Contributed
Published: April 10, 2008

Friends of Wilderness Battlefield will commemorate the 144th anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness with “Politics and Personalities: The Wilderness Campaign, 1864,” Friday, May 9-Sunday, May 11.
FoWB is thrilled to announce the roster of guest historians for the 144th anniversary:  Joining Gordon Rhea, Clark “Bud” Hall and Greg Mertz are chief justice Frank Williams of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and chairman of the Lincoln Forum and Dr. John Y. Simon, the executive director and managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association.
The weekend will include fascinating presentations with guest speakers, battlefield tours with noted historians, a special tour at Ellwood of Warren’s headquarters (newly restored), an optional evening program at Guinea Station commemorating Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson’s final evening and the annual dinner and auction, as well as breakfasts, lunches, snacks and transportation.
The programs will offer a thorough examination of the influencing politics, personalities and subsequent planning, on both sides of the Rapidan, during the Winter Encampments of 1864, followed by an investigation of the complexities of leadership and the resulting successes or failures.
Guest speakers and battlefield guides will explore the relationships between political and military commanders that underpinned the Overland Campaign at its outset.  It is now 1864, an election year for the Lincoln Administration, and yet the bloody war drags on, draining Northern coffers amidst waning public support, both North and South.
To fully comprehend the placement of Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant as military commander of “all the armies of the United States,” one must study the role of President Lincoln as both a candidate for reelection, while simultaneously serving the nation as commander-in-chief.
As the weekend unfolds, participants will learn how Grant implements Lincoln’s overall political dictates within the framework of initiating a watershed military campaign.  Further, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s responses to Grant’s military purposes will be covered in detail.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, participants will join leading historians as they explore the “real” story that began the Winter Encampment of 1864 and was solidified in the horrific Battle of the Wilderness.  These two events would set the tone for the Overland Campaign and the beginning of the end at Appomattox.
On Saturday evening FoWB will sponsor its annual dinner and auction. 
Reservations for the conference are limited, and a strong response for this first-ever conference is expected.  Please check the FoWB web site http://www.fowb.org for updates, fees and reservation information.  FoWB is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and all proceeds benefit the Ellwood Restoration Project.
Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to assisting the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park to preserve the Wilderness Battlefield in Orange and Spotsylvania counties.  With more than 230 members, the Friends provide advocacy, educational programs and service projects for the battlefield.