HOOKER'S ADVANCE-STONEMAN'S ORDERS. | 353 numbers still were, it is questionable now be retiring on Richmond. The that this army was a full match, on spirit of Hooker's instructions is emequal ground, for its more homoge-bodied in these sentences: neous, better disciplined, more selfassured, more determined antagonist. Gen. Hooker very properly devoted the two ensuing months to improving the discipline, perfecting the organization, and exalting the spirit of his men; with such success that he had, before their close, an army equal in numbers and efficiency to any ever seen on this continent, except that which Gen. McClellan commanded during the first three months of 1861. Its infantry was nearly, if not quite, 100,000 strong; its artillery not less than 10,000, every way well appointed; while its cavalry, numbering 13,000, needed only a fair field and a leader to prove itself the most effective body of horsemen ever brigaded on American soil. Horses and forage having both become scarce in the South, there was not, and never had been, any cavalry force connected with any Rebel army that could stand against it. Being at length ready, Hooker dispatched" Stoneman, with most of his cavalry," up the north side of the river, with instructions to cross, at discretion, above the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, strike Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry brigade (computed at 2,000) near Culpepper Court House, capture Gordonsville, and then pounce on the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad near Saxton's Junction, cutting telegraphs, railroads, burning bridges, bridges, &c., thence toward Richmond, fighting at every opportunity, and harassing by every means the retreat of the Rebel army, which, it was calculated, would "Let your watchword be fight, and let all your orders be fight, fight, fight; bearing in mind that time is as valuable to the General as the Rebel carcasses. "It devolves upon you, General, to take the initiative in the forward movement of this grand army; and on you and your noble command must depend, in a great measure, the extent and brilliancy of our success. solution, are every thing in war; and espeBear in mind that celerity, audacity, and recially is it the case with the command you have, and the enterprise on which you are about to embark." These instructions seem to have been at once terse and perspicuous, plainly indicating what was expected, and why it was required; yet leaving ample discretion to him who was to give them effect. Yet it is hard to repress a suspicion that irony lurks in such language, when addressed to an officer like George D. Stoneman. Our cavalry, carefully screening its movements from the enemy, marched two days westward, and had thrown across one division, when a rain raised the river so rapidly that this vanguard was recalled, swimming its horses; and a succession of April storms kept the streams so full and impetuous, while the roads were rendered so bad, that a fresh advance was postponed to the 27th; Gen. Hooker giving the order for the movement of his infantry and artillery next day. The time was well chosen. Longstreet, with three divisions, had been detached from Lee's army, and was operating against Gen. Peck below the James; and it is not probable that Lee had much, if any, over 60,000 men on the Rappahannock. True, his position at Fredericksburg was "He says 13,000, in his testimony before the Committee on the Conduct of the War. VOL. II.-23 30 April 13. very strong, as we had learned to our | 29th; and, before daylight, Brooks's cost; but it might be turned, as Hooker proceeded to show. division had crossed in boats and driven off the Rebel pickets; while Gen. Wadsworth in like manner led the advance of Reynolds's division; when three pontoon bridges were laid in front of Sedgwick, and every thing made ready for crossing in force. Now Sickles's (3d) corps was ordered to move" silently, rapidly to His army was still encamped at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg. The 11th (Howard's) and 12th (Slocum's) corps moved up the river, but carefully avoiding observation from the hostile bank, so far as Kelly's ford; crossing there the Rappahannock that night and next morning- the United States ford, and thence the men wading up to their arm-to Chancellorsville, while part of the pits and the Rapidan at Germania pontoons were taken up and sent to Mills, next day, moving thence rap- Banks's ford; Reynolds, after makidly on CHANCELLORSVILLE. The 5th ing as great a display as possible, and (Meade's) corps followed; crossing exchanging some long shots with the the Rapidan at Ely's ford, lower Rebels in his front, following, May down. Meantime, the 2d (Couch's) 2d; raising Hooker's force at and corps approached, so nearly as it near Chancellorsville to 70,000 men. might unobserved, to both the United States and Banks's fords, ready to cross when these should be flanked by the advance of the 11th, 12th, and 5th behind these fords to Chancellorsville. Resistance had been expected here; but none was encountered, as none worth mentioning had been above; and Couch crossed his corps" at the United States ford on pontoons, without the loss of a man. Gen. Hooker, at Morrisville, superintended the movement; following himself to Chancellorsville, where he established his headquarters that night. This important movement had been skillfully masked by a feint of crossing below Fredericksburg; the 6th (Sedgwick's) corps laying pontoons and actually crossing at Franklin's, two or three miles below; the 