WAR REMINISCENCES: CHAPTER 22

 

Captain William Saxton, Company C, 157th Regiment, New York Volunteers.

Wikipedia map.

Cortland Semi-Weekly Standard, Tuesday, June 16, 1903.

WAR REMINISCENCES.

By Captain Saxton of the 157th Regiment, N. Y. Vols.

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN OPENS.

Roads Lined With Surplus Baggage—The Geographical Location Near Chancellorsville—A Captured Rebel’s Diary—General Hooker’s Fatal Error, Thought There Was Time Enough—Preparations for Battle of Chancellorsville.

CHAPTER 22.

   To the Editor of the Standard:

   Sir—April 27, 1863.— Our company had been sent on picket the night before, but we took everything with us, besides eight days’ rations in our haversacks and knapsacks.

   This morning the pickets were called together and joined the column as it marched by. We marched west and camped at Hartwood church.

Throwing Away Baggage.

   We had just come out of comfortable winter quarters and the boys had taken along overcoats, blankets, and a good many other things they did not like to abandon. Then too we had eight days’ rations, eighty rounds of cartridges to carry, a sufficient load in itself. The day was very warm, and as we trudged along the load seemed heavier and heavier. When we stopped to rest the time was occupied by the men in looking over their belongings and seeing what could be dispensed with, and when we marched on, the roadside was lined with all sorts of abandoned articles that the soldiers upon second consideration had decided they could get along without and were not actually obliged to have. This culling process continued all that day and the next, and I do not think I exaggerate a particle in saying that I saw more overcoats, blankets, clothing and trinkets thrown away on the first two days of that march than could be stored in all the store rooms in this town. When the army had passed by, this abandoned property in most part was gathered up by the few inhabitants in wagon loads and a great part of it eventually found its way into the rebel army. I clung to my overcoat, wool blanket and rubber blanket and our boys roasted me for carrying such a load, but I can assure you that when the all night cold rain of May 5 came, the same boys who had not been killed or wounded and were with the regiment, were wonderfully glad to share the protection that these blankets and overcoat afforded.

Strategic Position.

   At this time General Lee’s lines extended from Port Royal fifteen miles below Fredericksburg to a few miles above, along the Rappahannock [river]. Jackson’s corps occupied the extreme right, but the bulk of Lee’s army was behind entrenchments south of Fredericksburg. Longstreet with two of his divisions, Hood’s and Picket’s, and some artillery was away south of Petersburg. Lee had 60,000 men and 170 pieces of artillery. Stuart’s cavalry was mostly on the upper Rappahannock guarding the fords and scouting. General Hooker had seven infantry corps with accompanying artillery and one corps of cavalry. His force of all arms amounted to about 120,000. These men were encamped within a radius of ten miles around Falmouth, a little hamlet half a mile up the river from opposite Fredericksburg.

Proposed Movement.

   It was General Hooker’s intention to send General Sedgwick and the Sixth Corps together with the First Corps (Reynolds’) and the Third Corps (Sickles’) below Fredericksburg, cross the river and make strong demonstrations as though the whole army were to cross there and make the main attack. While this was being done he would march the Eleventh Corps (Howard’s), the Twelfth Corps (Slocum’s) and the Fifth Corps (Mead’s) rapidly west on different roads back out of sight of the enemy at Kelley’s ford, twenty miles above Falmouth, there to cross the Rappahannock, then march east twelve miles, cross the Rapidan river at Germania ford and concentrate at  Chancellorsville; Couch with two divisions of the Second Corps, Hancock’s and French’s, was to march to the rear of Bank’s ford ready to cross when Hooker’s move had uncovered it. Reynolds’ and Sickles’ Corps to be taken from Sedgwick and marched to United States ford to join Hooker as soon as that crossing would be uncovered. General Stoneman with two brigades of cavalry, Averill’s and Beauford’s was to cross at Kelley’s ford, move south and capture Gordonsville and Culpepper, then move east and cut the railroad between Lee and Richmond. Stoneman’s other brigade of cavalry, Pleasanton’s, was to accompany Hooker. This movement, as I have previously noted, commenced on the part of the right wing on Monday morning, the 27.

The Lay of the Land.

   In order to clearly understand the movements that led up to the battle of Chancellorsville it will be necessary to study the map of this part of Virginia somewhat. The Rappahannock at its usual stage is fordable at several points. Bank’s ford is about five miles above Falmouth. The United States ford is about five miles above Bank’s and one mile below the junction of the Rapidan with the Rappahannock, which joins from the southwest. Kelley’s ford is ten miles above the United States ford. The Rapidan has two fords—Germania at Germania Mills, twelve miles southeast from Kelley’s ford, and Ely’s ford, two mile further down the stream. From each of these fords there is a road leading to Chancellorsville, distant about ten miles. Chancellorsville, which consists of the Chancellor houses and buildings only, is about ten miles west of Fredericksburg, and five miles south of United States ford.

