Evening star., 1863-05-08
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
PARTICULARS OF HOOk. .
ER'S RECROSSING.


On Tuesday morning the trains were all or
dered back to camp. and by dark the wagons
extra caissons, pack mules, &c, were at Fal.
mouth. The wcundfd were hastily removed
from the hospitals and sent to Washington.
leaving nothing on the other side except our
infantry and artillery.
About five o'clock it commenced raining,
The water fell in torrents for over an hour,
deluging the roads, tearing up the corduroys,
sweeping away bridges and threatening the
destruction OF the pontoons. The river rose
with great rapidly and soon oyerfowed the
ends of the pOrtoons, rendering crossing i'm
practicable. The upper pontoon was taken up
and used in leng.henlng ont the others, and
after several hou1s ot very hard labor, the
bridges were once more ready
RECRoSSISG TIE RIVER.
Pine boughs were spread upon the pontoons
TO prevent the noise Of crossing, and about
midnight the troops commenced falling back.
The First corps was the fret TO cross, and is
now NEARLY all over The Third corps remains
in the intrenchments to cover tDe retreat. 1t is
hoped that the army will reach this side be.
fore the enemy discovers the retreat; but can
front, ana desperate battle is not an inprob-
able event.
We can doubtless retire across the river with.
cut serious loss; but it discovered in our
attempt the struggle will be fierce. Unmolested
the troops can get over BY noon
The roads are in terrible condition-almost
as bad as when General Burnside foundered
here last wintsr. Our sick are lying In the
roads, but ambulances are coming up to remove
them.
There was no fighting on Tuesday Of any
Consequence: The sharpshooters were quite
active, and the artillery opened occasionally.
but results were unimportant. The enemy has
evidently maseed his army on the right with
view, it is believed, Of crossing above and
attacking us on the flank and rear. The high
water, however, will frustrats that movement.
Three pontoon trains are down near Hamil-
tons crossing, and some fears have been enter
tanned that the rebels would make q demon.
ia11a ahnp
A great number Of our wounded have fallen
into the hands Of the enemy.
Our dead on the battle field Of Sunday are
still un buried, and the wounded are undodbt.
edly dying in great numbers for want Of atten.
tion. DR.. johnson, Medical inspector of the
Army, has volunteered to 20 over with a corps
He will probably be sent across as soon as
practicable.
Gen. Hooker is very much depressed Tues.
day night he held consultation with his COM
manding Generals, in which it was urged that
longer stay in Its present position would
prove unsafe for the army. A hasty return to
our camps is Imperative.
The rain is falling heavily and the river
rising with great rapidity.
Three bridges were swept away on the rail-
road from Aqua on Tuesday night. Building
parties Were at work all night, and the trains
are again running.
RUMoRED MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY
1t is rumored that the enemy's cavalry has
crossed over upon the Northern Neck, and is
advancing cautiously towards this place. A
force mas been sent down to oppose them.
Everything Is quiet on the other side The
river has risen ever ten feet, and Is still rap
idly rising.
Heavy cannonading is heard in the direction
OF the United States Ford.
The Tribune publishes the following account
of the retrograde movement OF our army:
The Army of the Potomac has recrossed the
Rappahannock at United States and Banks's
Fords, and is marching back to the old camps
along the Aqua Railroad.
Sedgwick was overwhelmed by numbers,
and pressed hard on both front and rear, and
was hardly able to make good his escape near
Banks Ford. Fredericksburg and the heights
and the situation is substantially as 1t was pre-
yiouS to the advance.
Sedgwick has lost in killed and wounded
about five thousand men. His artillery and
night.
After fighting the severe battle of Sunday
morning, Gen. Hooker continued to strengthen
his lines throwing up double lines of rifie-pits
and constructing abattis along the entire line OF
his camp. The enemy continued to make DEM
enstrations along the works, driving in the
pickets and delivering volleys Of musketry at
The artillery was placed on the heights be-
low United States Ford, in position to COM
mand the crossing
heard for half an hour at Banks Ford, which
was an unsuccessful attempt to shell Sede.
Eick's line. At United States Ford the cross.
ing was effected without loss.
On Tuesday the Sixth corps Of Hooker's
army, recently engaged at ChancellorsviIle,
also recrossed the river at United States Ford
and are marching back to Falmouth.
The retreat Of Hooker's army produced a
great panic at Aqua, and everything movea-
bic was placed on board the boats at the land
ing:
was believed to be the determination TO march
out and attack the enemy in the 'front.'
The crossing " as commenced at 10 o'clock
on Tuesday night At 3 O'Clock on Wednesday
morning wagon and mule trains and the artil-
lery had all passed, and the infantry was
crossing on two bridges at United States Ford
COUGHS corps was in the advance. The re-
treat was covered by the Fifth, Meade's corps
Lees sharpshcoters picked or the artillery
horses and fired on any mounted officer seen
behind the rifie-pits. Troops could be seen
marching and communicating along the roads
southeast from Charlottesville. In all ad-
vantageous positions batteries were run out
and vigorously used against Hooker's camp.
AS soon as counter guns were brought to bear
Oh their flying batteries, they would disappear
TO show themselves in some new position.
RESULTS.
The effect OF movement strategically often.
s1ye, made tactically defensive, soon produced
question again was the safety of the Army Of
the Potomac. Consultations were had with
corps commanders; the question Of the possi-
bility OF retreat was discussed. This once
1t was decided that the enemy was TOO pow.
erful to be resisted, and that SsdSwick's corps
must be rejoined to the army in order to make
an offensive movement practicable.
Sedgwick having failed to join Hooker via
the Fredericksburg and Gordonsvi plank
road, and being hard pressed, he crossed the
RapPahannock and saved his corps from an
nihilation. The experiment cost him some 900
men. He inflicted, doubtless, much greater
injury on the enemy.
Sedgwicks repulse, added to the weak coun.
sells Of certain Of his corps commanders, shook
Hooker's confidence, and forgetting that he was
the aagressor, and that less than half his com.
Inand had withstood the attack OF the full force
Of the enemy, he in one fatal moment gave the
order to evacuate the strong position and his
fortified camp, and to retreat across the Rap
pahann ock at United States Ford.
A defeat could have been little worse. The
army lie not panic stricken, but 1t is certainly
greatly demoralized by this inglorious retreat
There was no time from Friday morning till
Monday night that Hooker could not have at.
tackled and defeated Lees army. There only
lacked the ability to give the order.
On Monday morning at daylight the enemy
shelled from the heights below Scott's Dam the
trains n ~ Tnit Stof