The Wilderness – Gordon Flank Attack Trail
Started turning back to some pre-Antietam project notes and site trips today. My marker entries and trip notes for the Gordon Flank Attack Trail at the Wilderness had been waiting in the queue since mid-February. Those went into the database today. Not much to show and tell. The Wilderness, much as the case in 1864, lacks the scenic vistas and great overlooks. Must be why they call it the Wilderness!
The trail is roughly an hour course, threading respectfully around the remnants of earthworks.
The photo above is close to the location pictured in the period photograph on page 23 of Trench Warfare under Grant and Lee, by Earl J. Hess. My photo was taken just west of Saunders Field, about 100 yards north of Constitution Highway (Va 20).
Overall the trail is well interpreted without over doing things. However the text of the markers is set to follow a script. Hanging questions posed by some markers may confuse those taking the trail in reverse order. And I’d still recommend the June 1995 issue of Blue & Gray Magazine for reference while walking the trail.
The trail is on a flat grade, with only one or two low crossing points. A park maintenance shop, while sited in the middle of the battlespace, is relatively un-obtrusive. The park service maintains good “green space” between the trail and neighboring subdivisions. As seen from the map view of the marker set, this section of the battlefield is under some pressure. The modern lake has covered much of the Confederate rear. All of which leaves the visitor a false impression that the Federal right flank wasn’t “in the air” quite so badly.
