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

False as was the situation in which the
Union commander had placed his force in
causing it to assume a defensive attitude
at moment when offensive action prom
Used SO much, Lee was, nevertheless, en-
yirOned with peril. Strategically Hookcr's
position was a menacing one tactically, it
was unassailable by a front attack In
this dilemma Lee determined on a move
which, considering the inferiority of his
force, must be accounted astonishingly bold
He resolved by flank march to assail
Hooker's right and rear, with view Of
doubling up that flank, taking his line in
reverse, and Selling his communications
with United States Ford.
JAcKsoN's SUGGESTION AvAILED.
This suggestion was, it is said, made to
Lee In council during Friday night by
Stonewall Jackson, who having, in his in
dependent operations in the Valley, prac-
ticed with great success the like manuver
now burned to execute, OH grander scale
one Of these sudden and mortal blows. The
plan, though full of risk was Immediately
adopted by Lee, and. as a matter of course,
its execution committed to his daring lieu
tenant, who was destined, in the climax of
his power, to end his career in the world
and the worlds wars in this supreme ex-
hibition of military genius.
The force with which Jackson was to
make this movement consisted of his own
three divisions, numbering about $4,000
men. Of the Confederate force OH the
Chancellorsville line there then remained
only the two divisions of McLaws and An
derson. These Lee retained in hand to
hold Hooker in check.
TIE JACKSON PLAN IN DETAIL.
No man knew better than Jackson the
enormous Importance Of secrecy in the ex-
ecution of such a design as that he took
in hand on Saturday morning; and he had
often repeated to his staff saying, that
was to him fundamental axiom Of war
Mystery, mystery is the secret Of sue
cess" Nothing was omitted to secure this
indispensable requisite in the task he had
undertaken. HOOker's attention was to be
engaged and the movement masked by en-
ergetic demonstrations of front attack to
be made by Lee. Then, as the woods were
thick and nearly impenetrable, Jackson
hoped that. by taking a road some distance
to the south of Charlottesville, he would
be able to pass unobserved: yet he took
Brigade OF Cavalry on the right of his col
umn to screen his perilous flank march
across the whole of Hooker's front. Di-
verging westward from the Fredericksburg
plankroad,. jackson pursued his march by
forest path . couple of miles south Of,
and parallel with, the Orange plankroad,
on which the Union force was planted:
and, after passing the point known as the
Furnace" ,iStnlck somewhat south by
west into the Broad road. and thence
northward to seize the Orange plankroad
and turn Hoakeris right flank.
MOVEMENT DIscovERED; THOUGHT TO BE
ali = RETREAT.
This movement, skillfully masked as it
was, was not made with such secrecy but
that those who, held the front Of the Union
line saw that something was going on.
And more especially, in passing over a
hill near the Furnace" the column plain
ly disclosed itself to Gen. Sickles, who held
a position within sight of that point. Now,
it happened that the road along which
Jackson's column was filing there bends
somewhat southwark, SO that, though the
movement was discovered, it was misinter-
preted as a retreat toward Richmond on
the part of Lee; or, il the idea suggested
itself that it might be 4 movement to turn
the right, it was still judged, on the whole,
to be a retreat. With the view Of deter