The National tribune., 1909-01-07
DIsTRIBUTIoN oF THE FORCES SOUTH OF THE RAPIpAN
sc<tE ofhLE5:

told him how bitterly the tragedy Of
Balls BlrH had been avenged.
The painful intelligence Of the Union
success at both crossings soon reached
Lee, and he comprehended its inpor
tance. The Federal army WIS new en-
the same side OF the river with him,
and he must either fight in tie morning
or retreat before daylight. He decided
promptly, and liCile after midnight lie
began a general retreat, lea eng Early
until 3 o'clock in The morning to watch
the Yankee advance. Lee had to ..asten
TO put the Rapi<isi once riore between
him and his enemy to prevent Meade
from thrusting French Ia between Iiili
and EweB. II Meade h:l pushed
French forward 10 Culpeper, IIilI would
have been cut off, and the kr:t.y If the
Potomac could have struck It's enemy in
detail.
Ewelrs Corps marched off promptly
thru Stevensburg to a strong position
on Pony Mountain, where Hill Joined
him by maren thru Culp PR. Meade
did not act as promptly az he nnie ht
have, because he cou.d not convince
himself Of his opportunity. and thai he
had Lee al his mercy. u sccfatd to lin
that Lee WAS certainly preparing for q
countersfroke against which he must
guard. He reached the Eappahanuock
Bridge before daybreak, and fully in
formed himself as 10 what had hap
pened there. He ordered french to
join him al the bridge, but as the heavy
fog obscured the movements French did
not reach tie bridge lntl past noon.
He had seen only Earlyss rear guard
marching thru CGipeper. yhe pontoons
Were brought s.p To HappahanrocK Sta
ton, and seon Sedgwick's two corps
were across, but by this dime the short
November Ga; WIS drawing 20 close.
Meade advanced as far AS Erandy Sta
tion, and. thinking that Lee was by this
time across the RapidaD, he hailed On
til the railroad could be restored and
the bridge rebuilt, so that his supplies
could come forward. Again Col. Me-
CaDum's splendid railroad corps Showed
MP brilliantly with the reconstruction of
the great bridge in eight days, after
which four days We're spent in distrib-
uting the supplies which were brought
up.
Like Furnishes long halt before
Fredericksburg. this fortnight of delay
nullffied heade's anticipations of a swift
rush across the Rapidan 10 Chancellors-
willie and Salem Church, catching Lee
unawares aad badly outfianking him
He had no one but himself. however, &c
blame for this miscarriage, since his
plans had worked out perfectly up to
the night of NoN Z, when he was in
position TO destroy. or at least badly
cripple. Lees array IL he had continued
his advance instead of ordering halt
Mcade's New Plan.
While Meade was getting up supplies
and distributing them, he improved the
time in gathering in accurate informa-
ton as 10 his eEemy's new position and
the disposition of his forces. Lee was
now behind ihc Rapidan, that stream
of fateful Importance 10 the Army of
the Potomac. The Rapidan rapidly in
creases In size from small brook near
the Blue Ridge 10 a considerable creek.
Wits generally steep, rugged banks. at
Liberty Mills. This increase comes most
J. fT.sl SobeYtsca's River. which en-
1ers II ese R;pflan Station, where IT
-s,a by, Tie Orange & Alexandria
Railread.
-ydEisy On the south or right