them, rushing into the opening, some with arms and some without, running or falling before they got behind the cover of Devens's reserves, and before General Schurz's waiting masses could deploy or charge. (3) The noise and smoke filled the air with excitement; and to add to it, Dickman's guns and caissons, with battery, were scattered, rolled and tumbled, like runaway wagons and carts in a thronged city. The guns and the masses of the right brigade struck the second line of Devens's before McLain's front had given way; and quicker than it can be told, with all the fury of the wildest hail-storm, everything-every sort of organization that lay in the path of the mad current of panic-stricken men-had to give way and

The view is from Dowdall's Tavern, looking north-west. General Devens's brigade was in the field beyond Hawkins's house, seen in the distance. Wiederick's and Dilger's batteries came into position in the foreground, where General Howard formed his second line.

be broken into fragments. My own horse seemed to catch the fury; he sprung, he rose high on his hind-legs, and fell over, throwing me to the ground. My aide-de-camp, Dessane, was struck by a shot and killed, and for a few moments I was as helpless as any of the men speeding without arms to the rear."

Captain Hickman, Battery I, First Ohio, had two cannon in the road leading up to the woods from Hawkins's house, but before he could get them into position the Confederates were upon him, and the gunners were compelled to flee, leaving their cannon.

A few men of the Pennsylvania regiment, not panic-stricken, fired a volley, which did great execution; but they too were obliged to go.

The Seventy-third and Twenty-fifth Ohio seized their guns, changed front, and made a stubborn fight. McLain's brigade of Union troops, which had faced south, changed front to the north-west, and resolutely confronted Dole's brigade of Confederates. It was a veteran brigadehad been in many battles. Though so greatly outnumbered, the brigade maintained its ground till five commanders of regiments were killed or wounded-till the Confederates were folding round its flank, and then the survivors, with more than six hundred of their number killed or wounded, retreated across the field.

General Devens, commanding the division, was wounded, but did what he could to form a new line.

General Schurz was at Howard's headquarters when the crash came. He dashed up the turnpike, and saw the Confederates falling upon the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin and One Hundred and Nineteenth New Yorknew regiments-but they held their ground till more than half the officers and a large number of the men were killed or wounded, and then retired in good order past the Wilderness Church.

General Schimmelpfennig, an officer from Germany, commanded a brigade in the second line of the Eleventh Corps. When the troops of the front line came dashing through his regiments he kept them steady, changed front, advanced, and met the Confederates. Seventy men went down in the Eighty-second Illinois. Its commander, Colonel Hecker, to rally his men, seized the flag and waved it, but the next moment fell from his saddle pierced by a bullet. Slowly across the field the brigade retired, firing upon the advancing Confederates.

General Howard saw that the only place where he could make a stand was on the ridge north of Dowdall's Tavern. He ordered the artillery into position. There was a quick lashing of horses, and in two minutes Dilger's and Wiederick's batteries were sending shells into the Confederate ranks. Bushbeck's brigade opened a fire which did great execution, maintaining their position. For more than an hour the four thousand men and the artillery on the ridge east of the church confronted the Confederates, who outnumbered them three to one after the crumbling of Howard's first line. Darkness was coming on, the night settling down, when these men of the Eleventh Corps moved down the road towards Chancellorsville. Without assistance from any quarter they had done what they could to check the advance of Jackson.

The first intimation General Hooker had of disaster to his right flank was from the fugitives streaming past his headquarters. He was quick to act. He must recall Sickles; must throw a force in front of Jackson.

His own old division, which he led at Williamsburg, at Fair Oaks, at the second Bull Run, at Antietam, was in reserve under General Berry. It came into position in the fields west of Chancellorsville.

The retreating troops formed behind this tried and faithful division. The Eighty-second Ohio, Eighty-second Illinois, Twenty-sixth Wisconsin, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York, and other regiments halted, dressed their lines, and stood ready to face the foe once more.

Daylight had faded. The Confederates had driven in the Eleventh Corps, but not without great loss. The stubborn resistance on the ridge at Dowdall's had made sad havoc in Jackson's front line, which had become disorganized. Brigades and regiments were in such confusion that Jackson was obliged to halt to reform them.

"In the advance," says General Colston, "the formation of the troops became very much confused, and the different regiments, brigades, and divisions were mixed up."

At this hour let us go down to Hazel Grove, south of Jackson's position. The cavalry brigade, under General Devin, is there, sent out to support Sickles. There are three regiments the Eighth and Seventeenth Pennsylvania and Sixth New York, with Martin's horse battery. Although General Devin commands the brigade, General Pleasonton, who commands what little cavalry has been left by Stoneman, is the ranking officer.

It was nearly sunset when a messenger informed General Pleasonton that the enemy had attacked the Eleventh Corps.

