CHAPTER XXXI.

THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE.

(From April 27th to May 4th, 1863.)

BREAKING CAMP AT FALMOUTH.-ADROIT STRATAGEM.-CROSSING THE RAPPAHANNOCK.—THE SURPRISE OF GENERAL HOWARD'S CORPS.-BATTLE SCENE.-DEATH OF GENERAL BERRY.— ALTERNATIONS OF VICTORY AND DEFEAT. PERIL OF THE ARMY.-RETREAT.-HOOKER'S PROCLAMATION. THE UNEXPLAINED MYSTERY.

AGAIN let us return to the Atlantic coast. There was a general, almost a universal impression, that General Burnside, in his heroic yet disastrous attack upon the heights of Fredericksburg, was not supported as he should have been by all of his corps commanders. Indeed, party spirit then ran so high that it was very confidently stated that some of the prominent officers, whose cordial coöperation was essential to success, preferred defeat, rather than that the Army of the Potomac should be led to victory by any other commander than General McClellan. Early in April, General Lee held the city of Fredericksburg, and its adjacent heights south of the Rappahannock. General Hooker, who had succeeded General Burnside in command of the Army of the Potomac, with about one hundred and twenty thousand troops, was on the northern banks of the

stream.

With great celerity of movement, early in May, he crossed the upper waters of the Rappahannock, and placed, almost without a struggle, the main body of his army, seventy-five thousand strong, in an admirable position in the rear of Fredericksburg, about ten miles southwest of the city. The rebels, strongly intrenched on the heights just behind Fredericksburg, were quite taken by surprise.

This movement of the National forces from their encampment near Falmouth was commenced energetically on the morning of the 27th of April. The pickets of the rebels lined the right banks of the narrow stream, and by tacit consent there had been no firing across the river. The rebel lookouts were upon every eminence, to watch the slightest motion of the army. But concealing themselves in the dense growth of woods which lined the stream, and behind the curtain of hills, the camps were suddenly broken up, the comfortable log-huts, where the men had sheltered themselves through the storms of winter, were abandoned, and the whole region, for miles in extent, was alive with the moving masses. The army was in splendid condition, and, having full confidence in its heroic leader, was elated with the highest hope. Hitherto, every movement of the army had been known, not only throughout the North, but by the rebels, as soon as

it was contemplated. It was something new to have manœuvres inaugurated under secrecy so profound, that even major-generals knew not the results aimed at, receiving their specific orders day by day. Though all the arrangements had been so perfectly matured that there was no clashing of the divisions, and no confusion, still the most intelligent observers were bewildered, as, along a line twenty or thirty miles in length, columns were moving in different directions, and with great celerity. Three of the seven army corps, those under Generals Reynolds, Sickles, and Sedgwick, descended the stream two miles below Fredericksburg, where General Franklin had crossed in the campaign of General Burnside. Other corps were in the mean time moving up the river, in the direction of Banks's Ford, which was eight miles, and United States Ford, which was eleven miles distant from Fredericksburg.

No one, apparently, but the commander-in-chief himself knew where the main attack would be made. The two points towards which vast bodies of troops were approaching were many miles apart, and manifestly not within the limits of coöperation. Hence, it was evident that the operations at one point would be merely a feint to distract the attention of the enemy; while at the other the main body of the army would be pushed across the stream. Events proved that the feint with twenty thousand men was to be made by General Sedgwick, two miles below Fredericksburg, while the main body of the army were to be rushed across by pontoon bridges and the various fords above the city.

Before the dawn of Tuesday morning, April 28th, under cover of a dense fog, several pontoon-boats were taken from the wagons, behind the hills, two miles below Fredericksburg, and were noislessly carried on the shoulders of the men, to the river's brink, and launched into the stream. With great celerity a bridge was constructed, and General Russell's Brigade of General Brooks's Division of the Sixth Army Corps, with hushed voice and noiseless tread, rushed across. For forty miles up and down the stream, the rebels were posted at every ford, and every spot where a crossing was deemed possible. The National troops, at the point we have alluded to, crossed so suddenly, and in such strength, that the rebels, in their riflepits, about two hundred in number, made but feeble resistance. Both lines of the rifle-pits were soon in possession of the patriots, with the loss of scarcely half a dozen men. This feat being accomplished, three pontoon bridges were promptly thrown over the river, and the whole of Brooks's Division crossed. General Sedgwick was here in command, and the movement was a perfect success. A mile and a half below General Sedgwick's pontoons there was an estate called Southfield, where General Reynolds was instructed to effect a crossing.

The day had dawned and the fog had lifted before he was able to get his pontoons into the water. The rebels, from their rifle-pits, opened upon him a deadly fire. General Hunt placed forty pieces of artillery in battery, and so effectually swept the field with grape and canister, that not a rebel sharpshooter dared peer above his pit. The patriots, protected by this vigorous fire, pushed over in boats, and charging up the hill, captured the first row of rifle-pits, with all the rebels who were burrowing in them, one

hundred and fifty in number. Two pontoon bridges were immediately constructed, and General Wadsworth's Division passed over. General Wadsworth himself, in his impatience, plunged into the stream on horseback, and swam his horse to the other side.

