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place for the movements of a large army. On Friday morning, May 1st, several columns were pushed forward to gain the open country beyond the bounds of the Wilderness, and affording every facility for fighting to advantage. The idea was to take up a line of battle some two and a half miles in front, and advance the whole line at two o'clock in the afternoon. The left of the advancing columns moved on the river road for five miles, to within sight of Banks' Ford, without meeting any opposition. The centre column advanced on the turnpike, and having gained one of the heights about a mile from Chancellorsville, met the enemy. After severe skirmishing, our troops drove the rebels back and gained the position assigned them. The right column pushed forward well in advance, without encountering opposition.

The importance of these advance movements, and of holding the position already secured, seems plain enough; but Hooker thought otherwise. He ordered the columns to fall back to Chancellorsville, and instead of march ing up with his whole force, and taking the initiative in delivering battle, he strangely threw away precious advantages, and despite the remonstrances of his officers, he determined to remain on the defensive at Chancellorsville. Military men have severely censured Hook er, and have been puzzled to account for his sudden lack of nerve and generalship, since, up to this time, he had displayed vigor and talent of a high order. "Till he met the enemy, Hooker showed a master grasp of the elements of war, but the moment he confronted his an

tagonist, he seemed to suffer collapse of all his powers, and after this his conduct, with the exception of one or two momentary flashes of talent, was marked by an incomprehensible feebleness and faultiness; for, in each crisis, his action was not only bad-it was, with a fatal infelicity, the worst that could have been adopted. When he

found his antagonist making a rapid change of front, and hurrying forward to accept the gage of battle in the Wilderness, the general, whose first stride had been that of a giant, shrunk to the proportions of a dwarf."*

During Friday and Saturday, May 2d, Lee made various demonstrations against the front of Hooker's line of entrenchments; but he had no serious intention of fighting a battle just then, his numbers being much inferior to Hooker's, and he having another mat ter of moment in hand. Lee was only seeking to gain time, by this means, for the carrying out a very bold plan which Jackson had suggested and had been sent to execute. This was to assail Hooker's right and rear by a flank march, and by seizing our com munications with United States Ford. Jackson, from his intimate knowledge of the ground and his peculiar ability for work of this kind, was the very man to make this bold dash against Hooker's army, and he lost not a moment in entering upon it. All through the night the sound of the axe was heard, in preparation for the morrow's movement.

Taking with him about 22,000 men, Jackson, on Saturday morning, May * Swinton's "Army of the Potomac," p. 280.

CH. XXVI.]

JACKSON'S FLANK ATTACK.

283

1863.

ed, set out on his rather perilous ex- At five o'clock, F M., Jackson had pedition, and worked his way with gained the position where he could great diligence through the thickets by deal the deadly blow for which he had a path some two miles south of and been seeking the opportunity at so parallel to the Orange plank road, great risk. A terrific crash of mus where Hooker's troops were planted. ketry on Hooker's extreme right anLate in the afternoon, in spite of all nounced that the rebel general had bedifficulties, he reached the position gun his destructive operations. The aimed at for the terrible and crushing preparation to meet this onslaught was blow which he was about to inflict on very imperfect. It was supposed that Hooker's flank. Secret, however, as the corps of Howard (formerly Sigel's), was his march, his troops were observ with its supports, would be able to reed, in part at least, about three o'clock sist the enemy's attack, but every such in the afternoon, to be moving in a supposition was utterly futile. Bewesterly direction. Hooker and others tween five and six o'clock, Jackson thought that this was a retreat, or the burst forth with resistless imbeginning of a retreat, on the part of petuosity upon the unprepared the rebels, and that a fine opening was 11th corps. Panic stricken, taken now given for attacking them. Ac wholly by surprise, the troops rushed cordingly, Sickles was ordered to take forward, a disorganized mass, without two divisions, and to push into the arms, and anxious only to escape the woods to find and attack the enemy. rebel assault. Entreaties, threats, or Our troops moved with alacrity, and ders of commanders, were of no avail; soon after came up with the rebels. they fled down the road towards headFrom the statements of some prisoners quarters, and overran the next division which were taken, it was inferred that to the left, which was compelled to Jackson was not retreating, by any give way before the enemy even reachmeans, but on his way to execute one ed its position. Col. Bushbeck, on the of those movements which possessed extreme left of the 11th corps, made a for him a peculiar charm. Under an good fight and held his ground as long impression that the astute rebel com- as possible; but both his flanks being mander could be prevented from ac turned, he too gave way, and the whole complishing his purpose, Sickles was corps was soon in utter rout. It was ordered to move on rapidly, other now seven o'clock, and darkness was troops being sent to co-operate with fast approaching; but Jackson had him. In a short time, by the aid of seized the breastworks, and had pushed Randolph's battery and the energetic forward to within half a mile of headaction of our troops, there were sent to quarters. the rear over 400 prisoners, officers and inen; and the opinion was held, that the rebels would be compelled to fly or be captured.

It was a critical moment; a new line had to be formed; and as Lee was pressing his attack on Hooker's left and centro, it was a work of difficulty

Jackson received three balls, one in his left arm, near the shoulder, the others in the arm and right hand. On being removed to the rear his arm was amputated, and it was hoped that he might recover; but pneumonia having set in, he lived only a few days, expiring on the 10th of May.

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and danger to provide for this point. Something like a rushing whirlwind of men, artillery and wagons was sweep ing down the road, and past head quarters, and on towards the fords of the Rappahannock. It seemed in vain to attempt to stop them; but fortunately, as it happened, Pleasanton came up with his cavalry at this moment; he Without dwelling upon Jackson's life moved forward rapidly, charged into and character, both of which were rethe woods, and brought his artillery to markable in several respects, and cause bear upon the 'rebels with terrible one to regret that a man like him was effect. Hooker, also, called upon his deluded to such an extent as to engage old division, which he had commanded, in rebellion and revolution, we give and of which he entertained a very the summing up which Mr. Swinton high opinion, to dash forward into the presents respecting that commander breach and receive the enemy on their whom he terms "the ablest of Lee's bayonets. Gallantly did they obey the lieutenants. Jackson," he says, was call, being now commanded by Gen. essentially an executive officer, and in Berry, and, in perfect order, despite this sphere he was incomparable. De the herd of fugitives streaming past, they void of high mental parts, and desti took position on a crest at the western tute of that power of planning and end of the clearing around Chancellors- combination, and of that calm, broad, ville. Other troops, with artillery, were military intellect which distinguished brought forward, and by steadiness Gen. Lee, whom he regarded with a and determination the rebel advance childlike reverence, and whose designs was checked. he loved to carry out, he had yet those elements of character that, above all else, inspire troops. A fanatic in religion, fully believing that he was des tined by Heaven to beat his enemy whenever he encountered him, he infused something of his own fervent faith into his men, and at the time of his death had trained a corps whose attacks in column were unique and irresistible; and it was noticed that Lee ventured upon no strokes of audacity after Jackson had passed away.'

About this time, in the darkness of the night, Jackson, the leader of this movement, was stricken down, and, as it occurred, by the bullets of his own soldiers. Anxious to grasp all the results of his attack, he was pressing forward through the woods, and went even beyond his lines to reconnoitre, giving instructions to his troops not to fire, unless cavalry approached from the direction of the enemy. Turning with his staff to re-enter his own lines, his troops, it seems, mistaking them for a body of Union cavalry, fired a volley and killed and wounded a number.

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Army of the Potomac," p. 289. Esten Cooke's eulogy on Jackson is also worth consulting, and gives

the southern estimate of his character, services and ability.

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