artillery, also opened on the Federal infantry with a section of rifle pieces; but in the conflict at the "Furnace " the Confederates sustained considerable loss. General Stuart here lost his efficient Adjutant-General Major R. Channing Price, a young officer of great courage and capacity. All who knew him loved him, and his death was a loss to the service.

Night put an end to the contest in this portion of the field, and both armies prepared for the arduous struggle which was to take place on the ensuing day.

Meanwhile General Lee had arrived with the remainder of Anderson's and McLaws' division. And a consultation was held to determine upon the further plan of action. The position of the Federal forces was peculiar. We have described it in general terms on a preceding page, but note here some additional particulars relating to it, which will convey a better idea of the difficulties with which the Confederate commander was called

upon to contend. General Hooker had expected an attack either from the direction of Fredericksburg on the line of the old turnpike, or from the direction of Spottsylvania Court-House, by way of the "Furnace." Against an assault from these two quarters he had guarded himself by a double line of battle somewhat resembling two sides of a square, his right ranging along the plank road in front of Chancellorsville nearly east and west, his left extending toward the river nearly north and south, the angle where the two lines joined each other being below and not far from the Chancellorsville house. The abatis in front of the works was, as we have said, almost impassable, the dense thickets presented a barrier which no courage could overcome; and behind the lines, as upon his flanks, the Federal commander had posted his numerous artillery ready to sweep the roads as the Southerners advanced.

Humanly speaking, General Hooker's position was impregnable against an attack in front, except with a loss of life in storming it frightful to contemplate; and the design of assailing him from the east or the south was speedily abandoned.

An attack upon one of his flanks promised better results; and

Jackson's suggestion that he should move well to the left and make a sudden attack upon the enemy's right and rear above Chancellorsville, while another assault was made in front, was speedily assented to by General Lee. By this movement, the elaborate series of defences thrown up by the enemy would be rendered useless, their plan of battle reversed; and they would be compelled to face to the rear and fight, if they fought at all, at a disadvantage.

Those who are familiar with the bent of Jackson's genius will easily comprehend the alacrity with which he proceeded to carry out General Lee's orders. These sudden and mortal blows struck at an enemy rejoicing in the strength of his defences, and prepared to hurl destruction on the assailant while he himself is protected, always possessed an inexpressible charm for the great leader who had delivered so many such; and Jackson now saw the field open for a supreme exhibition of military genius, and a decisive victory.

He knew the importance of celerity and secrecy of movement, and every preparation was made for the march at an early hour on the succeeding morning. No precautions were omitted calculated to mask the movement from the enemy. Experienced guides were promptly secured, and General Stuart was ready with his cavalry to coöperate in the enterprise by guarding the front and flanks of the column, driving off scouting parties, and communicating prompt intelligence of the enemy's position or movements. By the assistance of this experienced commander of cavalry, and through the employment of due precaution, Jackson did not doubt his ability to reach the point where he intended to attack, without being discovered, and to strike a blow which would decide the fate of the enemy.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

CHANCELLORSVILLE.

On the morning of the 2d of May Jackson was early in the saddle, and pushed forward his preparations with vigor, in spite of a distressing cold which he had caught by sleeping without sufficient covering to protect him from the humid airs of the chill spring night.

This cold had resulted from his kindly solicitude for the comfort of another. In the hasty march he seems to have left behind him his blankets, and one of his aides threw over him a heavy cape, as some addition to his scant covering. During the night Jackson bethought him that the young man might be suffering from cold in consequence of this generosity, and, rising quietly, he spread the cape over the youthful sleeper, and again lay down without it. The consequence was a severe cold; and this cold terminated in that attack of pneumonia which, occurring at a time when he was enfeebled by his wound, resulted in his death. If he had not thrown that cape over his sleeping aide, it is probable that he would have survived his wounds.