The Eighth Pennsylvania had halted in the woods waiting for orders. Major Keenan, Captain Dudley, Adjutant Haddock, and Lieutenant Wells were under a tree playing cards.

"Mount!" was the order from Major Huey, commanding the regi

ment.

"You have spoiled a good game by the order," said Major Keenan.(*) The regiment was ordered to report to General Howard.

"You will find him near Wilderness Church," said General Pleas

onton.

No word of a disaster had reached them. They had not heard the firing; they did not know that the Eleventh Corps was drifting towards Chancellorsville, or that Jackson's lines were advancing towards Fairview. The column wound along the road. Major Huey, Major Keenan, Captain Arrowsmith, Lieutenant Carpenter, and Adjutant Haddock were in front. The regiment was in good spirits. They had seen the Confederates retreating, as they supposed, towards Gordonsville. They had no thought

of an impending engagement. Their sabres were in their scabbards, and the men riding listlessly. They reached the plank road, when suddenly they were confronted by the advancing Confederate line.

There are moments in battle when men must think quick and act upon the instant-when a moment's delay is fatal. What shall be done? Cavalrymen and Confederates alike are astounded.

"Draw sabre !"

In an instant the bright blades gleam in the fading light. "Charge!"

The spurs prick the horses' sides. Down the road plunges the column -the horses straining every muscle, the men comprehending the great-. ness of the moment, lifting their sabres high in air. They rush upon the astonished Confederates, who stand motionless and irresolute. The horses trample them down. Sabre blows fall thick and fast. Some of the Confederates throw down their guns and raise their hands beseechingly.

Recovering from their astonishment, the Confederates open fire, and horse and rider tumble headlong. For one hundred yards the cavalry column ploughs its way through the infantry ranks before it loses its aggressive force. It is the work of three minutes, but in that brief period eighty horses have gone down and thirty cavalrymen have been killed and wounded, and nearly as many Confederates.

Among the slain are Major Keenan, Captain Arrowsmith, and Adjutant Haddock. The regiment cuts its way out and reaches the open field at Fairview.

Without doubt this unpremeditated engagement had an important bearing upon Jackson's contemplated movements; not because any great thing was accomplished, but it was an attack from an unexpected quarter, and there was no knowing what might be behind it. It was an attack upon his right flank, which made him cautious.

We are to keep in mind the fact that General Sickles was far out from the main line, preparing to fall upon Lee's left flank.

"The enemy have attacked Howard and driven him in," was the message sent to Sickles.

"That cannot be," was the reply. He had heard no firing. He fully believed that Jackson was retreating, and he was getting ready to double up Lee's flank.

"Return at once," was the order from Hooker by a second messenger. While General Sickles's troops are making their way back towards Fairview, let us see what is going on there. Berry's division is coming into position; the troops of the Eleventh Corps are forming behind it.

General Slocum is facing the troops of the Twelfth Corps towards the west. Down by Hazel Grove is the artillery of Whipple's division and Martin's horse battery. The Confederates are advancing.

General Pleasonton ordered Martin's battery into position and to load with double charges of canister. Captain Crosby, commanding a battery, rode up. "General, I have a battery of six guns; where shall I go?" "Place your guns on the right of Martin's."()

Captain Huntington, of the First Ohio Battery, wheeled his guns into line, and in a short time others came, making twenty-two cannon in all. General Pleasonton directed the gunners how to aim. The Confederates were about six hundred feet distant.

"Aim so the shot will hit the ground half-way between the guns and the woods." He knew that the shot would strike and be deflected from the ground at the same angle, and would not fail to do great execution.

Darkness is setting in when the Confederates reach the edge of the woods. The cannoneers stand waiting for the order to fire. One of them sees a Union flag along the line at the edge of the woods.

"General, are not those our troops?" asks a cannoneer.

“Major Thomson, ride out there and see who those people are," is the order of Pleasonton to one of his staff.

The officer rides forward.

"Come on, we are your friends," are the words from the woods. Major Thomson sees three Union flags waving, trophies picked up by the Confederates. A bullet whistles past him, and then comes the battle-cry of the Confederates the prolonged yell of thousands of men. His horse wheels, and the major is lying low upon his neck as he rides back. The twentytwo cannon are flaming, pouring a terrific stream of canister into the Confederate ranks.()

Jackson had advanced nearly through the woods west of Chancellorsville and Fairview. One thought had taken possession of him: to get between Hooker and the river, cut off his retreat, push the Union army against Lee, and grind it to pieces as corn is ground between millstones. He had placed A. P. Hill's division in front. They were fresh troops, and he was confident of success. It is evident that he understood very imperfectly the situation of the Union army. It is evident also that if such a movement had been attempted it would have failed of success. The moon was full, and his advance would have been seen and met by a terrible fire from Berry's division, from the Fifth and Twelfth Corps, and the First Corps moving up from the river, taking a position to fall upon his flank.