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

Rebel camp fires have simultaneously appeared along
their line of works, which appear to be built for effect.
We could see their forces all the forenoon passing
along the road on the brow of the crest to the right. The
forces are supposed to be Jackson's corps. Artillery to the
number of 40 or 50 pieces accompanied them, being dis-
tinctly seen and counted from this side.
Captain Fitzhue, who resided in an elegant mansion on
this side of the river, was killed the day before yesterday,
and his remains Cent over. He was in the rifle pits when
our forces charged up the opposite bank of the river.
The balloon has been up all day at intervals. Heavy
firing has been heard from our other forces to-day.
Two miles below Fredericksburg, May 2, 7.45 a.m.
The rebels have opened the ball this morning ; 35 minutes
ago a light battery, planted during the night in the rear of
the Bernard house, tossed a couple of shell among our
troops, and was immediately followed by their 10 10-pound
Parrots, planted on the side of the crest (three-quarters of
a mile below), which are now concentrating a rapid fire on
our lower bridge, with the expectation, doubtless, of destroy-
it. Our guns on the left are returning the fire vigorously.
Owing to the dense clouds of smoke, I am unable to
make out all the batteries participating. Captain
R icket's Ist Pennsylvania, Captain Edgell' s Ist
New Hampshire, Captain Thomson's Independent battery,
planted together on a small elevation, are among the number.
B.ls.—The rebels have opened their Whitworth gun, and
several others are on the extreme left. Our troops are
drawn up in two lines of battle on this side of the Rappa-
hannock, and have not suffered as any yet. Those on the
other side have dropped down under the protection of the
river bank, where they are safe from the enemy's missiles.
Last night they were heard operating on the railroad, and
this morning a few pieces of railroad iron have been thrown.
The firing from our forces on the right,:now directly in the
rear of the rebels, can be distinctly heard. A moment ago
I saw one of their shells explode above the crest. The rebels
are thus compelled to fight that way and face this.
Chancelloraville, Virginia, 10 miles West by South of
Fredericksburg, Midnight, May 2, 1863.
The military operations which have been in progress on
the line of the Rappahannock for a week past nave to-day
culminated in what, if not precisely a great battle, only
escapes that designation because we all feel that greater, by
far, remains behind.
General Hooker, by a series of brilliantly audacious
manoeuvres and movements, of a celerity wholly unmatched
in this war, has succeeded in crossing the Rappahannock
River, and gaining for his army a position 10 miles west by
south, and in the rear of Fredericksburg.
General Lee, at first completely surprised by this move,
and utterly puzzled as to his antagonist's intentions, has,
however, had time to recover himself, and with a haid
almost equally bold in the grand game of strategy—aban-
doned his position in Fredericksburg, and the line of 20
miles down the Rappahannock which he has held for
months—has changed his front, and stands opposite us in
order of battle.
We have secured a strong position, completely turning
the line of rebel defensive heights in the rear of Fredericks-
burg, against which our army on the 13th of last December
madly dashed itself. This, as General Hooker expresses it
in his inspiriting order of Thursday, gives us the advantage
of compelling the enemy to fight us on ground of our own
choosing.
Figure to yourself a huge triangle or redan, one leg of
three miles long, resting on the south side of the Rappa-
hannock, Rho,. rreaericasburg, anti between Banks and
United States' Ford, the other on Hunting Creek, an af-
fluent of the Rappahannock, with the apex at Chancellors-
Nine, and you have, in epitome, the situation as it now
stands. This position, naturally strong, has been rendered
stronger by breastworks and abattis thrown up in front to
cover the troops.
Imagine, now, the enemy massed in front of this position
—front to front, and flank to flank—and you have the rebel
situation. Take into account, also, that the enemy have
strengthened themselves by the same appliances adopted
by us.

These relative positions were assumed three days ago,
and the history of that period is that of skirmishing along
the advance line, developed in front of both armies, we feel-
ing the enemy at various points, the enemy feeling us at
various points.
This afternoon and evening, however, the enemy was em-
boldened to depart from these minor operations, and make a
bold coup by attacking our right flank in force and attempt-
ing to double us up. About 6 o'clock this evening Jackson
—you will recognise as I go on the operations and all its
circumstances as one quite in his style, and the affair will
recall to you Cedar Mountains and other memories—with
his whole corps of 40,000 men threw himself impetuously on
our extreme right, formed by the 11th Army Corps, under
command of Major-General Howard. The assault was one
marked by all the dash and audacity which characterise his
mind, and as it was made precisely at our weakest point,
and on a corps which Jackson had already several times
beaten, it was well calculated to succeed.
That he only partially succeeded in turning our flank was
not owing to the conduct of the 11th Army Corps, which
was disgraceful, but to the superb generalship of Hooker,
who promptly threw reinforcements on our right to stop the
enemy's advance.
From the order which the commanding General issued it
will be seen that the position gained at Chancellorsville,
which is ten miles west by sou,h of Fredericksburg, com-
pletely turns the line of rebel defences on the series of
ridges in rear of Fredericksburg, and, in fact, there was
now but one alternative; the enemy must either retreat
along the line of railroad toward Richmond, while that line
was yet uncut (for their was no other line of retreat, the
communication with Gordonsville being threatened by
our hold on that line), or else come out and ' give us battle
on our own ground.' Lee had been completely out.
generaled, and in a strategic point of view had suffered a
defeat before we had fired a single shot. It was in this sense,
and not in the meaning that they were actually destroyed,
albeit he anticipated nothing less than that, that General
Hooker, on the night of our arrival at Chancellorsville,
proudly exclaimed, "The rebel army is now the legitimate
property of the Army of the Potomac."
General Lee seems to have felt himself strong enough to
Pursue the latter alternative, and he took prompt measures
to carry his plan into execution. There is very little doubt
that he had been heavily reinforced with troops from the
South.

