The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-13


Of Hazel Grove. instead oi TO- as~srd's
right. To Keep watch aud ward In that
quarter Al the same hour Hooker or-
d.r-d Howard to Diet ach u brig gale IN SIP
l'urt Sick,r-. which -howa conci,isiveiy
tha' all ho,igh the day Was thres-quarter s
gone Hooker had a. yea M conception OF
he real situation.
ho~ard's dispositions at that time were
briefly ~ follows: His headquarters were
NJ Dowdall's tavern at the junction OF the
Turnpike and PLANK ruads. He had a
picket Of shsrpshooters about $50 yards
further west ON the turnpike. Eas, OF
this picket he h al FIVE regime nts or , 100
infantry and eighteen pl-ccs OF artillery
all facing west. Along the turnpike for
200 yards or something over a mile he
had twenty regiments or about s,6no in
fantry and eighteen guns facing south:
or IN all about iO.SOO infantry and thirty
four guns. not counting Birney's division
or Barlow's brigade. which organizations
had advanced to the south in support OF
Sickles. thus leaving break Of about n
mile along the turnpike. between the left
81 the Eleventh and the right OF the
Twelfth corps. Weak intrenchinents had
been thrown up here and there. hut the
troops facing west. instead OF being IN one
we'll defined and strongly intrenched line.
were displayed in three distinct but feeble
lines. commanded respectively by Won
Gilsa Schurz and Bishbeck. al forei gners.
and not one of them an experienced first
class officer. A. neither OF theee lines
rest ed on natural obstacle or had any
special feature of strength. and a. the
whole force facing south WAS strung out
along the turnpike. the only line OF commu-
nication. with smbankments and rife pits
in front and thick woods in rear. the situa-
ton for defence WAS about as bad as il
could be-
Both Hooker and Howard should have
known by this time the danger gathering
about their right flank The enemy 3
columns had been sighted at various
points from the centre TO the extreme
right: scouting parties from Towards
line had brought in word that hostile
skirmishers in Considerable numbers had
been encountered from one and a half To
two miles out: heavy cofum ms had been
ssen marching steadily to the west. but
Hooker deluded himself with the thought
that Sickles was pressing their flank and
rear Heavy artillery firing was also
heard from that direction. hut finally died
out Schurz thought that Sickles' 70 opera
ton had been suspended. but Howard
continued to believe that Il was progress
ing SUCCESSFULLY Later an ofYicer OF the
day came in from Devens picket limo with
the report that large force OF the enemy
was passing by the right to the rear. but
instead OF receiving credit for what he
had seen he was called . coward and
ordered TO his regiment with tho remark
that the enemy Was retrcating. In spite
Of all this it il evident that the officers OF
the fighting line were filed with apprc-
hensiop.
As late % o'clock q field officer re-
ported that the enemy was massed on
the Plank Dad ready 20 attack; another
that he WAS actually advancing Strangely
enough the first was laughed at and told
not to be alarmed. while the second was
sent back to his own corps to tell his
yarn there At corps headquarters they
informed him that Ice was in full retreat
and that the doughty Howard had gone
out with harlow . brigade to fall upon his
rear
And yet 1T that precise minute Jack
SOU was Asrr thot 'u-
had made a stand at Dowdall's Tavern
two miles from Chancsllorsville. that his
IJackson's o. leading division was up and
the next two well closed" and that he
ints,dsd to attack as soon as practi-
cable
That Hooker IN spite Of all these facts
was still laboring under the delusion
that Lee was rstreating Is shown hy the
fact that he had JUST sent out orders di
recting his corps commanders TO replen-
i.h their supplies Of forage. provisions
and ammunition and he ready 90 start at
an early hour tomorrow. An hour and
forty minutes later. or at 40 r. NJ. he d.
r~cted SedgwIck to cross the river
capture fredericksburg with everything
in II and vigorous ly pursue the enemy.
To clinch the matter he added We know
that the enemy is fsreing. trying TO save
hi. trains Two Of Sickless divisions are
among chem.
1, is probable that Hooker did not he
heve all he laid. and il il certain that he
did not know that Lee was In retreat or
in Whit direction he was going. The
student who follows tins PART Of the mar
rative closely will ne at no loss a. 10 the
actual fact, hut at very great lo-s 20
understand how Hooker could have 80
misconceived their fatal import
al.