WILDERNESS. 512 WILES. ter had actually begun such a movement, but had been summoned to reinforce Hill's weakened forces in front, and now came on the field of battle, driving Hancock back to his original po- sition. At this critical moment for the Union army, however, Longstreet was wounded and the violence of the attack subsided until about four o'clock, when Lee threw Hill's and Longstreet's corps against Hancock. Aided by a fire which broke out in the imderbrush and seized on the logs of the Union breastworks, while the wind blew the smoke into the faces of the Federals, the Confederates broke through the Union line and a Confederate flag was planted upon the intrenchments. Almost immediately, however, the Confederate line was driven back. The battle ended with an assault by Ewell on the Union right, in which two brigades were captured and the Union line was for a time endangered. The Confederate advance, however, was checked and night made an end of hostilities. Xo definite gain had been made by either side, and within a few days fighting was resumed at Spottsylvania Court House (q.v.). The losses were heavv, the best authority plac- ing the Union casualties at 2265 killed, '10.220 wounded, and 2002 missing, a total of 15.387. The woods took fire in many places, and at least 200 wounded perished in the flames. The Con- federate records show 2000 killed. (!000 wounded, and 3400 missing, a total of 11.400. Among the general officers killed were Wadsworth and Bax- ter, of the Union army, and Jenkins of the Con- federates, while Getty of the one and Longstreet of the other side were wounded. Consult : .John- son and Buel (eds. ), Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (New York. 1887) ; Humphreys. The Virginia Campaign of ISfi'i and 1S63 (New York, 1883) ; Grant, Personal Memoirs (last ed., New York, 1805) ; Badeau, Militarti Histori/ of Uh/s- ses 8. Grant (New York, 18(!S-81) ; and Swinton, Twelve Decisive Battles of the TT'nr (New York, 1867). WILDES, wildz, Fr.^xk (1843-1903). An American naval officer, born in Boston. He graduated at the Naval Academy in 1863, and saw active service on the steam sloop Lacka- u'aiina and the monitor Chiclcasair in the opera- tions against Jlobile. He became a commander in 1880, and a captain in 1894. In the battle of Manila Bay in 1898 he commanded the cruiser Boston, and for his services was advanced five jiunilicrs. lie became a rear-admiral in 1901. WILDFIRE, Madge. The nickname of Mar- garet Murdochson, a gj'psy girl in Scott's Heart of Midlothian. She is corrupted by George Robertson and goes mad on being deserted by him. WILD FOWL. A general term, formerly in more common use than now for wihl birds, espe- cially such as interested sportsmen, in distinction from domesticated fowls. The term became more and more restricted to gamc-Mrds, and especially to the ducks, geese, and the like, or 'waterfowl,' and to the shore birds; and a jjprson who made a practice of shooting this class of birds for sport was known as a 'wildfowler.' The indcfiniteiipss of the term gradually caused its disiise as sport became more specialized and ornidiologiral in- formation more extensive and exact, and the term 'wild fowl' has gradually become relegated to poetic use when a pleasing suggestion is re- quired rather than precise characterization. WILD GINGER. See Asar.b.cca. WILDGOATS, SHEEP, and IBEXES. A group of small ruminants not easily divisible technically even into the two apparently easily distinguishable genera Ovis (sheep) and Capra (goats and ibexes) ; and characterized by the massive, angulated horns borne by the male (rams), which in the sheep tend to form a coil beside the head, and in the goats sweep backward from the forehead and show a strongly cross- ridged front. The wild sheep and goats are mountain-dwelling animals, and are limited, with one exception, to the central elevated regions of the Old ^"orld, stretching from the Pyrenees, Atlas, and Abyssinian mountains through the Sinaitic Carpathian, Armenian, and Persian chains, to the Himalayan and Mongolian ranges, which are continued northeastward to Bering Strait. Each separate section of the line of uplift has one or more peculiar species. There is also an American species or group of species (see Bighorn) native to the northern Cordillera, as far south as the borders of ilexico. The species are not many, most of them have a comparatively limited and local range, and several are extinct as wild animals. The genus Ovis has given to civilized man the domestic sheep, but their spe- cific source (or sources) is uncei'tain. The do- mestic goat seems to have been derived with little admixture from the wild goat still extant in Southwestern Asia. See Oo.vt; Ibex; Sheep. WILD-GOOSE CHASE, The. A comedy by John Fletcher, produced in 1621. printed in 1652. Four acts, of Farquhar's The Inconstant were taken from it. WILDING. (1) The principal character in Shirley's The Gamester. In his adaptation of this play. The Gamesters, December 22. 1757, Garrick himself assumed the rule. (2) The princi]ial character in Foote's play The Liar. The author himself created the role of Young ^^'il(Iillg in tliis play. WILD ONION. See Ai.i.n ■^r. WILD PIGEON. Specifically, the American pnssi'iijjcr ])igrciii. Sep Pkieon. WILD SARSAPARILLA. See Akalia. WILD SPINACH. See Chenopodium. WILD'WOOD, Will. The pseudonym of the American writer on sports Frederick Eugene Pond (q.v.). WILES, Irtng (1861 — ). An American figure and portrait painter, born in Utica, N. Y. He was a pu]iil of his father, then studied at the .Art Stiulents' League. New York City, under Carroll Bcckwith and William Chase, and from 1882 to 1884 in Paris under Lefebvre and Carolus-Duran. After further studies in Italy he returned to New York. Wiles furni^^hed illustrations for many of the leading magazines, but devoted himself principally to painting in oils and water-colors. The merit of his work gained for him various |)rizes besides the gold medal at the Wcirlil's Cnluiiibian Exposition, Chicago (1893). and a medal at the Paris Expo- sition (1900). Among his paintings are the "Corner Table." the "Sonata," "Sunshine and Flowers" (a portrait of a woman and child), "Memories" (1891, Carnegie Collection), the
