The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-14

on Friday morning. May l, he began to
push forward his columns to gain the open
| country beyond the bounds of the Wilder
| ness. The two roads running from Chan
cellorsville to Fredericksburg (the plank
road on the right and the turnpike on the
left) unite near Tabernacle Church, about
midway between the former two places ;
and to the left Of the turnpike there runs
| Il river road leading along the Rappahan-
mock to Banks's Ford. On the latter road
two divisions of Meade's Corps were pushed
out, while on the turnpike Sykes's Divi
| and SlOcum's Corps was given the same
direction on the plankroad. This was
movement to take up line of battle about
two and half miles i'm front, preparatory
to a simultaneous advance along the whole
line, set down for o'clock in the after
noon. (1G) l shall trace briefly the ex-
perience of each column.
The left column, composed of the 1ivi-
| sions of Griffin and Humphreys, moved out
on the river road for five miles. and came
within sight of Bankss Ford, without en-
countering any opposition.
STRONG POSI- IN OBTAINED EASILY.
The center column, made up of the divi-
| sion of Sykes. supported by the division
of Hancock, advanced On the turnpike, and
| on gaining the first of a series of ridges
| that cross the roads between Chancellors
vile and Fredericksburg, somewhat over
| mile in advance of the former place, the
| mounted men in front were met and driven
| in by the enemy. This small force re-
most in the faces of the 11th Va, which
formed the enemy's advance. Thereupon.
Gen. Sykes moved forward in double-quick
| time, attacked the opposing force, and
drove it back till, at noon, he had gained
the position assigned hin.(17)
The column on the right. composed of
SlOcum's entire corps, pushed out on the
plankroad in the same general direction
with the two other columns. and gained a
point as far advanced as the others with
out meeting any opposition of moment.
POSITIONS VACATED.
The position secured by this movement
of Friday forenoon was ridge of some
elevation, perfectly commanding Chancel
lorsville, out of the Wilderness, and giving
the debouche into the open country in rear
of Fredericksburg. while the left column
| had practically uncovered Bankss Ford,
| thus shortening by II m;fes the comm,lni-
cation between the main force on the Chan
| cellOrsville line, and the two corps near
Fredericksburg under Sedgwick. That
position affording such advantages-a posi-
fiOn which Lee was then exerting all his
hazards, and the possession insured by
general advance of the whole force. was
what was naturally expected; yet. strange
to say, just at this moment the three col
umns received orders from the Command
ing General to withdraw back to Chan
| ocllorsville. With mingled amazement and
incrcdulity, this command was received by
the officers, who sent to beg Hooker to al
low the army to push on and hold the
front thus gained (1S) 1t was urged in
the warmest terms that the occupation of
that fine position would uncover Banks's
Ford, thus. as l have said giving easy
communication with Sedgwick; that it Sc
held, would instantly be seized to his great
disadvantage by his antagonist: that it
would take the army beyond the densely-
wooded region in which manuverng was
impossible, and that it would enable it to
command the open country on the poster
ior slope of the Fredericksburg nights soon
to be carried by Sedgwick. 1t was in vain
that these considerations, whose supreme
Importance must be apparent from mo-
ment's glance at the topography of the
region. were urged by his ablest advisers.
Hooker had assumed the defensive and
was waiting for the enemy to attack him
ION ground of his own selection" From
that moment he flung away the initiative
with all its mighty gains and far-reaching
hopes.
FATALLY INFELICITOCS MOVEMENTS.
1t is difficult to account for line of ac-
tiOn faulty in conjuncture of circum-
stances in which the fitting course was so
rnan:festly marked out. Having studied
the case at the time when spectator IF
| these events, l have returned to it's ex-
animation in the light of the whole body
of evidence since developed, and the riddle
remains still unsolved. Till he met the
enemy, Hooker showed master-grasp of
| the elements of war, hut the moment he
confronted his antagonist, he seemed to
suffer collapse of all his powers, and after
this his conduct, with the exception of one
or two momentary flashes of talent, was
marked by an incomprehensible feebleness
and fautiness for in each crisis, his ac-
fion was. not only bad-it was, with n fatal
infelicity, the worst that could have been
adopted: 1t is probable that Hooker never
expected that Lee would turn to meet him
on that line, but that, disconnected by the
suddenness and success of the primal
stroke, he would beat a hasty retreat south
ward toward Richmond. When, on the
| contrary. he found his antagonist making
a rapid change of front and hurrying for
ward to accept the gage ofibattle in the
Wilderness, the General whose first stride
| had been that of a giant, shrunk to the
proportions of dwarf.
CHOSE WORST POSITION.
The columns that had advanced SO hand
sOmely toward Fredericksburg returned to
| Charlottesville and haying shown that
| this was position relatively inferior to
| that which had been gained. it remains to
add that it was absolutely a bad position.
1t had been taken up by tined troops, to-
ward the close of the previous day, with
out any prospect of fighting q pitched bat
| tie upon it; it had several commanding
positions in it's front for the. enemy to oc-
16. Hooker's Circular Order, May /:
Report of the Conduct Of the War, second
series, vol. j, p. 124.