TRANSCRIBED BY LYNNE MEDGAARGEN, ST. PAUL, MN.
FROM HOOKER’S ARMY
The following resume of
movements of Gen. Hooker’s army, preliminary to and at the conflict at
Chancellorsville and above Fredericksburg, is compiled from a correspondence
of the New York papers. It will be of interest to our readers and will
enable them to comprehend more clearly the somewhat confused reports by
telegraph:
OF STONEMAN’S MOVEMENT.
THE MOVEMENT OF OUR TROOPS.
THE START.
CONDITION OF THE TROOPS.
KELLY’S FORD.
GEN. STONEMAN AGAIN.
ELY’S FORD.
THE CROSSING AT OTHER FORDS.
THE ENEMY’S POSITION, at noon of the 30th, as indicated on the map,
extended on their left from Spottsylvania Court House to Banks’ Ford, and
on their right from Fredericksburg to a point below the Massaponax Creek.
The route of our supply trains from Falmouth by way of the U.S. Ford, was
very circuitous and delayed the movements of troops very considerably.
THE SITUATION ON THURSDAY 30TH.
THE MOVEMENT BELOW FREDERICKSBURG.
THE BATTLE AT CHANCELLORSVILLE, SATURDAY.
THE GREAT BATTLE OF SUNDAY.
SEDGEWICK CAPTURES FREDERICKSBURG.
HE IS DEFEATED ON MONDAY.
HOOKER MAINTAINS HIS LINE.
HOOKER OBLIGED TO RETURN FOR SUPPLIES.
Resume of Operations.
On Monday, the 20th ult.,
the divisions of Wadsworth and Doubleday were sent down the Rapahannock
(20 miles) to Port Conway and ordered to build an enormous number of fires
to give the idea that a large force was there for the purpose of crossing.
The bait took. Stonewall Jackson hurried down the river with 60,000 men
to watch us, and there remained. The balk of Wadsworth’s and Doubleday’s
divisions were then withdrawn, but the fires were assiduously kept up by
the remainder.
A week before Stoneman
was sent 25 miles above with a cavalry force to break the Oranges and Alexandria,
Virginia Central, and Richmond and Fredericksburg railroads, in order to
destroy the rebel communications.
In addition to tearing
up rails and blowing up bridges, he was also to attack any cavalry force
he might hear of in his vicinity.
On Monday the 27th, the
troops commenced a movement in force northward from Falmouth.
The following were the
troops thus thrown forward: 5th Army Corps-Maj. Gen. Geo. G. Meade; 11th
Army Corps-Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard; 12th Army
Corps-Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum;
These troops broke camp
at Falmouth. The order to move was long waited for and did not come till
April 27th, at four o’clock in the afternoon. It was to move at five o’clock
in the morning.
The men had breakfast
at four o’clock in the morning. At twenty-three minutes past five, they
took up their line of march being ignorant of its destination. The day
was rainy and cold, but the men buoyant beyond measure. The road was almost
impassable in many places; but still the men kept on till ordered to pitch
their camp for the night at Hartwood Church, having marched 12 miles. Gen.
Hooker passed through our lines late in the afternoon and was welcomed
with deafening cheers.
As a proof of the condition
of the troops it is mentioned that in one of the brigades at roll call
before starting, only sixteen men, all accounted for by surgeon’s certificates
were absent.
The 11th army corps,
under General Howard, was in the advance, the whole under the command of
the popular Gen. of the Twelfth corps-Slocum.
Gen. Williams, commanding
one of the divisions of Slocum’s corps, takes command ....(missing) .....
or Wisconsin commands Williams division.
The next day the troops
marched to Grove Church, about 12 miles. Day rainy-roads bad. The pioneers
worked hard, making new roads in some places and repairing others.
The event of this day
was the building of a pontoon bridge across Kelly’s Ford. The engineer
corps were at work all night and by morning a substantial bridge was formed,
over which passed in safety infantry, cavalry, and teams.
The bridge was crossed
at five A.M. on the 29th. Over the way is the town of Kelorsville (north
of the Rappahanock) a flourishing little place of six dwellings, quite
a large town for this section.
