The National tribune., 1908-05-14

Meade holding that the enemy would
not permit withdrawal. and Gen. How
ard voting to remain and try to give
battle, that an opportunity might be
given for ,redeeming the mishaps in
the previous fighting; but all substan-
| tally agreeing that a retrograde move
ment should be made If it could be
safely efected. The order was accord
| lngly issued on the morning of the 5th
| to make preparations to withdraw As
precautionary measure Gen. Warren
and Capt. comstock were directed to
lay out new and contracted line COW
ering the Approaches to the bridges
and new and direct roads were opened
from the position of the different corps
to the ford. "A continuous cover and
abatis was constructed says Gen. War
rem, from the Rappahannock. at Scott's
| Dam, around to the mouth of Hunting
Kun, or the Rapidan. distance of three
miles. The roads were also put in or
der and a third bridge laid But no
troops occupied this new line, except
the rear guard, which was not until
daylight of the 9Th. when the passage
OF the river was nearly completed"
The Comte de Pnris's View.
The Comte de Paris gives this result
OF his study of the situation of Hooker
| and his army:
From the time that 1t had fallen
back upon the works of the Bullock
| clearing until evening this army had
| remained inactive in the positions it
| had chosen. The divisions that had
Just been in action were enjoying a we'll
merfted rest; the others were wonder
ing at the inaction to which they were
doomed. This astonishment increased
when, toward evening. Sedgwick's can
| non We're heard laundering in the dis
tance; and when night came without
any order having been issued everyone
| understood that the blow which had
prostrated Hooker had paralyzed the
whole army This night was passed in
a state of immob:lity by the combatants
of both parties. When daylight ap-
peared on Monday, May 4, it found
them almost everywhere fronting and
mutually watching each other, but both
hesitating alike to assume the offensive
During the night Hooker had been fully
informed of the situation of the Sixth
Corps by Warren, who had left it after
the battle of Salem Church. The latter.
whilst proceeding in the direction of
Banks's Ford, had found little further
down. at Scott's Ford. the two pontoon
bridges erected by Gen. Benham and
the Engineer Brigade, with "a pieces
or ordnance placed in a prominent po-
sition along the left bank, so as 10 COM
mand the ford, If at this moment
Hooker had been in possession of all
his faculties he would no doubt have
conceived and executed the simple and
effective movement which he does not
appear to have thought of until after
the campaign, when he had recovered
from his wound. AS we have already
stated, he could have sent a portion of
his army to the aid of Sedgwick by way
of the bridges thus affording him the
means FOR delivering decisive battle
on the 4th In an open country, while
the rest of the Federal troops. occupy
/ing strong positions. would have suf-
feed to retain an important fraction of
Lees forces around Charlottesville In
stead of a promise of reinforcements or
cooperation, instead of positive instruc-
tions regarding the role he was about
TO fle calledhupon to play, Sedgwick only
received a dispatch from Warren in
forming him that Hooker was waiting
rors the attack ofJthe enemy in his po-
sitions. and directing him not to assume
the Offensive BY a singular eontfadicl
ton the General-fu-Chief, while recon-
mending him. on the one hand. to pre-
serve his ocomm dnications with both
Banks's Ford and Fredericksburg, ad-
mitted, oniithe other hand the prob
ability OF bis recrossing the river; and
being at TOD great distance, as he has
SAID, to give any precise instructions to
his lieutenant, fhs authorized him to
provide for the safety cf the Sixth Corps
as he thought hest. Later, on the morn
ing of the 4th, Hooker sent him several
other dispatches, which simply entoined
him to maintain himself rs long as pos |
sible on the right bank above the |
bridges of Banks's Ford, intimating the |
possibility of an attack by the main |
army upon Chancellor lille on the fol- |
lowing day. the 5th. = or the messages
did not reach thei- destination until
after unheard-of dels*e in consequence
of singular neglec' in the telegraph |
service, Warrens f''Spatch, which a |
mounted courier { u1d easily flavel
brought in t. 90 Fcurs, was not less
than eight o. lie hours on the road. |
and. all thos az were exchanged be- |
tween Hoe and Sedgwick encoun-
tered the fate. These delays in
creased ST. further tn uncertainty
which for the last three days had per-
vaded all the movements of the Fed
erals"
The Arm, Retreats. |
Col. Bates gives this description of !
the retirement of the army to the north |
side of the Rappahannock:
1T was not until "a hours after the
decision had been made to recross that
the movement was fairly inaugurated, |
and nearly the same time had elapsed |
since Sedgwick had commenced to re-
cross at Banks's Ford The whole day
OF the 5th, from dawn to darkness, had
been given the rebel army to concen-
trate and attack Gen. Hooker, had its
commander been SO disposed. The forcci
which had been confronting Sedgwick
could easily have come up in two or
three hours, and Is minutes ride
would have brought Gen. Lee to Gen.
Hooker's front
"At 1880 p. m. on the 5th the Union
army began to recross the river. Scarce
ly had the artillery commenced to novel
when a sudden risc in the river, from
the storm which had for several hours
since 4;30, been prevailing, interruptedl
the passage, the ends of the bridges on
the north bank being submerged, and
the strength of the current threatening
to sweep all away. 1t was indeed a
fearful night the rushing of the wa
ters, the pitchy darkness and the cease
less descent of the rain combining to
make it a dreary march, But Capt.
Comstock was equal to the emergency,
and taking up his upper bridge and
using it to piece out his other two, he
finally had them passable, and the re-
tirement was resumed. Gen. Meade, who
was charged with covering the move
ment. brought his rear guard into the
new line at a little after daylight, and
by in the morning of the 9th the last
of the army was across without the loss
Of men or material or the firing of a
gun, the enemy refusing TO follow or to
attempt the interruption of the progress.
the life Of the Army of the Potomac"