Gordon's Flank Attack
| Gordon's Attack | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War | |||||
Gordon's Attack, May 6 1864 | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| United States | Confederate States | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
John Sedgwick (WIA) Truman Seymour (POW) Alexander Shaler (POW) |
John B. Gordon Jubal Early Richard S. Ewell | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| Several brigades | 3 brigades | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| More than 400 killed; 600 captured | 50 killed (in Gordon's brigade) | ||||
Gordon's Attack, also known as Gordon's Flank Attack, was an attack by three brigades of the Army of Northern Virginia led by Brigadier General John Gordon on the positions of the Union VI Corps of General John Sedgwick on May 6, 1864, during the Battle of the Wilderness.
While surveying the positions in front of his brigade, General Gordon discovered an exposed flank of the enemy corps and proposed attacking it with several brigades, hoping to overthrow the entire corps. Gordon's commanders (Jubal Early and Richard Ewell) did not immediately approve of this plan, resulting in a significant loss of time. Ultimately, the attack began late on May 6 and was halted by darkness. Some participants in the battle considered this episode a missed opportunity for victory, while others believed the attack had no chance from the start.