1st (Reynolds's) at Pollock's Mill, still lower; the 3d (Sickles's) supporting either or both. Sedgwick was in chief command on this wing. The bridges were ready by daylight of the 32 April 30. Sedgwick, on the other side of the Rebel army, had his own corps, 22,000 strong; while Gen. Gibbon's division of the 2d corps, 6,000 strong, which had been left in its camp at Falmouth to guard our stores and guns from a Rebel raid, was subject to his order; raising his force to nearly 30,000. His Thus far, Gen. Hooker's success had been signal and deserved. movements had been so skillfully masked that Lee was completely deceived; and the passage of the Rappahannock had been effected, both above and below him, and all its fords seized, without any loss whatever. Never did a General feel more sanguine of achieving not merely a great but a crushing victory. have Lee's army in one hand and Richmond in the other," was his exulting remark to those around him as he rode up to the single but capacious brick house-at once mansion and tavern-that then, with its appendages, constituted Chancellorsville. But April 30. 33 "I LEE CONCENTRATES IN HOOKER'S FRONT. 355 the order he issued thereupon evinces | skillfully made that he did not anti cipate a crossing in force until it was too late to call on Lee for rëenforcements; and he had no choice but to fall back rapidly before our advancing columns to Chancellorsville, where a fourth brigade joined him; but, being still too weak to make head against an army, he obliqued thence five miles toward Fredericksburg, at the point where the two roads from Chancellorsville become one. Here Lee soon appeared from Fredericksburg, with the divisions of McLaws and the rest of Anderson's own. Jackson, with those of A. P. Hill and Rhodes (late D. H. Hill's), had been watching our demonstration under Sedgwick, below Fredericksburg; but, when Lee heard that Hooker had crossed in force above, he at once inferred that the movement below was a feint, and called Jackson away toward Chancellorsville, adding the division of Trimble to his command and impelling him on a movement against Hooker's extreme right; leaving only Early's division and Barksdale's brigade in front of Sedgwick on our remote left, and to hold the heights overlooking Fredericksburg, which he judged no longer likely to be assailed. A General who has but eight days' provisions at hand, and these in the haversacks of his men, with a capricious river between him and his dépôts, and who has been obliged to leave behind most of his heavier guns, as well as his wagons, and is enveloped in a labyrinth of woods and thickets, traversed by narrow roads, and every foot of it familiar to his enemy, while a terra incognita even to his guides, has no warrant for talking in that strain. Never were a few "intelligent contrabands," who had traversed those mazes by night as well as by day, more imperatively needed; yet he does not seem to have even seasonably sought their services; hence, his general order just recited, taken in connection with his pending experience, was destined to lend a mournful empha-er on his right; but he was not dissis to the trite but sound old monition, "Never halloo till you are out of the woods." The fords of the Rappahannock next above Fredericksburg had been watched by Gen. Anderson with three brigades, some 8,000 strong; but Hooker's dispositions were so Lee had been outgeneraled in the passage of the Rappahannock on his left, while he was watching for Hook concerted. Leaving a very small force in his works on the Fredericksburg heights, he pushed his main body-at least 50,000 strong-down the Gordonsville plank and lateral roads to the point, half-way to Chancellorsville, where the old turnpike intersects the plank road; and was C. Position taken and held by Union troops, April 29. E. Farthest advance made by Union forces, May 1. here concentrated in time to watch G. Jackson's attack on the 11th corps, May 2. H. Position which Union forces retired to and intrenched, I. Heights at Fredericksburg carried by 6th corps, J. Advanced position attained by 6th corps. K. Interior line intrenched previous to retiring of Union forces across U. 8. ford, night of May 5th. L. Route pursued by Jackson's forces. traversed a mile when he met the enemy coming on, in greater force, and a sharp conflict ensued, with A reconnoissance down the old mutual loss; the Rebels extending pike for three miles toward Freder- their line so as to outflank ours, icksburg having developed no hostile while Sykes vainly attempted to conforce, Gen. Hooker ordered" an ad- nect with Slocum (12th corps) on his vance of Sykes's regulars (3d division, right. Gen. Warren, who was su5th corps) on that road, followed by perintending Sykes's movement, repart of the 2d corps; the 1st and 3d turned and reported progress to divisions of the 5th corps moving on Hooker, who ordered Sykes to fall a road farther north, in the direction back, which he did; bringing off all of Banks's ford; the 11th, followed but a few of his wounded, and very by the 12th, being thrown out west- cautiously followed by the enemy. wardly from Chancellorsville, along Thus the prestige of success, in the the two roads, which are here, for a first collision of the struggle, was short distance, blended, but gradually tamely conceded to the enemy; and separate. An advance of two or the day closed with the woods and three miles toward Fredericksburg thickets in our front filled with Rebel was meditated; but Sykes had hardly sharp-shooters, and the crests of the 24 May 1, 9 A. M. |