CHAPTER IX.

THE PENNSYLVANIA CAMPAIGN--BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG

-THE PURSUIT OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY

TO THE POTOMAC.

THE officers of the Confederate Government, as well as the citizens of Richmond, were in a very troubled and unhappy state during the battle about Chancellorsville. We might add that General Lee was also somewhat disturbed in mind, for he had asked for Longstreet's command (then at Suffolk, Va.), on the 2d of May; and when he found that Hooker had simply contracted his lines on the night of May 3d, instead of retreating across the river, as Lee fondly hoped and expected, the latter appealed more strongly for assistance from the Confederate authorities. At the same time, so completely had General Hooker preserved the secrecy of his movements, that no organized bodies of troops had been kept in the city of Richmond, and a part of Stoneman's cavalry had actually advanced to within two miles of that city.' A brigade could have entered it without opposition, arrested the President and Cabinet officers, burned the bridges across the James, and destroyed everything of value. With his whole force, and the bridges

On the 8th of May President Lincoln telegraphed to General Hooker that Richmond might have been taken.

across the James burned, Stoneman could have held the city until General Dix's command could have reached him from Fort Monroe. Although Longstreet was ordered to join Lee, Peck held on to him with such tenacity that his troops did not reach Petersburg until May 6th, and on that day General Hooker was back again on the north side of the Rappahannock River. Never had Dame Fortune held out such golden favors for the mere grasping of them, as she held out to General Hooker during the Chancellorsville campaign, even to the very day he determined to recross the Rappahannock, for General Hooker had secured a position with over 50,000 men, directly in Lee's rear, before the latter was fully informed of his movements, while being confronted with fully 70,000 men threatening an advance on his front at Freder icksburg; then came the separation of the Confederate army by Jackson's flank movement, wherein the opportunity was given to Hooker to attack it on the flank in march; then again was offered what any commander should have hailed with delight, the chance to attack the flank of Jackson's corps with two corps d'armée during the fight of Sunday, when the Confederates had to cease fighting almost from sheer exhaustion and lack of ammunition. But the well planned campaign was an abortion. However, as soon as the troops reached their old camp grounds about Falmouth, the subject of another campaign was considered. Preparations were at once made to place the army in condition, with this end in view, which was strongly urged by Mr. Lincoln, and this was one reason why it was so well able to maintain the summer campaign which followed.

General Lee, having been reinforced, at once pro

ceeded to put his command in condition for a movement. Indeed, it was simply a case whether the Union or Confederate army was the first prepared to take the initiative in a new campaign. The first notice received of any movement on the part of the Confederate army was a note received by General Gregg, from Captain Brown, at Warrenton Junction, dated May 23, 1863, to the effect that Mosby had established pickets from near Quisenberry's house toward Catlett's Station; and the infantry at Catlett's reported a continual sound as of wagons or artillery moving towards Bristoe. In consequence of this the 2d cavalry division and Pennington's horse battery were directed to proceed, on the morning of the 25th, and report to General Gregg for duty.

The Confederate army had been reinforced by Pickett's division of six brigades and Hook's division of four brigades, from Suffolk; but they had been halted near Hanover Court-House. At that time Early was massed about Hamilton's Crossing, with Trimble directly in rear; McLaws was next on the left, and in rear of Fredericksburg. Anderson next on McLaws' left; Rodes' (D. H. Hill's old division) was on the right of Early and back from the river; and A. P. Hill occupied the extreme right of the line. Each of these six divisions had five brigades. Pickett was at Taylorsville, near Hanover, and Hood was between Louisa Court-House and Gordonsville. There were three brigades of cavalry three miles from Culpeper Court-House-Fitz Lee, Wm. H. Fitzhugh Lee and Wade Hampton's. Jones was in the valley (Shenandoah), near New Market, with about 1400 cavalry and 12 pieces of light artillery. Mosby was above Warrenton, with 200 men.

All sorts of rumors as to the movements of the Confederate army penetrated the Union lines, the result of which was to cause General Hooker to direct the commander of the First Corps (Reynolds) to have his corps in readiness to move May 27th.

On the 28th, Barnes' division of the Fifth Corps was ordered from its camp to take position on the Rappahannock River, covering the fords, and to make such dispositions as would enable him to check any body of Confederate troops attempting to cross the river by any of the fords, for which purpose the division was furnished with intrenching implements and a supply train, together with two batteries of artillery, under Captain A. P. Martin.

General Gregg was ordered to destroy the railroad bridge over the Rappahannock and to hold his command for use. Buford was ordered to move with Elder's battery to Bealeton, and drive rebel scouts and parties in the neighborhood of Warrenton across the Rappahannock River. Kilpatrick was ordered with his brigade from Gloucester Point to report as soon as possible to General Hooker.

In the meantime, on the 30th of May, the Confederate army had been organized into three corps d'armée. Longstreet commanded the First Corps; the brigades of Heth and Archer, with Pettigrew's and Cooke's, constituted Heth's division; those of Pender, Lane, Thomas, and McGowan, Pender's division. Heth's and Pender's divisions, together with Anderson's constituted the new Third Corps, the command of which was given to General A. P. Hill. The divisions of Early, Johnson, and Rodes, formed the Second Corps, under Ewell.

Leaving A. P. Hill with his corps to occupy

Fred

ericksburg and amuse General Hooker, General Lee directed his other corps, on the 5th of June, to concentrate at Culpeper and its vicinity. General Hooker received an intimation of this movement, and detained General Lee all day of the 5th at Fredericksburg by making a demonstration upon that place, laying a pontoon bridge and crossing a force under the protection of two or three batteries, capturing the Confederates in the rifle-pits. General Hooker was divided upon two opinions, whether to attack the force remaining at Fredericksburg or counteract the movements of the detached portion of the Confederate army. Upon submitting the matter to President Lincoln, he received from him the following characteristic reply:

"In one word, I would not take any risk of being entangled upon the river, like an ox jumped half over a fence and liable to be torn by dogs front and rear, without a fair chance to gore one way or kick the other. If Lee would come to my side of the river, I would keep on the same side and fight him or act on the defense, according as might be my estimate of his strength relatively to my own."

Not much time was allowed for consideration of this important matter, for Imboden and Jenkins had been ordered to co-operate in an expedition to the Shenandoah Valley, Imboden moving towards Romney, to prevent the Union troops at Winchester from being reinforced by means of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, while Jenkins advanced toward the latter place, supported by a battalion of infantry and a battery of the Maryland Line artillery.

General Ewell, with his corps, slipped away from Culpeper Court-House on the 10th of June, crossed the branches of the Shenandoah near Port Royal,