His fields, great expectations were entertained of his success as the commander of the Army of the Potomac. excessive self-reliance and proportionate distrust of others, although so freely expressed as to cause the judicious to doubt his prudence, served perhaps only to strengthen the confidence of the people in their favorite, whom, with a well-founded predisposition in his favor, they did not hesitate to exalt according to his own estimate of himself and his fellows. When asked by the Congressional Committee to what he attributed the failure of the peninsular campaign, he answered: "I do not hesitate to say that it is to be attributed to the want of generalship on the part of our commander." He also repeatedly declared that on several occasions during that campaign he could have taken Richmond. Again, after the failure of General Burnside at Fredericksburg, he is believed to have so freely censured that General's conduct, as to obtain for himself a prominent place in the famous Order No. 8, by which he, with others of lesser note, was relieved from command. While this extreme self-asserter may have heightened the popular expectation of the success of the new commander, it exposed him to a severer judgment in case of failure. The Army of the Potomac-still on the heights of the Rappahannock opposite to Fredericksburg-though temporarily disheartened by its failure under Burnside, seemed to recover its spirits upon the assumption of command by General Hooker, who immediately made ready for an active campaign. The cavalry forces of both sides entered upon a series of expeditions preliminary to a general engagement. The enemy, presuming upon the discouragement of the defeated Union troops, were especially active and bold. A large force of the enemy's cavalry, under Fitz Hugh Lee and Hampton, crossed the Rappahannock at Feb. Kelly's Ford, broke through the 25. line of Union outposts, and strove to make their way in the rear, with the view of destroying the communications. The Union cavalry having, in the meantime, concentrated in force, compelled the marauders to retreat and recross the river. A cavalry officer, Captain Mosby, signalized himself by an audacious raid in the rear of the Union army, and entering Fairfax Court House, cap- Mar. tured General Stoughton, his staff, 9. escort, and baggage. Mosby's superior in command, General Stuart, chief of the enemy's cavalry, deemed the exploit of his subordinate worthy of "a recognition in general orders." "Captain John S. Mosby," he said, "has for a long time attracted the attention of his generals by his boldness, skill, and successes so signally displayed in his numerous forays upon the invaders of his native State. "None know his daring enterprise and dashing heroism better than those foul invaders, though strangers themselves to such noble traits. "His late brilliant exploit-the capture of Brigadier-General Stoughton, United States Army, two captains, thirty other prisoners, together with their arms, equipment, and fifty-eight horses -justifies this recognition in general orders. "This feat, unparalleled in the war, was performed in the midst of the enemy's troops, at Fairfax Court House, without loss or injury. The gallant band of Captain Mosby share the glory, as they did the danger, of this enterprise, and are worthy of such a leader." Mosby, while engaged in another raid, was surprised, but escaped capture by Mar. quickly rallying his men and boldly 31. charging the Union troops. He was on his way to Dranesville, and had bivouacked upon a plantation, when a squadron of the First Vermont Cavalry came suddenly upon him. ron broke, he pursued and hacked them severely. The guerrilla chief received a severe sabre cut on the forehead. "We learn that the Vermont carbine companies delivered their fire upon the enemy with good effect, and then opened to the right and left to allow the sabre companies to charge; but they did not come up to the work." Captain Mosby, recovering from his wound, and being again in the saddle, soon made his name familiar as that of one of the most audacious of the enemy's guerrilla chiefs. The Union cavalry was also actively occupied. A detachment, under Feb. Colonel Percy Wyndham, started 2. from Centreville for Warrenton, which was taken by surprise, and horse patrols were sent forward to Sulphur Springs and Waterloo, on the Rappahannock, but the enemy had disappeared. Some smugglers, however, were captured with supplies of contraband goods, consisting of "boots, silks, phosphorus, and treasury notes," intended for the rebels. Early in March, a detachment of the First Maine Cavalry, commanded by Captain Wadsworth, scoured the neck of land between the Rappahannock and Mattapony rivers. In the course of the expedition a thorough reconnoissance of the district was made. Several boats plying across the Rappahannock were destroyed, and a "smuggling nest,” filled with boots, shoes, caps, blankets, horses, and mules, was broken up. A more imposing expedition of cavalry, under the command of General Averill, sent out to reconnoitre, forced a so badly whipped that they could not follow or annoy him.” General Averill brought back with him about eighty prisoners. Other passage across the Rappahannock beMar. yond Kelly's Ford, in the face of 17. the enemy's defences, occupied by a considerable body of sharpshooters. "The ford," says a chronicler, "ad-reconnoitring expeditions went and remitted but a single horseman at a time, turned without meeting serious opposiand the stream, which was swollen, was tion, but daily skirmishes, with varying very rapid. results, occurred between the small cavalry detachments of both armies. Captain Mosby, in the mean time, continued his tormenting raids in the rear of General Hooker's army, pouncing now and then upon a supply train or a line of suttlers' wagons. Arriving at the south side of the river, our cavalry charged the rebels in their intrenchments, killing and capturing nearly the entire force, besides securing a large number of horses picketed near by. "A short distance from the shore General Hooker, having completed General Averill's command encountered a series of reconnoissances, determined the rebel cavalry under Stuart and to advance and give battle to General Fitz Hugh Lee, who had hastened from Lee, intrenched on the heights of Culpepper to prevent our passage. They Fredericksburg. His plan was simply made some dashing charges upon our troops, who repulsed and in turn charged them with fatal effect, using sabres only in the conflict. Whenever the enemy made a stand, they were immediately charged upon and routed from their