Occupying, too, the interior line, Lee's facilities for a
change of front were, of course, very great, and our army
had hardly gained its position when a rebel column wds
marching up to confront it.
The military situation on Saturday morning (the 2d),
therefore, stood as follows :—Our main force holds the posi-
t tion at Chancellorsville, confronting the main rebel army
now massed opposite us. 11,,ward's corps has the extreme
right, then a division of Sickles's corps, then Slocum, then
Conch, then Meade on the left, Humphreys division of
Meade's corps holding the extreme of the left. Working
Parties have been employed during the whole night in throw-
ing up breastworks, and the woods have resounded with
the strokes of a thousand axemen felling trees for the pur-
pose of
deonstru ing abattis. We hear the rebels, not 1 hal istant, at work with the same view, and in the morn-
ing both armies are welintrenched. It will now be who
em out.
will c-me out and give
latwe. Hooker is determined to
put forth all the resources of
them
craft of which he is a con-
summate master to temp
So much for the right! A
working on the left, indepen4d7ethatelr, though minor force, is
strategic bearings on the main operyßa,tiort.
Thiswith subordinate
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i.a
taken
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Balloon
ahen their main force
from the heights of Fredericksbagla:td the line down the
greater
dbulk of their
Rappahannock, and massed it us at Chancellors-
ville. They have also removed the
artillery with the saran end ; and General
commands the left, thinks himself strong enoughegi'lfltiheti.o:oewab:Leryo
General assents,
the heights. The Commanding
good prospect of success ; for it is of the utmost importance
not to anticipate the golden moment to strike.
Still another co-operative role is assigned the powerful
cavalry expedition under general Stoneman. This is
nothing less than to cut the railroad bridges that cross the
two affluents of the Paratuikey—namely the North and
South Anna—less than 20 miles from Richmond. The
bridge over the North Anna is 150 feet long and 80 feet
high, and cannot possibly be reconstructed in less than a

larly in his attempts to retake Chancellorsville, and in the
insane charge upon our batteries.
Everything goes to show that Lee will open attack
early this morning. (It is now 3 o'clock a.m., Mty 2.) Our
troops ha'e been at work all night, and the woods resound
with the ring of axes. Both parties are bu y building
earthworks and abattas. Certain changes a-e heng made in
our lines, and we shall be fully ready for any
emergency.
The greatest day in the history of the rebellion is about
dawning. General Hooker got some rest during the night,
which was much needed, but at this hour he is in consulta-
tion with his corps commanders. His staff are prodigies of
energy, and their labours are unceasing.
Our losses yesterday are not yet known. We had about
100 killed and wounded in General Sykes's fight early in
the afternoon. Captain Marsh, of the 17th Regulars, was
killed. Captain Overton, of General Sykes's staff, was
wounded, not dangerously—Lieut. Wells, 14th Regulars,
wounded—Lieut.- Colonel Walker, Assistant Adjutant-
General to General Couch, was wounded by a piece of shell
in the arm, not seriously.
The troops acted magnificently. Not a case of misbe-
haviour has come to my knowledge. They go into battle
with enthusiasm, and one idea seems to animate every one
—the idea of victory.
Four miles below Fredericksburg, Friday Evening,
8.30, May 1, 1863.
The day has closed without firing on either side. The two
lines of battle which the enemy showed last night were no
longer visible to-day, the troops doubtless having been
withdrawn to fight our forces in the rear. Their skirmish
line has also been thinned out, and, to all appearances, the
rebels have "raked and scraped" together all their forces
to meet the rear attack.
Oar own troops are stretched out in two lines of battle on
this side of the river, where they have been since an hour
before sunset. As I write the rebels are cheering vocife-
rously, or, I should say, delivering one of their peculiar
howls, which Bull Run Russell describes. Our own men,
on the opposite side of the river, have taken it up, and are
now endeavouring to drown their yells with counter cheer-
ing.