A fight was looked for
at the fords; but our cavalry rode down to the banks and the rebels very
cautiously left them in our possession, scampering to the adjacent woods
with wonderful celerity. The Eleventh corps reached Kelly’s Ford first,
and Col. Bashbeck’s brigade was soon over. The remainder of the command
speedily followed, encamped in the meadows, and next day fell in behind
the 12th, which led the advance call tonight, while the 5th crossed later
in the day, and by another route joined them at Chancellorsville.
At Kelly’s Ford Gen.
Stoneman joined this force from Warrenton junction, where he had been for
supplies, and taking the advance, proceeded successfully on his mission.
Particulars regarding his movements have not yet reached us. He had been
delayed ten days by the incessant rains, but it is believed, did not lose
the chance for effective cooperation with Gen. Hooker’s plans.
On Wednesday, 29th, the
right wing started from Kelly’s crossing and pushed vigorously forward.
Stuart shelled the pickets thrown out on the flank for a few moments, and
then hastening round to the front, skirmished briskly with the advance
wherever the topography of the country enabled him to make a stand with
impunity; but the Sixth New York cavalry gave him fair opportunity for
facing us, and, hovering on his rear, picked up his men here and there,
sending them back to the rear as evidence of the work they were doing.
Sometimes the skirmishing would be quite brisk. The carbines would rattle
merrily and the squadron charge gallantly through the fields after fleeing
graybacks, to come upon some terror stricken household, who’s only testimony
was that 'the enemy was flyin’ and, after an hour’s quiet marching, most
of them again on the crest of a hill for another display of rapid traveling.
At noon.
GERMANIA FORD, on the
Rapidan, was reached. Here detachments from Stuart’s command were engaged
in creating a bridge, and were so completely surprised that many of them
had not time to get their arms before our cavalry were upon them. Stuart
had turned off on the Culpepper road. In too great haste to warn them:
but, darting behind the banks of the mill rage, and in to the gorge of
the bluff, they soon peppered us handsomely. Captain Thompson, of Gen Pleasanton’s
staff, accompanied by Lieut. Ramsey of the cavalry, rode down to reconnoiter,
only to be driven back, the Lieut. with a ball in his leg and leaving corporal
Martin about dead in the road.
The infantry were soon
down and then the rebels discovered the trap they were in. A galling fire
was poured into them in front, and from the right and left, along the bend
of the stream, a shower of bullets enfiladed their ditches. A few ran,
and were shot down. Another volley followed, and a dozen handkerchiefs
appeared above the embankments, showing a signal of surrender. Sixty-seven
came over, glad to get out of their 'last ditch' alive and our cavalry
crossed. Then came the task for the infantry. The river was up to the armpits,
rapid and rocky. Cartridge boxes were hoisted on the muskets, clothing
was stripped off, and in they went. Some went down in the current to be
picked up a dozen yards down the stream, half drowned; but all were jubilant
and filled the valley with their shouts and laughter. After dark the scene
was magnificent. Huge bonfires were kindled and their light danced with
the moonbeams among the bayonets and on the water and wrought fantastic
pictures on the hillsides, while the long, dark column streamed down from
the woods into the gleaming currents and up the gorges beyond. Slocum and
Howard and Williams and Pleasanton were there, with their aids artillery,
infantry and cavalry officers swarmed on the banks, and everybody pushed
forward, eager to give assistance and pull out the unlucky.
The 5th corps crossed
the Rapidan below, at Ely’s Ford, in water waist deep, and was the first
to reach Chancellorsville, a Virginia village consisting of one large brick
house. Two rebel brigades had been there the night previous, and had commenced
throwing up earth works.
The 8th Pennsylvania
cavalry, which led the advance of the Fifth from the Rappahannock, after
a brisk skirmish drove the enemy from his earthworks at Chancellorsville,
and pushed on towards Fredericksburg, but meeting two brigades of the enemy
with artillery, on a hill, about six miles from the city, were compelled
to retire, but without loss. The rebel brigades of Mahoney and Possey fell
back upon Fredericksburg from the fords about 10 A.M.