positions with great loss. to flank the enemy on the left. With this object he determined to divert them by an attack with a considerable force on their right and front at Fredericksburg, and a demonstration of cavalry in their rear, while he moved his main body to their left. On the 28th of April, the Union army began to move, and before the opening of the third day, the right being composed of the fifth, eleventh, and twelfth corps, having crossed Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock, and Ely's and Germania Mills Fords on the Rapidan, encamped at Chancellorsville. The enemy's sharpshooters made some show of resistance at the rivers, and their cavalry with flying artillery slightly harassed the flanks of the advancing column. General Hooker was so well satisfied with the result of the movement of his right wing that he expressly compli- into the plank road, in front of the mented it. "It is," he said in his order, April 30, "with feelings of heartfelt satisfaction that the Commanding General announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that the enemy must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his defences and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him. "The operations of the fifth, eleventh, and twelfth corps have been a succession of splendid achievements." General Hooker subsequently added to his right wing the first and third corps, leaving the sixth corps and one division of the second to attack the enemy on the front and the left of their intrenchments at Fredericksburg. While General Hooker was congratulating his troops on their achievements, General Lee suddenly made a flank movement, which gave him the advantages of position claimed by his adversary. Disregarding, for the moment, the menace in his front and right, he concentrated all his force on his left, and leaving his intrenchments at Fredericksburg, attacked Hooker in his encampment at Chancellorsville. On Friday, May 1, there was an exchange of artillery and some severe skirmishing, which seemed to result to the advantage of the Unionists. "About nine o'clock" (Saturday, May 2d), says a correspondent* describing the attacks on the second and third day, "a regiment was seen to come N. Y. Daily Times. Chancellor House, in column, and attempt to deploy. One or two doses of canister caused them to deploy rather irregularly, and more like skirmishers on the retreat.. "Soon after, General Hooker and staff began an inspection of our lines, which occupied full two hours. Every portion. was visited, and the work of the night was closely inspected. On the extreme left new lines were chosen, and the engineer officers soon marked out the line and character of the defences to be erected. When the inspection closed, the intrenchments were pronounced to be of the very best character, especially those on the right, where the columns of Slocum and Howard were posted. "There had been only slight disturbances during the night, as both forces had been busy with their axes rather than their muskets. From General Howard's front came a report that the enemy was engaged all the night in cutting a road past his picket line to the right. How much attention was paid to this fact at the time I do not know, but subsequent events proved that it was very significant. "The day continued to pass in a very dull manner for a day of battle, and only here and there was there anything more than desultory skirmishing and picket firing. "About three o'clock the pickets on the right of General Slocum's front reported that from a certain position wagons had been seen moving in a westerly direction nearly all day. It was at once surmised that this might be a retreat, but subsequent events proved that it was part of an affair of altogether another nature. To ascertain, however, what it really was, General Sickles, who was still in reserve, was ordered to make a reconnoissance in heavy force in that direction. This was This was done with great promptness, and the divisions of Generals Birney and Whipple, with General Barlow's brigade, from Howard's corps, were pushed out to the front, Berdan's brigade of sharpshooters having the advance, and supporting Randolph's battery. Our troops moved rapidly, and very soon became more or less engaged, especially the artillery, and the sharpshooters as skirmishers. Berdan soon sent in some sixty prisoners, belonging to the Twentythird Georgia, including one major, two captains, and three lieutenants. Being upon the ground, I examined these prisoners, and soon found that the wagon train' which we had seen moving during the day was composed mainly of ordnance wagons and ambulances, and that Stonewall Jackson and staff were at the head of a column of troops which the wagons followed. "Nothing more was needed to convince us that this daring opponent was executing another of his sudden movements, and it was at once resolved to checkmate him. General Sickles was ordered to push on, and General Williams' division of Slocum's column was ordered to co-operate. Birney pushed ahead with great vigor, and with Randolph's battery soon sent to the rear as prisoners of war the entire remnant of the Twenty-third Georgia Regiment, numbering over 400 officers and men. The column of the enemy which had been moving up this road was now literally cut in two, and General Williams had commenced a flank movement on the enemy's right, which promised the most auspicious results. "But at five o'clock, a terrible crash of musketry on our extreme right announced that Jackson had commenced his operations. This had been anticipated, but it was supposed that after his column was cut, the corps of General Howard (formerly General Sigel's), with its supports, would be sufficient to resist his approach, and finding that he was himself assailed in the rear, he would turn about and retreat to escape capture. "But to the disgrace of the eleventh corps be it said, the division of General Schurz, which was the first assailed, almost instantly gave way. Threats, entreaties, and orders of commanders were of no avail. Thousands threw down their guns and streamed down the road toward headquarters. The enemy pressed his advantage. General Devens' division, disaffected by the demoralization of the forces in front of him, soon followed suit, and the brave General was for the second time severely wounded in the foot while endeavoring to rally his men. General Howard, with all his daring, resolution, and vigor, could not stem the retreating tide. The brigades of Colonels Bushbeck and McDean only remained fighting, and maintained themselves nobly as long as possible. But |