The National tribune., 1908-05-14

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l received a sharp message from Hook
er to order the recrossing of the army
as he had directed. and everything was
safely transferred to the north bank of
the Rappahannock.
sin looking for the causes of the loss
of Charlottesville, the primary ones
were that Hooker expected Lee to fall
back without risking battle. Finding
himself mistaken, he assumed the de-
came demoraliZed by the superior tao
teal boldness of the enemy"
SedgwicI's Brilliant Defense.
While Hooker was lying inert all day
Monday, Gen. Sedgwick and his men
passed the day in the greatest anxiety.
Sedgwicks losses in the fight had been
severe, reaching to the neighborhood
of 5000 men, which left him less than
$4,000 to hold a line five or six miles
in length and to confront the whole of
Lees army. The position was not nat
urally strong, and the lightness of the
line made it dangerously easy for the
enemy to break thru at some point on
its great length. The weather was in
tensely hot, but the men, weary as they
were from days of marching and fight
ing, exerted themselves in fortifying as
best they could. There was almost
desperation in this, since it was under
stood that Hooker had left the corps to
its fate. and would do nothing to assist
it. Sedgwick,s line was in the shape of
O horseshoe, with its flanks resting on
the river and covering the bridges which
had been laid at Banks's Ford. HOwe's
Division faced east toward Fredericks-
burg, with his left stretched out to the
it was felt should be held at all hazards,
not only to protect the crossing at
Banks's Ford. but to be a point of van
tage should Hooker decide to transfer
his army thither and renew his advance
upon Fredericksburg. In front of
Howe's Division was Early, who had
recovered Marye's Hights and advanced
wick from the river. Newton's Divi-
sion, with Russells Brigade, faced to
the westward. and confronted McLaws's
Division across Colin Run. Brooks's
two other brigades, those of Bartlett
and Torbert, faced to the south, where
they opposed Anderson's Division. Thus
the entire line was unduly long and
dangerously thin. Its greatest advan
tage was that 1t was generally on high
SfouIiu, Will Optu III iioHly WHICH
compelled the enemy to make a very
much longer line of development and
greatly retarded his preparations for at
tack. In spite of Lees urgency, the
whole day was spent before he could
get his men into position for the as
sault. The COnfederates had their con-
tretemps as well as we. and Lee was
still further embarrassed by two of
Early's Rrigades firing into one another
n nd q nnnfrtCinr
before the mistake could be found and
rectified
Among other preparations made by
the Confederates were bringing up guns
to fire upon Bankss Ford and marking
the ranges for them so that they could
kee pup the fire during the night. A
good deal of skirmishing went on dur
ing the day, while Lee was arranging
his troops and ours were busy fortify-I
ing. and Early made one serious as
sault in an attempt to turn Howe's left
and cut off Sedgwick from the river.
Howe had received timely notice ofI
this, and carefully reconnoitered thel
ground in his front, making adequate
to meet the attack. He
threw out one line, composed of Gen.
NeilPs Brigade, strengthened by two
regiments from Grants Vermont Bri-
gade, to hold the reserve in hiding be-
hind the tall weeds. About o'clock
Early advanced with a strong line ofl
battle directed against Howe's left and
center, but it encountered such a ter
rible fire that it was broken, and at an |
opportune time Howe advanced his 1
right, taking large number of prison.
ers, among them 81 officers and nearly |
all of the men of the Sth La. He then
to a still stronger line in the |
rear with Buffers Artillery, and the
rest of the Vermont Brigade Joined him. |
The enemy renewed the attack, but was
again struck in flank by the splendid |
Vermonters, aided by the fire of the |
and retreated in considerable |
disorder Darkness came on, but soon
a bright moon arose, and Howe claims |
that not an enemy could be seen be-
tween him and the nights of Fredericks- |
burg. What had contributed much to
this result was the admirable handling |
of Howe's artillery, in charge of Maj. |
J. Watts de Peyster. He had planted
one of his batteries considerably in ad- |
vance of the main line, with several reg
iments in ambush, and when Hayss and |
Hoke's Brigades made rush to capture |
it the regiments rose up and delivered
a withering fire directly in the face of
the enemy, which sent them back pre-
cipitately.
The Last Attack Fails.
Geh. Lee nau Planned TOT general
attack at o'clock, with three guns to
be the signal and the main blow to be
delivered in the center against the bri-
yades of Bartlett and Torbert. By this
he hoped to separate the two wings of
the corps and throw them off in differ
ent directions, and by a rapid dash to-
ward Banks's Ford capture the corps
IN a body. The attack was not made
with the spirit that had characterized
the earlier assaults. Lees men were
worn out by the days of continual fight
ng, and TOrbert and Bartlett, with the
lid of the artillery, easily repulsed the
assault, not needing the help of Whea-
on's Brigade, which Sedgwick hurried
Up to their assistance. The attack end
I'd as darkness came on. Sedgwick then
directed Newton, who had high stand
ng as an engineer, to select a shorter
inc in the rear upon which to with
iraw the troops The retirement was
made in excellent order, with Gen. d.
\. Russell covering the retreat The