The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-05-25
REVIEW OF THE LATE CAMPAIGN On THE
RAPplHaNh0CK.
General Hooker's Operations at Shance Ilors-
Vile and Fred.ricksburg-.Strans
Course or the Command.
Ing General

hho OShSsui
The following remarkable letter. which af.
fords positive information with reference IN
the movements Of Hooker in the battles st
Charlottesville and Fredericksburg, appeared
in the New York World, Of the 18th II will
be observed that the writer asserts it az a fact
that Hooker had exact information Of the
strength Of cur forces, giving the location and
elective strength Of every eeiment The
letter proceeds:
By his administration of army matters since
he took command, General Hooker had &C
qnlred its confidence in him. No one, there
fore, doubted our success in the movement
about to take place, and there never was {.
time when the Army Of the Potomac was in
more elective condition. On the 2S:h OF April
General Hooker had nothing left 10 DESIRE he
had men enough aud means enough; he was
sustained to the fullest extent at Washington,
aud had the hetrtiest support of the army
Information obtained know not how, bat
which General Hooker and General Butter
field insisted was reliable beyond question:
furnished the exact strength of the rebel army
opposite, giving the location and effective
strength of every regiment This infUrma-
ton was furnished corps commanders
They We're assured that it was obtained from
sources and by nleans entirely reliable. Ac-
cOrdiEg TO this information the total strength
of the toIcs on the other side Was ~ 800 men,
composed OF Jaeksons corps 30 100 and two
divisions of Lopgstreets. numbering H,70O
men. This force was distributed along the
Rappahannock, from Port Royal to United
States Ford the bulk of it, however was be-
low Fredericksburg. General Hooker's plan
was TO eros3 with the principal part Of his
army at kelly's Ford and United States
Ford, to move down upon the left of
the enemy, force him to give battle out
side OF his entrenchmsnts, or else fall back
rapidly on Richmond In either event the left
wing of Hooker's force, consisting at !irst of
three corps, First, Third, and Sixth. under
Sedg wick, was to cross below fredericksburg
and vigorously pursue down the bowling Green
road and the Telegraph road, capturing, de-
stroying, &c, &c.
The main purpose, however, to be accom-
pshed on the left, was to retain as large a
force as possible in front of Sedewick. If
this purpose failed, aud they detached any con-
siderable number of troops, al attack was to
be male TO obtain possession Of their works
aud of the Telegraph road, cutting Oft their
retreat from in front of Hooker.
Ca the morning of the 9th Ssdgwick effected
a crossing, sending one division of the oh
corps across two miles below Fredericksburg
and one division of the lst corps across about
Que mile further down Ga the following day
the "a corps tSekles was detached from his
command and ordered to Join Gen. Hooker
near Charlottesville, crossing at United
States Ford. The enemy still continued in
front of 0ur left IN suifieen. force to hold his
works there and render au attack uuadyisaiie
bat at the sama time troops were moving al
most constantly from the direction of Rich
mond *uj passing towards our right. The
General commanding, haaiyg been informed
that these troops wele doubtless reinforcements
from Richmond IepIi-d by telegraph that he
hoped they weie, ss the greater would be our
SUGGEST Up 10 the "a of May matters on the
left remained unchanged. On that day the lst
corps tEeynOlds'e e) Was ordered TO march at once
and Join Gen. Hooker 1T Chaucellorsvilie -
There had been no general battle GU the right.
1t eeenlE that Hooker tork k position near Chan
celorsviile; the enemy fell HI; line on Saturday
and finally attacked Howard, who commanded
Siegeis corps on the extreme right. Il panic
among the Dutchmen WAS the result The
stampede was checked, some Of the guns cap
tured from Howard were recovered, ind the
line established before night. In the even
ing of May u Sedg gwlck wag ordered, first, to
cross his entire corps and capture Fredericas
burg and everything N /; ; second to pursue
the enemy by the Bowling Green road with
his entire force. Hooker then stated that the
enemy was flying, endeavoring to save his
tr.ains A third, received at II O'Clock ths.
=
and march ont on the plankr0ad toward Chan
c-llorsville until he connected with the right
under Hooker, to destroy any force he might
meet upon the road, end to be in the vicinity
Of the maniing General by dayl ight the
following morning.
In the execution OF the two first he had
already crossed 10 the Fredericksburg side
lie accordingly moved at once Oh the bowling
Green road and entered the town shortly be-
fore daylight, having skirmisLei the entire
way.
lie found the works on the heights in rear
OF the city strongly occupied, bat carried them
spienddly by assault losing one thousand men
before it WAS accomplished lie then pushed
un as directed, the enemy making what resist,
ance lie could at every favorable point. In
the afternoon he came upon the enemy, rein
forced by Wilcox's brig gade from Banks's
ford, and MeLaWss division from the rebel
main body, strongly posted Oh commanding
ground near Salem Chapel, about half way to
Chanceiorsvi!e. He attacked at once and
continued the attack until dark, but failed to
disloige the enemy In front OF him. Daring
the cav, May 3, Gen. Hooker had one corps
and only one, engaged for short tins in the
morning; bat duriLg the rest of the day lie did
nothing. Sedgwick's guns were laundering
in his ears, the very rattle of tho musketry
reached hu; he knew that Sedgwick was
coming to his relief, that the enemy were send
ing heavy rcinfOfceAG0t4 from lllS lfOnt 10 re-
sst Ssdgwick' 9 advance, yet he never fired Il
gun to encourage him, although on The night
Of the 81 Sunday Sedgwick was within five
miles Of his lines. From 10 clock on Sun
Say until wa recrossed the river he remained
in his entertainments idle. On Monday morn
ing a force of the enemy from below Freder-
icksburg reoccupisd the heights, cutting oil
Ssdgwicks communications with the town
and threatening his flank and rear. The force
Satgwick had failed to dialodgs the day before
was still in position at Salem Chapel.
lie formed line of battle to tie trout and
rear and repulsed an attack from the direction
of Fredericksburg, intended to cut him Oil
fom Banks's ford, which was now his cnly
line of retreat. Hooker sent word that he
had contracted lis lines and muS safe he hoped
the enemy would attack him; that Sedgwick
must not attack, but must look to the safety Of
his corps, falling back upon fredericksburg OF
recrossing the river at Banks's ford. Sedg
wick remained all day in his position fighting
more OF less, his line forming three sides OF a
square, or nearly SO, his extreme left resting
Oh the river about midway between Banks's
ford aud Fredericksburg. Reinforcements
were constantly coming to the enemv from
Uooker's front, and in the afternoon Lee ar
rived in person. A desperate attack was i'm
mediately made upon the left of Ssdgwick' 8
l;ge by McLaw ws's, Anderson's 3, and Early di
visions in echelon of battalions and in column.
Tl,;. .,aonlt 1ua of the most formidable and