The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-04-14
ERO AMONG HEROES.
tLH JACKSON AT THE BAT
=. or CuANCELLORSYILLE.

tenant OF our Sivl "ar.' |
The fourth lecture of Il series on the
civil war at the Lowell Institute, Bos-
ton, was delivered some time ago by
Col. Theodore a. Dodge. one of the best
known men in Boston military circles.
He served constantly IN the Army OF
the Potomac Gin every volunteer reg
mental rank up to that Of colonel),
from the Peninsula, where he was
with Kearney, through Pope's and
Burnside's campaigns, and at Cham
cellorsvillc and Gettysburg.
The subject of Col. Dodge's lecture
was "Chancellorsville," and particu-
larly the great flank movement Of
Stonewall jackson which turned the
tide of war on the memorable second
of May, 1862.
Col. Dodge related in detail the
movements of the Army of the Poto-
mac which led to their assuming posi-
ton at charlottesville, and gives the
position OF the two armies when they
confronted each other on the day OF
the great battle between Lee and
Hooker. Col. Dodge says:
The ARM of the Potomac on Fri
NuN llSlJ lLl itttNtICu III lhC SlhDp"
raj around Charlottesville, instead of
occupy, as they might, Il well defined
position OH the open ground in front
Banks Ford. Gradually during the
night the several corps drittcd, weary
and dishearteued at This unexplained
check in the midst of success, into the
position which they had taken up after
crossing the river, without any idea of
fighting there. The line was thus Il
huphazard one, on the worst cOncciva-
bic ground, where cavalry was useless,
artillery confined to the roads or to u
few open spaces, and infantry hidden
or paralyzed.
During this night, while the Army
of Northern Virginia was moving into
position in front of its gigantic, but
apparently uunervcd enemy, Lee
and Jackson developed s. plan for an
attack upon our right, which, though
posted on high ground, was really in
the air. Lee may have originated the
plan, but it bears u distinctly Jack
sonian flavor; and, surely, without
such a lieutenant 10 execute it,, Lee
would never have dreamed OF making
such Il risky move. The plan gave
Jackson ABOUT $4,000 men with which
to undertake n march around our
right flank &c u position where he
might cut us Off from United States
Ford. 1t was ullrahaZardou-, for it
separated a small army in the presence
of Il large one 1t was iustiliablc only
on the ground that loo. or evidently
meant to retain the defensive; that the
movement would be screened from his
eye by the woods; that there seemed
no more available plan, that some i'm.
mediate action was demanded. Had
~ fnilnI II ,unrlf huyn fnnt Tho nnr,.
sure Of every soldier. No maxim OF
tactics apples TO it SO well AS the
provcrb, "Nuthing venture, nothing
gain"
Although JacksOn's corps had beer
on foot and partially engaged for some
thirty hours, Inc men set out on thi.
new march with cheerful alacrity.
They could always follow "Old jack
with their eyes shut. Stuart's cavalry
masked the advance. Jackson did no
know that his column would have t.
pass some open ground in full view q
our line at Dowdalls until too late tC
nave it follow a better concealed route
Early Saturday morning the move
ment was discovered by the Sd corps
and a reconnaissance was pushed GU
to cmbarrass its advance. After som,
trouble and II slight and osuc
CCSSlll u'IaChY bCy aSCCl lulllCN
and reported that jackson wa
moving over to IL right. The con
clusion which Hooker drew from thi
fact was apparently that Lee vas re
treating. jackson meanwhile keepin,
Sicklcs busy with Il small rear guard
advanced along the Brock road until
toward afternoon, he was abreast ali
in the rear OF our right flank. Will
he was thus amassing his men to tax
the Army of tie Potomac in reverse
Hooker continued to authorize Sickle
to dcplete The threatened wing b
sending q large part of its availabi
strength (Bnrlow, Biruey, Whippl
and Geary i'll part-some $4,000 men
out in the woods in he hope of cat
turing the force which had long AZ
cludcd his grasp and was ready TO ia
upon our rear. %Ilookers's right fan
OF barely 10000 men was completed
isolated. And yet, though scout'
pickets and an actual attack {
$50 p. IN. proved beyond peradvcl
Hooker allowed this flank to be hcl
by an untried corps composed of til
most heterogeneous and untrustwol
thy elements i'm the Army of the Pott
mac.
This march Of JacksOn's might G
first blush have been construed b
Hooker TO be either a retreat {
strategic march by Lee TO new groun
or to be q threatened flank attacl
Either would havc been accompanie
by the same tacticai symptoms whic
now appeared. 1.-THE former, tIookt
mad his option TO attack at all earl
or late period, more OF less vigorously
as might appear best to him. Hookt
aftcrward claimed that he believed j
the flank attack. But the testimony
his dispatches at the time finds hiI
riding both horses, and he acted q
the retreat theory. At 6:30 a. m.
had notified Slucum and Howard
look out and prepare tor a flank attac
and TO post heavy reserves to me,