Gordon's Flank Attack

The right flank of the Union line rested here in the early evening of May 6. Two Union brigades occupied this area with the benefit of neither strong works nor substantial artillery support. Suddenly, the Rebel yell echoed through the forest. North Carolinians and Virginians joined Gordon's men boiling through the thick woods to your right and front. Union General Alexander Shaler recalled that "the enemy moved against us in front, on the flank, and in the rear, completely enveloping us in fire." The Federals fell back in disarray, leaving Shaler and General Truman Seymour as prisoners of war. Would Gordon's attack lead to victory in the Wilderness?