The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-08
Ote 4airll aunrttar.
THE GREAT STRUGGLE ON THE
RAPPAHANN0CK.
Interesting Details.

corps OF Gen. Hooker S army up to the
time they were concentrated at Chancel-
lorsville. In strict accordance with the
principles of scientific war, Gen. Hooker
joined his army the same night the corps
were united, and Immediately arranged
his army in line of battle. So confident
was he of success, that he proudly ex-
exclaimed on his arrival at Chancellors-
vile, The rebel army is now the legiti-
mate property of the Army of the Poto-
mac"
There was one piece of 'gsharpprac.
tice" on the part of Gen. Hooker to de-
ceive the rebels that did not appear in
our extract of yesterday. We copy it
now, for it is too good to be lost After
speaking Of the movements of these
corps up the river and the building of the
bridges below, the correspondent says
Thus far but one division of each of
the 9th and I'd army corps had been sent
across the river. The remaining four
divisions stayed on the other side, but
they were not idle They were put in
motion on the hill slope on one side of
the river, and in plain view of the enemy,
were marched along the Crest of the
ridge, and down, as though to the cross
ing; but instead of crossing, they were
quietly drawn up back through gully
round the rear of the ridge, and around
again on its top They made the appear
ance of an army of hundred thousand
men, and must have presented the ap-
pearance of massing on our side pre-
paratory to passage of the river under
the cover of the night.
The same circusing was performed by
the artillery and wagon trains.
The effect on the rebels was prompt.
Two hours afterward their columns began
marching up the Bowling Green road
from down the river. Here considera-
BILE force, including the whole of Jack
sons corps, had been posted as a camp
of observation. The Bowling Green road
at this point is sunken road, but we
soon began to detect at various points
the rebel column moving up, the bayo-
nets glistening in the sun. We were a
couple of miles distant
Having placed the troops safely at
Chancell orsville, the correspondent of
the New York 1fibane continues his ac-
count as follows
About noon to-day, (Friday tie 1st),
the 9th and l2lh corps, Gems Meade S
and Slocums. advanced by seperate
roads toward the city of Fredericksburg.
Gen. Slocum's corps moved to the right,
and Meade's to the left; the I'd division
of this latter corps, under Gen. Sykes,
leading the advance In about an hour :
time heavy firing announced that they
had met the enemy. This continued for
upward Of three-quarters of an hour,
gradually extending to our right wing,
when orders were sent by Gen. Hooker
from his headquarters in the large brick
house to which l alluded in my last, and
which constitutes the town of Chancel-
lorsville, for the two columns to fall
slowly back. This command was carried
out i'll the most systematic and regular
manner Of the casualties up to that
time have only these to mention; Cor.
poral Adams, Co. L, Ilth Regular In
fantry; Sergeant Trecor, Co. +, 18th
Regulars, slightly.
After the return of the two columns
everything remained qdiet, until about
4 o clock, when the rebels attacked us in
force on our right, a mile or SO from
Charlottesville, appearing in line OF
battle in an open field, fronting a dense
wood. Our pickets retired before them
slowly, and our artillery opened a vigor-
Gus fire OF shell, which induced them in
q short time to manifest that peculiarly
which nature seems to have implanted
in the bosoms of the chivalry-a love OF
the sylvan-shades. Hearing the loud re-
port of our guns, l rode from headquur-
ters of the llth corps, where happened
to be at the time, to where the firing was
going on, and found Gen. Geary of the
I'd division of Slocum's command, stout
ly maintaining his position by an effect
i've use of artillery. With remarkable
rapidity, they commece1 shelling our
whole line, extending back to our rear
where Gen. Howard was stationed with
the 1lth corps The General was
making preparations for the fight Rifle
pits were beiug quickly dug in the fields
beck of head quarters, about three hun
dred yards from the road, and heavy
lines of sllirmisher lay upon their faces
waiting for the attack. The artillery
practice grew more lively each moLent,
and the explosion of shell midway be-
tween where l stood with the General
and staff and the wooden country about
halt a mile back, where their artillery
was posted, warned me, not unlike the
gentleman who went out to kill bear
that the tracks were getting rathe'
fresh. Shortly afterward an aid to Gen.
Slocum, Lieut.. Mosley, riding by, inform
ed me that the engagement was much
hotter above, and in company with him
l rode to the headquarters of the Gener
al which the enemy's shell had reached
striking an angle of the house. At this
point met portion of the Sd corps
Major-General Sickles, matching down
to support Howard. Surrounded by
their staffs were Gems. Slocum and Viii
liams, the Oldest Brigadierin the service
who seemed almost boiling over with
enthasiam to advance his line, bnt Gen
Slocum reminded him of the orders o.
their chief By this time the snn had
set, the pale twilight gathered round the
field, and the moon almost full, looked
down through the smoky atmosphere