126. CXXVI.
HOOKER IN HIS DEN.
The events which I have just narrated took place on Wednesday,
the 28th of April, and on Thursday morning the advance
corps of the Federal column from Kelly's Ford was in line of
battle near Chancellorsville.
Sedgwick had also crossed at Fredericksburg, to hold Lee in
check there; and Jackson had drawn up his corps to meet him.
On Thursday evening, however, it became apparent that
General Sedgwick's movement was merely a demonstration to
cover Hooker's main advance above, and Jackson was ordered to
leave one division at Fredericksburg, and with the rest move
rapidly toward Chancellorsville.
The order of General Lee directed him to “attack and repulse
the enemy.” To carry out this order, he had about ten or
fifteen thousand men. General Hooker had about one hundred
and twenty thousand.
Jackson moved at midnight, on Thursday, toward Chancellorsville,
and at daylight reached the Tabernacle Church, within a
few miles of the place, where he was joined by a division and
two brigades under Anderson, which had fallen back before the
enemy from the Rappahannock.
As soon as he received this re-enforcement, and all was ready,
Jackson formed line of battle across the plank-road leading
through the Wilderness, and steadily advanced to assail the
enemy.
Hooker's position was almost impregnable. He had rapidly
thrown up heavy works fronting west, south, and east, with the
Chancellorsville house behind the centre—and in front of these
defences the thickets of this strange country had been cut down,
so as to form a bristling abatis, and prevent all approach.
Beyond this abatis was the dense, tangled, impassable undergrowth,
penetrated only by a few narrow roads—and these
avenues were commanded by the grim muzzles of artillery.
Hooker was a veritable tiger in his lair—Lee would attack at
his peril—and Jackson soon found that he could not drive his adversary
from this formidable stronghold. His advance came
speedily in contact with the enemy's works, and a hurricane of
shell tore through the ranks, inflicting considerable loss. To
advance and charge the works was absolutely impossible—the
thickets were impenetrable—and, after carrying on a desultory
warfare for some hours, Jackson gave up the attempt to assail
Hooker from that quarter, and waited for the arrival of General
Lee.
The commanding general arrived at nightfall, having left only a
small force to hold the heights of Fredericksburg; and Jackson
and himself were speedily in consultation. The condition of
affairs was critical. Longstreet's corps was at Suffolk, below
Richmond, and Lee had less than thirty-five thousand troops
with which to attack an enemy numbering one hundred and fifty
thousand, behind impregnable earthworks. And yet that attack
must be made—Hooker must be driven from Chancellorsville, or
Lee must retreat.
It was under these circumstances that Jackson suggested an
attempt to turn, by a swift and secret march, the right flank of
the enemy west of Chancellorsville, while another column
attacked in front. Colonel Pendleton, the chief of staff, informed
me that this suggestion was Jackson's—and it was
adopted by General Lee.
On the same night, every preparation was made for the movement.
Amid the weird shades of the Wilderness, the two formidable
adversaries were now about to close in a breast-to-breast conflict.
