Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-21

Natur ally Gen Hooker was very much elated
| From Falmouth on the 30th he issued a bul
letin to the army, after the manner of Napo
leon. announcing that his preliminary opera
| tons had been "a complete success. and bold,
asserted that 1.-The enemy must either inglo
| rlously fly or come out and give battle on un
| favorable ground. where certain destruction
| awaited the unfortunate confederates.
| In continuation of the original plan on the
| LIST, toward noon, Gems. Slocum and Meade
were ordered to advance toward Fredericks-
burg for the purpose of uncovering Banks ford
and TO get into more open country. Sykes OF
| the fifth corps advanced along the pike; Meade
| with the other two divisions moved down along
| the river road. while Slocum with the twelfth
corps advanced along the plank road to the south
| of the pike. Gen Sykes soon became heavily en-
gagged with McLaws and Anderson, and failing
to connect with Slocum easily outfianked
on his right and maintained his ground with
difficulty. Meade advanced without opposition
TO near Banks ford. which he could have
seized. while on the right Slocum had a slight
engagement with some Of Jacksons forces.
Sykes battle lasted about an hour. Nothing
serious had happened. vet orders were received
from Hooker for all the troops to retire to their
original lines and to intrench. which was ac-
complished in good order, but leaving the
wounded.
About p. m. the enemy's line under Jackson
appeared in front of the Union right under
Slocum: there was a heavy artillery duel, but
n.
ment was made one day too late. for on the LIST
1t found Lee ready as we have seen; it is clear
that he ought to have advanced and uncovered
Banks ford on the day previous. before Lee
got up. But why his offensive should have
been discontinued, once started, even as late as
the LIST is inconceivable, especially in view of
the fact that the troops had already secured
strong and commanding positions. The order
TO retire under the circumstances was extra
ordinary as to excite the surprise of all the
general officers.
THE SECOND OF MAY
On the I'd of May Hooker's army occupied a
line running from the1Rappahannock on the
left across the pike and|plaok roads in front OF
charlottesville; from this point it bowed
around westwardly, well out south from the
plank road, until its right again intersected
that road about two miles west Of Cnancellors-
vile, at Dowdall's Tavern, and extending along
that road a mile further TO the west. On the
left were Meade and Couch, facing southeas,
and east; then came Slocum, facing east and
south; then part of Sickles, looking to the
south along the bulge in the line, while How
ard, with the eleventh corps, held about Dowd-
alrs, facing south and west The lines were
generally intrenched, in the very heart Of an
| immense jungle of dense brushwood known al
| the Wilderness.
On Friday night Lee and Jackson matured q
plan by which the latter should strike the
| right flank and rear OF the federals. Having
abandoned the offensive, Hooker mainly re-
NAMED quiet in his lines throughout the I'd
awaiting for Lees initiative. jackson began
his flank march at daylight, making a wide de.
tour with his columns on old byroads, gener.
ally out of sight Of the federals, to the south oil
Charlottesville. But about o'clock q steady
movement of confederates toward the ives,
was discovered in front Of Sickles, who pro-
| ceeded to attack them. He succeeded in driv.
ing them of the road, and captured regiment
This happened near the furnace, but the mair
body had already passed, and jackson, intent
on one object, paid but little attention to Sick
les, whose movement was altogether too late
| The latter continued his demonstrations toward
the south until he was recalled by the crisis
caused by Jsckson's attack from an entirely
different quarter.
| Following the Furnace road Jackson ener-
getically pushed on into another one leading
north across the Orange plank and turnpike
roads. Turning square to the right when he
reached the pike, BY p. m he was deployed
across that road and advancing in line Of battle
| directly on the rear of the federal army When
the mysterious confederate movement to the
right was discovered IL was supposed that they
were either retreating or purposing Q hank
attack. Hooker had sent Howard warning Of
danger from up the pike and plank roads, but
No special attsntioD'asms 70 have been paid q