The First, Second and
Third divisions left camp on Tuesday, and moved to the vicinity on Banks’
Ford, taking a circuitous route to keep in the rear of the range of hills
skirting the left bank of the river. On arriving at Banks’ Ford the enemy
was found strongly posted to resist the attempt to cross. Some little demonstrations
was therefore made, when the main body of the troops moved off further
up the river. The enemy were also found in force at this point, but during
the night decamped from the formidable earthworks which they had constructed.
During the day the 50th New York (Engineer regiment) threw a pontoon bridge
across a few hundred feet below the ford. Upon its completion the band
of the Engineer brigade marched over it, playing "In Dixie’s Land I’ll
Take my Stand." Then ... the divisions, which was followed by a continuous
stream of troops until very late in the night. What the rebels intended
to do was something of a mystery, but the general impression seemed to
be that they would mass their army at a convenient point on their left,
and give battle outside of their defenses.
The above named divisions
at once joined the others at Chancellorsville. The road from the United
States Ford to Chancellorsville runs through oak woods. The plank road
and the old turnpike offered a solid track.
Our brief, resume of
the operations since Monday brings the time down to the date of Gen. Hooker’s
congratulatory order to the 5th, 11th and 12th divisions, which in four
days’ time marched 64 miles, forded or crossed two streams, had two skirmishes,
captured a large number of prisoners, and lost but two men killed and one
wounded. It seems that the rains have delayed this splendid movement some
days, for it was on the 19th that orders were received to prepare eight
day’s rations and be prepared to march at a moment’s notice. But two teams
were allowed to a regiment, men were required to carry additional ammunition
in their knapsacks, and a mule train was to carry a still further supply
in panniers. This was the light condition in which the army was actually
marched.
On Tuesday the 29th,
the movement below which deceived the rebels was made. At noon the First
corps, Major Gen. Reynolds, the Third, Maj. General Sickles, and Sixth,
Maj. Gen. Sedgwick moved down the river four miles, built two bridges during
the night in the very face of the enemy’s pickets, crossed and captured
the pickets and reserves. Then the First corps moved two miles further
down, built another bridge, drove the enemy out of his fieldwork’s with
artillery, and captured something less than a hundred prisoners.
Advices from the right
wing of the Army of the Potomac are to Sunday evening. No attack was made
by the enemy, on Saturday morning, as was expected. A regiment did emerge
into the road in front of the Chancellor House, and attempt to deploy,
but it was scattered by a few rounds of canister.
Gen. Hooker inspected
his lines during the morning, the task occupying two hours, and pronounced
the entrenchment’s thrown up during the night to be admirable. Gen. Howard,
on the right reported that through the night the enemy were employed cutting
a road past his advance lines, a fact which subsequent events proved of
great significance.
The pickets of Gen. Slocum
reported, about 2 P.M., that wagons had been seen moving westward midday.
This was construed to indicate a retreat, but General Sickles was sent
with the Third Corps and Barlow’s Brigade of Howard’s Corps. to the front,
to determine the real nature of the movement. It was ascertained that instead
of a retreat it was in reality the preparation for attack. The reconnoiter
was pushed vigorously. Birney, with the aid of Randolph’s Battery, captured
and sent to the rear the remainder of the 23d Georgia regiment, in number
over 400, officers and privates.
The column of the enemy
was by this movement out in two, and a flank movement by Gen. William’s’
on the enemy’s right promised auspicious results; when Jackson precipitated
his forces en masse upon the Eleventh Corps, Gen. Howard, on our extreme
right. Panic stricken, the corps gave way, the Division of Gen. Schurz
being the first to fly, and General Howard and his subordinates were utterly
unable to stem the tide of retreat.
At the critical juncture,
Gen. Hooker flung the famous Second Division of the Third Corps, under
the lead of the brave Maj. Gen. Berry, into the breach. With undaunted
bravery it met the onset of the foe, and drove him back at the bayonet’s
point. In this movement the brave Berry lost his life.
