… alone.

Notable Quotes

“[moments before the fighting began, the men], for those few minutes lay there and faced the possibilities of tragedy then inevitable.”
— Wrote a Zouave Soldier, after the Battle of Saunders Field

“Suspense and dread and hope which possess men during such minutes cannot be adequately told in words.”
— Zouave Veteran

“stand up…forward, double-quick, CHARGE!” — Col. George “Paddy” Ryan, 140th New York “Zouaves” Regiment

About the Image

Excelsior — Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 (oil on canvas) by Don Troiani

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