“At ten A. M., on the 7th, I found safety and rest under our own brave old flag within our lines at Gloucester Point. This raid and march around the entire rebel army—a march of nearly two hundred miles—has been made in less than five days, with a loss of one officer and thirty-seven men, having captured and paroled upwards of three hundred men.”
At the same time, Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, of the Twelfth Illinois, was ordered to penetrate to the Fredericksburg railroad, and, if possible, to the Virginia Central, and destroy communications. If he crossed the Virginia Central he was to make for Williamsburg on the peninsula. Leaving the main body on the South Anna, on Sunday, May 3d, he passed down the bank of that river, burning a bridge, and, dispersing a mounted party of the enemy, struck the railroad at Ashland. Here he cut the telegraph, tore up some rails, and burned the trestle-work bridge south of the town. At the same time a train of cars, filled with sick and wounded, arrived, and was captured. The prisoners were paroled, and the locomotives disabled. Twenty wagons, with horses, were destroyed, and several horses taken. Leaving at 6 P. M., a train of eighteen wagons was met and destroyed, and Hanover Station reached at 8 P. M. Here thirty prisoners were captured, and the railroad line broken. The depot, storehouses, and stables, filled with government property were destroyed, also a culvert and trestle-work south of the station. Among the property destroyed were more than one hundred wagons, a thousand sacks of flour and corn, and a large quantity of clothing and horse equipments. The command then moved down within seven miles of Richmond, and thence marched to Williamsburg, and then proceeded to Gloucester Point, having destroyed property of the enemy valued at a million dollars. Colonel Davis’s loss was thirty-five men.
HOOKER’S ADVANCE.
The weather now became very inclement; and storms succeeded each other for several days. It was not till the 27th that the movement to cross the Rappahannock was finally effected.
General Hooker’s army numbered about one hundred and twenty thousand men, who were divided into seven separate corps. The army of General Lee numbered about seventy thousand men; it held a line running from northwest to southeast, with its right wing extending to Port Hudson on the Rappahannock, and its left resting above Fredericksburg.
General Hooker’s plan of attack was as follows: three corps were massed below Fredericksburg, and, crossing the river at West Point, were to make a feint attack upon the enemy; having done this, the two corps were to return instantly, and join the remaining four corps, and with them recross the river at ten or twenty miles above Fredericksburg, thus moving down upon the left of the enemy; and, according to General Hooker’s idea, forcing the rebels to a battle outside their intrenchments, which would compel them to fall back on Richmond. The following description will give a clear idea of the position, at that time, of the Army of the Potomac: Falmouth, the position occupied by General Hooker’s army, is nearly opposite Fredericksburg on the north bank of the Rappahannock. About twelve miles above, the Rapidan, a small river, unites with a stream hitherto called the North Fork, to form the Rappahannock. Lately, however, the North Fork had been called the Rappahannock, and the Rapidan had been spoken of as a tributary.
The United States Ford is about one mile below the mouth of the Rapidan. Banks’s Ford is about midway between the United States Ford and Falmouth. Kelly’s Ford, where the four corps crossed the North Fork, or the Rapidan, as it was now called, is about twenty miles above Falmouth. Germania Ford, where the same force crossed the Rapidan, is about twelve miles south of Kelly’s Ford, at a place called Germania Mills.
On Monday morning, April 27th, three corps under Major-General Howard, Major-General Slocum, and Major-General Meade, marched to Kelly’s Ford, which was reached on the afternoon of the following day, by General Howard, who was in advance. Portions of the Seventy-third Pennsylvania, and One Hundred and Fifty-fourth New York, amounting to two hundred and fifty men, crossed in boats, and took position on the opposite side of the river. No enemy was to be found, except a few pickets, who retired before the skirmishers sent out to reconnoitre. During the evening the remainder of General Howard’s corps crossed the river; General Slocum’s bivouacked on the shore, and General Meade’s crossed the river some miles further down. On Wednesday morning General Slocum’s corps also crossed over; and on Thursday the last day of April, the three corps advanced to Chancellorsville, and were massed at night at the point where the Culpeper road joins the Orange Court-House road. General Hooker arrived there at nightfall, and made the place his headquarters. On the 29th the second corps under command of General Couch, had taken up a position five miles above Fredericksburg, at Banks’s Ford. General Sherman’s cavalry was sent to cut off the railway communication between General Lee’s army and Richmond. Meanwhile, the remaining three corps of the army under Major-Generals Sickles, Sedgwick, and Reynolds, had left camps on Monday night, and taken up a position two miles below Fredericksburg. On Tuesday morning, one division of General Sedgwick’s corps crossed the river at this point; and one division of General Reynolds’ corps crossed about a mile further down. General Sickles’ corps was detached from the remaining two on Wednesday, and ordered to join General Hooker at Chancellorsville.
This was the position of General Hooker’s army on Friday, May 1st.
With the exception of some slight skirmishing, which took place at the seizure of the Fords, there was, up to this time, no fighting. It was impossible to judge at what time, or from what direction, the enemy would first advance; but every possible preparation was made to guard against a surprise. At two o’clock in the afternoon, a large force of the enemy was discovered approaching from an easterly direction, and coming along what had been a turnpike road; and also along a planked road. Both these roads entered Chancellorsville at right angles; and joining, form one direct road from a building called Tabernacle Church. General Hooker, who had himself headed a cavalry party for the purpose of reconnoitring, immediately on learning of the enemy’s approach returned to his headquarters at Chancellorsville, and made ready to meet them. It being uncertain from which of two points, the south and east, the enemy’s attack would be made, both points were intrenched against them. General Meade’s corps was formed on the front, facing the east; the division of regulars occupying a point north of the old turnpike road, and the other two divisions placed to the left of this on the line of Bank’s Ford road. A division of General Sickles’ corps, under General Berry, supported the left wing of this line; and General Couch’s corps supported the right wing. General Howard’s and General Slocum’s corps were placed in front, at the side facing the south, General Slocum’s corps being formed in double column, with its left resting on the plank road; and General Howard formed in line on the right of it. As supports for this line, the two remaining divisions of General Sickles’ corps were ordered up, under General Whipple, and General Birney.