Sickles and Slocum, who
were doing good service, were compelled to retire, and by another route
than that of their advance, the enemy holding their line. This was the
position at dark.
Hooker, in order to restore
the connection of his line, ordered a night attack. Gen. Birney’s division
made the attack at 11 P.M. It was successful, and Hobart Ward retook a
portion of the artillery lost by Howard. The enemy were driven back nearly
half a mile.
During Saturday night
a change in our lines was effected. Reynold’s Corps, which reached United
States Ford on Saturday afternoon, was put on the right, which was withdrawn
from the plank road to Ely’s Ford turnpike. This line was immediately formed
by General Reynolds and Meade, the later’s position on the left having
been relieved by General Howard’s 11th Corps, which, notwithstanding its
disorganized condition was so far reorganized during the night as to be
fit for duty again this morning.
They were assigned the
position on the left, where it was probably there would be little or no
fighting, and were protected by the strong works built the day before by
General Meade’s Corps. Our new line now assumed the shape of a triangle,
prolonged as the apex, the right of the line being somewhat longer than
the left. As the portion of the line on the right was now, time was necessary
to fortify and entrench it, and the work was carried on vigorously by the
5th and 1st army corps.
It was very evident at
daylight this morning that the day would bring forth a terrible battle.
We knew that the enemy had been reinforcing his line, all at the expense,
undoubtedly, of the strength of his force on the left. His intention was
evidently to fight for the possession of the plank road which it was, perfectly
apparent he must have, as that portion of it which we then held, was subject
to the enemy’s assaults in front and on both flanks.
But the possession of
this road was not obtained by the enemy save at our own time, at his severest
cost, and after one of the most desperate, tenacious and bloody conflicts,
for its short duration, of the whole war.
At 5 o’clock A.M., the
rebels could be plainly seen up the plank road, about a mile and a half
from the Chancellor House, which General Hooker still retained as his headquarters,
though a shell had gone through it the evening before, and another had
cut down a tree directly in front of it.
Our line of battle was
formed with Gen. Berry’s gallant division on the right, Gen. Birney next
on the left, Gen. Whipple and Williams supporting.
At 5:12 a.m., the advance
became engaged in the ravine, just beyond the ridge where Captain Best’s
guns had made their terrific onslaught the night before, and where they
still frowned upon the enemy and threatened his destruction.
The rattle of musketry
soon became a long continued crash, and in a few moments, as battalion
after battalion became engaged, the roar surpassed all conception, and
indicated that the fight would be one of the most terrible nature.
General Berry’s division,
which had checked the enemy’s advance the night before, engaged him again,
and if it were possible for them to add more laurels to their fame, then
they did it three times over again.
The enemy advanced his
cavalry in overwhelming numbers, and seemed determined to crush our forces.
But the brave men of Sickles and Slocum, who fought their columns with
desperate gallantry, held the rebels in check, and inflicted dreadful slaughter
among them. Gen. French’s Division was sent in on the right flank of our
lines at about 7 A.M., and in a short time a horde of ragged, streaming
rebels running down the road, indicated that that portion of the enemy’s
line had been crushed.
At 8 o’clock a.m., Gen.
French sent his compliments to Gen. Hooker with the information that he
had charged the enemy and was driving them before him.
Sickles maintained the
attack upon his with great endurance. The enemy seemed determined to crush
him with immensity of his forces, and, as subsequently shown from the statements
of prisoners, five whole divisions of the rebel army were precipitated
upon this portion of the line, for from those five divisions we took during
the day as aggregates of over 2,000 prisoners.
The exploits of our gallant
troops in those dark, tangled, gloomy woods may never be brought to light;
but they would fill a hundred volumes. It was a deliberate hand-to- hand
conflict, and the carnage was perfectly frightful. Cool officers say that
the dead and wounded of the enemy covered the ground in heaps, and that
the rebels seemed utterly regardless of their lives, and literally threw
themselves on the muzzles of our guns.
