The National tribune., 1884-05-22
ZEN. 0. 0. H0FAPD'S "REMINISCENCES.
from LIST pGge.l

BROOKS DIVISION, aldea Dy q battery. DclG
strong brid head below Fredericksburg and
keeps the why open for his corps. The prelimi-
Barics 70 all This work-Hunt planting the
helpful artillery and Benbam bringing up his
bridges. and the concentration of the troops
were thoroughly provided for and executed
with secrecy aud dispatch; yet General Lees
waschtEl assistants soon let him know what
was going forward. He got ready for posi-
bic attack, bat when "Wednesday passed away
and then Thursday with no further effort on
Sedgwiclls part beyond the preparations
which have named, Lee rightly concluded
that Rockers main attack was not TO be under
taken al that point. The right wing, which
ct the time most concerned me in these
movements, was to be constituted from the
18th, 18th and 9th corps
HOWARD BREAKS CAMP.
Monday morning at 5:3e, April %, my com
maud ie.t It's camp near Brookes station, on
the AcQuia Creek kaiirnad, and took the most
direct road by way Of HARDWOOD Church to-
ward Kcliy's Ford We made a fair march
gfoarteen niles the first day, and went into
camp little beyond that church. Everything
was thcn in good order the men IN tGe health
6nd spirits glad OF any change which relieved
the monOtony and tedium Of their winter
down the trains to the smallest number for
ammunition and forage only. ] found that on
this march several of my subordinate COM
manGcTs had been very careless In not carry
ing CUT these instructions 10 the letter. Gen
era Hooker and his staff passed my trains
during the march. and he WAS considerably
vexei that nay 0.umn had so many wagons.
BE c0ntEasted, untayoEabiy to Us, the 18th with
the 5th corps. aud said to NE: General Meade
hiss done better than you" OF course, i had
issued the orders al right, bat field officers
would here and there slip in an extra wagon
till there were many; for where were they TO
get their meals ii ration wagons were all left
behind This l quickly corrected, but it was
my first modification IL this Inflated campaign.
Some OF the American officers were as careless
Is some Of the foreign in the matter of orders
glorious in eye-seryice, bat constituencies when
out Of sight. Our main trains were parked not
far from Banks Ford. Ny corps was followed
by Slocum's and mis- By Meade's.
The next day TUESDAY we were on the road
by a. m, and accomplished our march 10 the
neighborhood Of Kelly's Ford by in the after
moon; trains as well as troops were closed up
and al encamped by that early hour
j had hastcned on ahead of my command 10
visit General Hooker. who had transferred his
headquarters to Morrisville a hamlet some five
OF six miles north of Kelly's Ford. Here he
received me pleasantly, gave specific instruc-
OF attack. After this interview / returned to
my troops and began to execute nay part. Cap
tain ComstOck, Of the engineers who had
graduated from West Point In the class follow
ing mine, was on hand TO lay bridge, for this
ford was too deep for practical use. By 6 o'clock
D. N. the bridge was commenced The bridge
layers were detailed mainly from nv corps.
They were on hand. Four hundred of Bush
beck's brigade seized the boats, which they put
together. put them into the stream, and pushed
for the south bank The enemy's pickets
stopped to fire one wild v0liey and then fed.
There was then quick work. The bridge was
done before 10 O'Clock and the crossing well COW
cred by picket-posts fer out. Immediately /
broke camp and took my command over the
bridge. Col. kellogg, with the 18th Pennsylva-
nia cavalry, reported to me for temporary duty.
With his force we extended our oUt-pOsts
and patr0lied the country around our new biv-
ouac, but owing 10 the ignorance of our guides
Of the character Of the country and TO the
pitchv darkness. the troops were not in posi-
fion till nearly daylight Still as SlOcum was
now 10 lead the column. we had time for
short rest before resuming the march. Soon
after getting upon the road 20 Germania Ford
we could hear firing on Slocum's front, and be-
fore long shells began to burst over our heads
and uncomfortably near to the marching men.
Colonel kellogg made some attempts to stop
this: but as there were with the hcstiles two
difficult a task. Just then brigade of Stone
mans corps-prohably one Of AverelI's-swept
E8ong southwark IN that neighborhOod and rid
rs Ct the annoyance without causing delay.
CROSSING THE RAPIDAS.
General Siccum had cleared the Rapidan, so
that by il al night Of this day "Wednesday,
22th Of April my command began TO cross that
river. Slocum had here no bridge at first, but
cozld not wait for one. Part OF his men. sup
porting each other and cheering, waded the
current from shore TO shore. The Comte de
Paris must have been on the spot or with
Meade at Ely's Ford, for he gives striking
picture Of this operation. After showing how
the eBcuys pickets were surprised and taken
by Plcas0uton, he says: WAYS rapidly con-
structed gave the pieces and the wagons
al easy access to the ford, and the crossing
continued without interruption during the
whole night Ivy The blaze OF fires kindie along
both banks, whose iurid fans agitated by the
wind. threw vivid light, now the fantas-
t3caily-earred shadows of the tali trees which
crowned the bank, and then oFer the numerous
Pcrsonages forming t!iis srrang &c and picturesque
scene The Old bridge. however, was soon re-
paired and ! used il. b I Ia the morning of
Thursday my men were again in camp except
those with the train, including its guard.
On this day Thursday We q d not delay for
rest. but marched al Z O'Clock following SIo-
cum coming up abreast Of his corps near Dow
daiis Tavern. As soon as nay head OF column
came 70 this place small opening IN the VIII
cerness within which are a few houses and
chugch-it was halted. aud ] rode over TO the
Chancellor house, OF Charlottesville. Mcade's
command was already there. Here I met Gen
cral Siocum, who was 10 give me instructions
Bis orders were 10 occupy the right, by Dow
dalfs Tavern, resting my extreme right flank
Al mill marked as on Hunting Creek, or
tributary. he promised me to cover the whole
ground from Charlottesville 70 Dowdall's Tav-
ern. ] went back al once, and In person recon
noitered the right. riding through the woods
and small glade-like openings. could find no
mil IN that neighborhOod, bat / posted the
command as directed. drawing hack ray right
scross the pike, and having considerable re-
serve. ! hsd hardly got into position before
found tbree-o quarters Of a mile more Of space
between ne and Siocnm's nearest division. and
] was obliged, 70 my sorrow, 70 use up most Of
r1E reserve 10 I'll this vacancy. at this time,
though thcre was an interval on my right still
PleasOntOn's cavalry, with some artillery re-
manned at the place where the Ely-lord road
crosses Hunting Creek, and / sent him two
companies Of infantry Tor support; this, with
such cavalry pickets as PleasontOB would nat.
uraily throw out On ali the roads which led 10
him, afforded me q good outpost of warning
20 my right rear. But there was no cavalry
placed on the Orange plank road, nor on tlle
cid turnpike, which near DOwdall's Tavern
passes Of 20 the north Of west making a.
acute angle with the plank road.
TEE SITUATION THURSDAY EVENING.