The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-18 00:00:00

THE GREAT BATTLES IN VIRGINIA.

(711011 OUI ISPICIAL COI

NEW YORK, MAY 5 (TuteDLT)

We have just passed through three days of in-
tense excitement, and there does not seem any
likelihood of its termination for some days to come.
On Friday and Saturday the opposing armies on
the Rappehannock came into collision, as I antici-
pated in my last letter, and after two combats, of
great severity, they fought on Sunday the bloodiest
and most obstinately contested action of the war,
which resulted in leaving both parties where they
stood, or, in other words, in a victory for Hooker,
for Lee is fighting now for existence, and if he
cannot dislodge the Federals is lost. Let me at-
tempt to give you a 'brief sketch of the general
nature of the situation of the occurrences of the
last week, disentangled from the details.
The problem which Hooker had to solve was to
dislodge Lee from the fortified position which he
has occupied for the last four months on the heights
above Fredericksburg, without either attacking
him in front or endangering the Federal commu-
nications with Acquia Creek. He had violently
opposed Burnside's plan last December, and his
vaticinations about it were justified by the event.
But it was easier to condemn than to suggest, and
his enemies have been confident ever since he as-
awned the chief command that he would find it
no easy matter to make the very first
move in the campaign—or, in other words,
leave Lis camp at Falmouth, and bring the enemy
to action in any position in which there would be
the smallest chance of success. He matured his
plans, however, with great secresy, and at last,
early last week, perforated a feat unprecedented in
the Union army, by actually putting his whole
force in motion without asking anybody's advice,
or giving anybody the least inkling of what he was
going to do. He accordingly threw between 70,000
and 80,000 men across the river at Kelly's Ford
and the United States Ford, ten and sixteen
miles above Fredericksburg, and about 30,000 near
Port Royal, about four miles below. This done,
he for the first time communicated his intentions
to the subordinate generals.
If you look at the map, you will see that the
Rappahannock, which above Fredericksburg runs
nearly due east, makes, when near the town, a
sweep southward, and in the curve lies the Con-
federate position. By crossing above, therefore,
Hooker would face southward, and by pushing
forward a few miles from the river, be would find
himself in the rear of Fredericksburg, and would
leave Lee the alternative of either coming down off
the heights, and fighting and winning a battle, or
else of retreating along the Richmond Railroad with
80,000 men on one of his flanks and 30,000 on the
other. This is precisely what Hooker did. On
Wednesday night he crossed both the Rapidan and
Rappahannock, and pushed his centre forward as
far as Chancellorsville, a hamlet in the rear of
Fredericksburg, and about ten miles from it west
by south, and occupied it, his left and right resting
on the United States and Kelly's Ford, and there
prepared to stand his ground. The crossing below
Fredericksburg was effected with equal success and
was also a surprise, the enemy's pickets being cap-
tured. On Thursday morning it was clear that
Lee bad either to come down and fight Hooker on
ground chosen by the latter, or else attempt to fly.
The following general order was then honed :
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac,
Camp near Falmouth, Va., April 30.
General Order No. 47.—1 t is with heartfelt istisfaction
that the Commanding General anotaucee to the army that
the operations of the last three days have determined that
our enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come on from
behind his defences and give us battle on our own
where certain destruction awaits him. The operagtroeun
the fifth, eleventh, sod twelfth corps have been a suemesion
of splendid achievements.—By command of 31sjor•Cloneral
llootxs.-8. Williams, Assistant Adjutant-GeneraL
On Friday it was evident that Lee had wakened
up to "a sense of his situation." He bad been
clearly out-generalled, bet he met the crisis
promptly and ably. How complete his surprise
was, was learned from a letter found in a house at
Chaneellorsville from his chief of the staff, and
dated 4.29 p.m. of that day, stating that " the
general had at that moment heard that the Federal
force was across the United States Ford." They bad
then been across it 18 hours. He changed his front

very rapidly, and on Friday the two armies were
face to face, the Federals having passed the day in
fortifying their position and skirmishing. A
balloon reconnaissance showed that there
was coniparativaly but a small body of the
troops left on the heights of Fredericksburg, and
General Sedgwick, who commanded on Hooker's
right, proposed to assail and if possible storm them.