Many desperate charges
were made during the fight, particularly by Berry’s Division. Mott’s Brigade
made fifteen ..(missing)... charges and captured seven stands of colors-the
7th New Jersey, Colonial Francine, alone capturing four stands of colors
and 600 prisoners.
Gen. Couch’s Second Army
corps, the only in part present, did excellent work. It was Gen. French
who charged and drove the enemy on the flank, and it was the indomitable
Hancock who gallantly went to the relief of the hard-pressed Sickles.
The engagement lasted
without the slightest intermission, from 5:12 a.m. to 8:45 a.m, when there
was a temporary occasion on our part, occasioned by getting out of ammunition.
We held our position for nearly an hour with the bayonet, and then, being
re-supplied an order was given to fall back to the vicinity of the Chancellor
House, which we did in good order. Here the contest was maintained for
an hour or more, not so severely as before but with great havoc to the
enemy, and considerable lost to ourselves.
The vicinity of the Chancellor
House was now the theater of the fight, and my visits to that spot became
less frequent. Gen. Hooker maintained his headquarters there until 10 a.m.
when it was set on fire by the enemy’s shells, and is now in ruins. Chancellorsville
is no longer in existence, having perished with the flames, but Chancellorsville
is in history, never to be effaced.
Our new line was now
so far established as to render it safe to withdraw all our forces on that
front, and which was accordingly done, and at 11:30 a.m. the musketry firing
ceased.
The engagement had lasted
six hours, and had been the most terrific of the war. Our artillery had
literally slaughter the enemy, and many of the companies had lost heavily
in men themselves, but the guns were all saved.
The enemy was now no
longer in our rear but had been shoved down directly in our front, and
is now directly between us and our forces at Fredericksburg, and we were
again in an entrenched and formidably fortified position. The enemy had
gained some ground, it is true, but at the sacrifice of the flower of his
force, five of his seven divisions having been cut to pieces in the effort,
and over two thousand of them have fallen into our hands.
Our right wing under
Generals Reynolds and Meade, was not engaged, save the division of Gen.
Humphreys, which went into the woods on the enemy’s left flank, and fought
valiantly under their brilliant leader, until their ammunition was exhausted.
During the forenoon the
enemy made several attempts to force our lines, particularly at the apex
of our position, near the Chancellor House, but Captain Weed massed a large
quantity of artillery in such a position as to repulse everything with
its range. The enemy tried several batteries and regiments at that point
at different times during the afternoon, and they were literally destroyed
by the fire of our terrible guns. Nothing can live within their range.
Our present position
is impregnable, if our troops continue to fight as they have done today.
Gen. Lee, the prisoners say, has issued an order that our lines must be
broken at all hazards. Let them try it again, with what they have left.
They can, and perhaps will destroy themselves by attack upon the position.
Our troops are perfectly
cool and confident. They have fought with great spirit and enthusiasm,
and will continue to do so.
The rebel prisoners report
that General A.P. Hill was killed this forenoon, during the conflict his
division had had with Gen. Berry’s division. Gen. Berry was killed while
gallantly fighting with his brave men.
The fifth corps and one
division of the second corps under the command of Gen. Sedgewick, had crossed
the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, and after skirmishing below the
town on Saturday afternoon, got under way about midnight, and entered and
took possession of it. At eleven o’clock on Sunday Gen. Sedgewick determined
to charge the Heights back of the town.
The position was brilliantly
carried by storm by Pratt’s glorious light division of the 6th Army Corps,
capturing two whole regiments of rebels, the 16th and 18th Mississippi,
one company of the famous Washington Artillery of New Orleans, and part
of Alexander’s Artillery, in all eight guns and nearly 1,000 prisoners.
The storming forces were aided by Gen. Gibbon, of the 2d Army Corps, who
with a force came upon the flank and rear of the enemy, planting the American
flag upon their works before they had actually ceased firing upon our charging
column. The capture was complete, and our loss only moderate. Gen. Sedgwick
afterward engaged the enemy and drove him back. At 6 p.m. he had advanced
to the Brick Church, four and a half miles out on the plank road toward
Chancellorsville.