A very adroit stratagem was here adopted, to deceive the rebels into the belief that the main body of the army was massed for the purpose of crossing at this point. Two divisions only had thus far been sent over the river. There were still four upon the left bank. The enemy was in strength on the crest of the hills, watching our movements. These four divisions were put on the march, over the brow of the hills, and down towards the crossing. But instead of passing over, they were secretly drawn back through a concealed ravine, round again, and over the top of the hill. This interminable line in solid column, with its long artillery and baggage-trains, presented the appearance of a hundred thousand men. The deception was so perfect that even careful observers, on our own side of the river, were deceived. The rebels sounded the alarm. Promptly they began to accumulate their forces at this point, to resist our advance. Corps after corps was on the march, deceived by the feint. On our own part, all was intense activity; our columns in rapid movement, their bayonets glistening in the rays of the unclouded sun. One hundred and fifty pieces of artillery were in position on the left bank of the river, to keep the foe at a respectful distance, while the two divisions which had already crossed were strengthening themselves in the places they had selected. The scene was animating and beautiful. It was one of the most lovely of days. The returning sun of spring had already covered the fields and the meadows with their summer verdure, while the peach and the hawthorn, in full bloom, filled the air with beauty and with fragrance.

While these scenes were being thus ostentatiously enacted on the lower part of the river, the main part of the army, one hundred thousand strong, were ascending the river through the woods and behind the fields, to cross by the various fords above. All day Monday and Tuesday the immense force was on the move, and at midnight of Tuesday, the 28th, General Howard, in command of the Eleventh Corps, crossed the Rappahannock, twenty-seven miles above Fredericksburg, mainly on pontoon bridges, which he threw across the stream at Kelley's Ford. At daylight, General Slocum followed him by the same path with the Twelfth Corps, and early in the morning General Meade, with the Fifth Corps, also crossed the river, at the same spot. This strong column then struck across the country directly south to the Rapidan, one of the main affluents of the Rappahannock. Generals Howard and Slocum crossed this river at Germania Ford, about sixteen miles from United States Ford, where the Rapidan joins the Rappahannock. General Meade took a road a little to the eastward, which crossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, about eight miles from the mouth of the stream. The most singular success had accompanied the expedition thus far, and every man was elated with 'hope. At Germania Ford the water was very deep, coming up to a man's shoulder, and the current rapid. One hundred and fifty rebel soldiers were there building a bridge. General Howard swept around and captured them all.

Notwithstanding the rapidity of the current and the depth of the water, the men eagerly plunged into the stream, first divesting themselves of their clothing. Carrying their garments and their cartridge-boxes on their bayonets, they waded over, up to their armpits in the water, in one of the gayest imaginable scenes of fun and frolic. A foot-bridge was constructed on the abutments which the rebels had reared. During the night immense bonfires blazed upon the banks, and by their light the whole remaining force. crossed the Rapidan before the dawn of morning. So unexpected was this movement by the rebels, that at five o'clock in the morning of the 29th, a courier came dashing into Fredericksburg with the startling intelligence that the Yankees were crossing the river. The alarm-bells instantly summoned all the rebels to arms.

General Meade was equally successful in crossing at Ely's Ford, though the men had to wade through the stream waist-deep in water. Both columns now marched vigorously on about ten miles farther, to Chancellorsville. This was a characteristic Southern village, consisting of one house, at the junction of two roads, the Gordonsville turnpike and the Orange Court-House plankroad. Communication was carefully kept up between the two advancing columns by means of a squadron of Pleasonton's cavalry. The right flank of General Howard's column was also protected by a squadron of cavalry. The rebels had thrown up formidable intrenchments opposite United States Ford, at the mouth of the Rapidan, twelve miles from Fredericksburg. This movement of the National forces compelled them precipitately to abandon the position. Couch's Corps consequently crossed the Rappahannock on bridges at this ford, without encountering any opposition. Proudly they marched into the vacated ramparts of the foe to the National air of "Hail Columbia." Four army corps were now converging towards Chancellorsville.

General Hooker, with his staff, placed himself at the head of the army, establishing his head-quarters at Chancellorsville. This energetic movement electrified the nation. A column of nearly one hundred thousand troops, each man carrying sixty pounds of baggage, had marched in two days thirty-six miles, had bridged and crossed two streams, and had baffled all the efforts of a vigilant and determined enemy. The loss had scarcely been half a dozen men.

General Lee was greatly surprised when he learned that the National forces had crossed the Rapidan and had turned his flank. With consummate ability he met the emergence. General Hooker, and his friends generally, considered that the positions already obtained by the patriot army were decisive of the campaign. He issued an order on Thursday, April 30th, containing the following words:

"It is with heartfelt satisfaction that the General commanding announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that our enemies must ingloriously fly, or come out from behind their defences and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits them."

A reference to the map will convince the reader that General Hooker was authorized to use language so hopeful. Chancellorsville was ten