In spite, however, of this severe indisposition, Jackson had never exhibited more ardor and energy than when undertaking this great movement. Its splendid details and triumphant result were no doubt mapped out in his brain, and an unwonted excitement mastered him. The enterprise was one which demanded the highest traits of military genius. He had undertaken to move, without being discovered, along the entire front of the enemy, and in close proximity to their lines; to make his way by unfrequented roads and through dense thickets to their flank and rear, and to attack the large force of General Hooker in his intrenchments above Chancellorsville, and put every thing upon the issue of the struggle. If one step went If one step went wrong in the programme, his purpose would be defeated; if he was repulsed in

the assault, there was no possibility of receiving assistance from General Lee; upon his skill and soldiership depended not only the success of the movement which he was about to make, but the very existence of the great army corps which he commanded.

The column commenced its march at daybreak. Leaving the plank road about a mile and a half from Chancellorsville, and occupying the attention of the Federal forces by the fire of a battery under Major Pegram, Jackson pressed on steadily by the Old Mine road in the direction of the Furnace; the cavalry under General Stuart moving in front and on the flanks of the column, to mask the troops from the enemy. At the Furnace the 23d Georgia, Colonel Best, was left to guard the road leading from that point toward Chancellorsville, in order to protect the column against an attack on its flank in passing, and Jackson continued to advance. As the rear of the column reached the Furnace, the anticipated attack took place; the enemy suddenly advancing and assailing the 23d Georgia so unexpectedly that the whole regiment, with the exception of Colonel Best and a few men, was surrounded and captured. The trains of the corps were also attacked by the Federal forces, but Colonel J. Thompson Brown promptly placed his artillery in position, and, after a brief but hot engagement, the enemy were repulsed and compelled to retreat toward Chancellorsville.

The design of the Confederate commander seemed thus to have been unmasked; but such was not the fact. The enemy still had no suspicion of his real intentions, and the direction in which his column now moved no doubt explains this circumstance. The road which Jackson followed, bends southward at the Furnace for a short distance, returning, as it were, toward the point from which it came; and the enemy's writers assert that they supposed the Southern troops to be in full retreat toward Spottsylvania CourtHouse. Such was the fatal misconception of General Hookeraffording one more proof of the soundness of Napoleon's maxim, that the first necessity of a general is to study the character of his opponent General Hooker ought to have been sufficiently

acquainted with the character of Jackson to understand that to retreat without a battle was no part of the military philosophy of the man of Kernstown; and that the soldier who had flanked General McClellan and gotten in rear of General Pope, would probably try the same strategy against General Hooker.

The column continued its rapid march-its movement completely masked by the cavalry which attacked and drove off the reconnoitring parties of the enemy-its destination undreamed of by the Federal army, now engrossed by Lee's attack in front. Hour after hour the march continued without' cessation; the troops penetrating with difficulty the wild country through which they moved; the artillery slowly toiling on through the · narrow roads over which the heavy engines of war had never before moved. Jackson rode at the head of his column, and General Stuart with his cavalry continued to protect the front and flank from observation. Reaching the Brock road, running, as we have said, from Spottsylvania Court-House to Ely's ford, and crossing the right flank of the enemy, Jackson continued to follow it until he attained the point where it intersects the Orange plank road, not far from the plank road to Germanna ford, and about three miles from Chancellorsville.

At this point General Fitz Lee, commanding the cavalry under General Stuart, informed Jackson that, by ascending an elevation near at hand, he could obtain a good view of the positions of the enemy, who, taking him for a simple cavalry vidette, would pay no attention to him. He accordingly proceeded to the point indicated, and from which the Federal cavalry had been driven. A single glance showed him the position of the Federal line of battle. He was not yet sufficiently on the enemy's flank, and, turning to one of his aides, he said, briefly, "Tell my column to cross that road." He referred to the Orange plank road, and, hastening back, placed himself again at the head of the troops, who continued to move by the Brock road, and advanced without delay to the old turnpike.*

* General Fitz Lee gives us this incident.