Here he had a severe
engagement with Early’s division, re-enforced by troops from Lee, but repulsed
them and sent in another lot of prisoners.
Before daylight on Monday
morning the enemy came back and re-occupied the works which Sedgwick had
left when proceeding to join Hooker. The light also discovered them massed
heavily upon the hills to the left, and upon his front, their total force
there being apparently between him and Gibbons.
Everything was comparatively
quite until about 4 p.m. when the rebels attacked from the left, and were
replied to by a single section of artillery immediately in front of where
they attacked. As their infantry moved Sedgwick’s artillery opened from
all quarters but could not check their slow and steady advances, under
which Sedgwick gradually fell back a mile and a half towards Brooks Ford.
This was the main engagement
of Monday afternoon, and lasted until 9 p.m. In it our loss was about 4,000
killed, wounded and missing, making the total loss of Sedgwick’s and Gibbon’s
commands including those lost on the previous day, about 5,000, or half
the whole loss of Hooker’s army in the four days’ fighting.
On that (Monday) night,
Sedgwick recrossed his force and Gibbons to the north bank of the Rappahannock.
It is evident that the
confederates played here their old game of massing their troops in crushing
force on our exposed points with rapid change of position, and after throwing
themselves with all their weight on Hooker, they, with great celerity,
moved off to repeat the blow upon Sedgwick’s detached force and this fact
explains that mysterious silence in front of Hooker, while they were thus
occupied with Sedgewick.
General Hooker expected
assistance from the 6th Corps in the fight on Sunday. He expected that
that corps would carry the heights of Fredericksburg by coap de main at
or before daylight, march immediately down the plank road and fall upon
the enemy’s rear.
Had this been done the
6th corps would have assaulted the rebel rear at the very time that the
rebels were temporarily successful against Hooker’s right.
Hooker maintained his
line on the edge of the wood, a short distance north of Chancellorsville,
crossing the main road leading to United States Ford, without important
change.
There was no fighting
there until late Monday p.m. when a division from the 5th corps advanced
towards Fredericksburg, and meeting the rebel skirmishers in the woods
drove them back.
The main body pushed
on, meeting large bodies of rebels in double line of battle. A half hour’s
fighting then ensued our batteries compelling the rebels to fall back in
disorder.
The division then returned
to our main line and rested having ascertained the enemy’s position.
The storm that commenced
on Monday evening and continued throughout Tuesday, was at its height Wednesday,
and evidently warned Gen. Hooker, whose movements were necessarily made
with only eight days’ supplies, carried by the men, which were then nearly
consumed, and without trains, of the imminent danger that unless he promptly
sought his camp the elements would put a stop to his operation. The railroad
communication the Aquia Creek was destroyed by the floods for twelve hours
at Creek Station before he determined to cross the river, which rose with
great rapidity overflowing the ends of the pontoon bridges, and threatening
their destruction.
In the course of all
the fighting throughout Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the enemy
had not ventured a general engagement with his army, a portion only of
which were in action at any one time, and upon no occasion with as great
a loss as he inflicted upon the rebels. Nevertheless it became evident
that this greatest storm of the season would surely cut off his supplies
of all descriptions, if he remained on the south side of the river, awaiting
an opportunity to induce the enemy to risk a general engagement. He therefore,
evidently had left him but the only alternative of returning for the time
being to where his supplies could readily reach him, and orders were given
to return to camp at Falmouth.
Our recrossing the Rappahannock
was done in a masterly manner, and was not attended with the least casualty.
The first troops crossed at 3 o’clock on Wednesday morning, and in a few
hours’ time all the corps were safely on this side. It is not necessary
to say where our forces are at present, but we unhesitatingly assert that
they are in fine condition, and would march across the Rappahannock today,
if the order was given.
They feel that they have
a leader who does not only plan victory for them, but leads them on to
it, and shares their danger.
It seems to us on the
whole, indeed, it is clear, that a decisive victory was snatched from our
gallant troops only the elements. Hooker brought off with him, we may add,
an aggregate of 2,500 prisoners.
