AEMY OPERATIONS. 



81 



under Maj.-Gen. Meade, marched westward on 

 the several roads leading to Kelly's Ford, 

 which the advance under Gen. Howard reached 

 on Tuesday forenoon. A brigade of this corps 

 had been guarding the ford since the movement 

 of cavalry under Gen. Stoneman. The pontoon 

 boats had been moved into a creek behind the 

 bluff at the Ford. About two hundred and fifty 

 men of the 73d Pennsylvania and 154th New 

 York immediately crossed in boats and occupied 

 the bank of the river. Skirmishers were de- 

 ployed to the right and left, but no enemy, ex- 

 cepting a few pickets who retired, was to be 

 found. The remainder of the two regiments 

 crossed in boats whilst the bridge was building. 

 That evening the eleventh corps crossed, and 

 the twelfth bivouacked on the shore. 



Early on "Wednesday morning, the twelfth 

 corps crossed over, followed by Gen. Stone- 

 man's cavalry force and the fifth corps. The 

 wagon trams were sent back from Kelly's Ford 

 and parked near Banks's Ford. The advance 

 moved directly to Germania Ford on the Rapi- 

 dan. The fifth corps, under Gen. Meade, 

 crossed the Rapidan in the afternoon, a little 

 lower down. On the next morning, Thursday, 

 an advance was made to Chancellorsville, at the 

 junction of the Orange Court House road with 

 a road to Oulpepper, between five and ten miles 

 distaat from the ford. The three corps were 

 massed at this place at night, and Gen. Hooker 

 arrived and made it his headquarters. On 

 "Wednesday, the second corps, under Gen. 

 Couch, took a position at Banks's Ford, five 

 miles above Fredericksburg. Some skirmish- 

 ing had occurred with small bodies of the ene- 

 my, which retired. The cavalry force of Gen. 

 Stoneman was sent to cut the communication 

 of Gen. Lee's army by railroad with Richmond. 



Meanwhile the remaining three corps of the 

 army had been put in motion. The first corps, 

 under Maj.-Gen. Reynolds, the third, under 

 Maj.-Gen. Sickles, and the sixth, under Maj.- 

 Gen. Sedgwick, moved from their camps on 

 Monday night and took a position two miles 

 below Fredericksburg. Early on the next 

 morning, one division of the sixth corps 

 crossed two miles below Fredericksburg, and 

 one division of the first corps about one mile 

 farther down. Some skirmishing took place, 

 and the enemy held their position ; at the same 

 time bridges were thrown over and demonstra- 

 tions made as if the intention was to cross a 

 large force over. On the next day, Wednesday, 

 the third corps, under Gen. Sickles, was detached 

 and ordered to cross at United States Ford and 

 join Gen. Hooker at Chancellorsville. On the 

 next day Geu.Hooker issued the following order: 



General Order No. 47. 

 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ) 

 CAMP NEAP. FALMOUTH, VA., April ZOth, 1863. $ 

 It is with heartfelt satisfaction that theCommanding 

 General announces to the armythat the operations of the 

 last three days have determined that our enemy must 

 either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his de- 

 fences and give us battle on our own ground, where 

 certain destruction awaits him. The operations of the 

 VOL. in. 6 A 



fifth, eleventh, and twelfth corps have been a succes- 

 sion of splendid achievements. 

 By command of Major-Gen. HOOKER. 



S. WILLIAMS, Ass't Adj't-Gen. 



Such was the position of Gen. Hooker's forces 

 on Friday morning. About noon, the fifth and 

 twelfth corps, under Gens. Meade and Slocum, 

 were advanced by separate roads toward Fred- 

 ericksburg. The former moved to the left and 

 the latter to the right. The advance of Gen. 

 Meade's corps was led by the second division 

 under Gen. Sykes. In about an hour it en- 

 countered the enemy, and heavy firing ensued, 

 which continued for three fourths of an hour, 

 gradually extending toward the right wing. 

 Orders were then sent by Gen. Hooker, whose 

 headquarters were in the large house known 

 as Chancellorsville, for the two columns to fall 

 slowly back. This order was systematically 

 obeyed, and everything became quiet until 

 about four o'clock, when the enemy appeared 

 in line of battle, in an open field fronting a 

 dense wood, on the right of Gen. Hooker, and 

 about a mile from Chancellorsville. A vigorous 

 fire of artillery was opened on both sides, which 

 continued until night, when the enemy retired. 

 This movement was regarded as indicating a 

 disposition on the part of Gen. Lee to feel the 

 Federal lines and ascertain the strength of tbeir 

 position and force. Meanwhile. Gen. Hooker 

 had caused intrenchments to be thrown up by 

 his army. On the next day, Saturday, the first 

 corps, under Gen. Reynolds, was ordered to 

 join Gen. Hooker at Chancellorsville. It ar- 

 rived in the afternoon at United States Ford, 

 and was ordered into position on the right. 



During Friday night tbe enemy were ob- 

 served cutting a road past the Federal picket 

 line on the right, and wagons were seen pass- 

 ing up the road on Saturday. As no attack 

 was made during the forenoon, it was deter- 

 mined to ascertain the nature of the movement 

 on the right, by a reconnoissance in force under 

 Gen. Sickles. The divisions of Gens. Birney 

 and "Whipple, with Gen. Barlow's brigade from 

 Gen. Howard's corps, were pushed to the front. 

 This force soon became more or less engaged, 

 especially with the artillery and the sharp- 

 shooters as skirmishers. Prisoners who were 

 taken reported that the wagon train which 

 had been seen was composed mainly of ord- 

 nance wagons and ambulances, following a col- 

 umn of troops under the command of Gen. 

 Jackson. It was perceived at once that the 

 object of Gen. Jackson was to make a sudden 

 and fierce attack upon the extreme right. To 

 defeat this object Gen. Sickles was ordered to 

 push forward, and Gen. Birney advanced with 

 great vigor, cutting in twain a column of the 

 enemy still moving up the road. Gen. Wil- 

 liams's division of Gen. Slocum's corps, which 

 had been ordered to cooperate, then commenced 

 a flank movement on the enemy's right, which 

 promised great success. It was supposed that 

 in consequence of this movement, Gen. Jackson 

 would endeavor to retreat to escape a capture, 