   April 28, Tuesday.—Reveille sounded at 3 a. m. with orders to move at 4, but we did not go till daylight. Passed by Grovewood church. It commenced to rain before noon and we had a hard march.

   Camped two miles north of Kelley’s ford on the Rappahannock. I hunted up the One Hundred and Fifty-four New York and found my cousin Henry Gould.

The Army on the Move.

   When I got back I found our regiment was striking tents. We marched down near the ford and lay down till the pontoon bridge was completed.

   One brigade was already guarding the ford since Stoneman’s first move. The pontoons were unloaded in a creek behind a bluff out of sight. Part of the One Hundred Fifty-fourth New York and the Seventy-third Pennsylvania pushed across the river in boats and drove away the pickets; then the balance of the two regiments crossed over and held the banks while the pontoons were being laid.

   We crossed the Rappahannock about midnight expecting to run amuck Mr. “Johnny Reb” but did not. We marched until 3 a. m., then lay down till daylight.

   That night the left wing moved from its camp and took up a position two miles below Fredericksburg where Franklin had crossed in December.

   April 29, Wednesday.—Got breakfast at 6. Saw a squad of rebel cavalry on a hill to the right taking observations. The colonel galloped toward them about half way, took out his field glass and looked them over, when they made a dash and chased him back.

A Captured Rebel’s Diary.

   The Twelfth Corps crossed over, followed by Stoneman’s cavalry and the Fifth Corps. The wagon trains were sent back and parked near Bank’s and United States fords. Pleasanton with two regiments of cavalry and one battery of horse artillery marched directly to Germania ford on the Rapidan, surprised and captured a picket of fifty of Stuart’s cavalry boys. Among them was an engineer officer in whose diary it was stated that Jackson, Hill, Early and Stuart had had a council previously and concluded that the next battle would be fought at Chancellorsville and that that place must be prepared.

   We marched on at noon, struck a plank road toward night, passed a few houses where women stood in the doorways and told us we would be marching the other way in less than a week. Crossed the Rapidan at 11 p. m. on some timbers that had been laid from rock to rock.

   The Fifth Corps (Mead’s), preceded by one regiment of cavalry, crossed the Rapidan at Ely’s ford nearer the Rappahannock. General Couch marched two divisions of his Corps (the Second) from their camp to the rear of Bank’s ford. Stoneman’s cavalry, with the exception of Pleasanton’s brigade, started on their raid.

   Down on the left wing before daylight Brook’s division of the Sixth Corps crossed the Rappahannock in boats two miles below Fredericksburg and Wadsworth’s division of the First crossed a mile further down at Pollock’s Mills in the same manner. Bridges were ready by daylight and the remainder of the two corps were marched over and some entrenchments thrown up on the plain protected by artillery from the north side.

The Halt at Chancellorsville.

   April 30, Thursday.—It rained during the night and we got quite wet. We marched on at 11 a. m. My feet got dreadfully sore and blistered. Halted for the night in an open field about two miles west of Chancellorsville and eight or ten from the ford.

   The three corps were massed around Chancellorsville that night where Hooker made his headquarters and said “I have Lee’s army in one hand and Richmond in the other.” He promulgated the following order:

   “General Order No. 47, Headquarters Army of the Potomac, camp near Falmouth, Va., April 30, 1863. It is with heartfelt satisfaction that the commanding general announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that our enemy must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his defenses and give us battle on our own ground where certain destruction awaits him.

   “The operations of the Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth corps have been a succession of splendid achievements.

   “By command of Maj. Gen. Hooker, S. Williams, Asst. Adj. Gen.”

Didn’t Read His Bible.

   Probably General Hooker had not read the twentieth chapter of Kings for his lesson that morning. In the eleventh verse it says, “Let not him that girdeth up his harness, boast himself as he that putteth it off.”

   We had marched in between Stuart’s cavalry and Lee, and Stoneman’s raid had prevented their communication.

   Pleasanton captured a courier from Lee to McLaws saying he (Lee) had heard that the Union army had concentrated around Chancellorsville and asked why McLaws did not send him word and ordered him to report at headquarters.  

Procrastination the Fatal Error.

   Pleasanton gave Hooker the engineer’s diary and this message from Lee at 2 p. m. and advised him to anticipate Lee’s attack and march three or four miles on towards Fredericksburg which would take him out of the woods into more open country. This move also would have uncovered Bank’s ford, which would shorten the distance to Sedgwick ten miles. Hooker considered it would be time enough to make the move in the morning. When morning came the conditions had changed and Hooker had lost a great opportunity. At night Pleasanton agin went to him and suggested that he move the Eleventh Corps out of its miserable position in the woods and send them to Spotsylvania 8 miles south in more open country and form a line of battle from there to Chancellorsville, to which he did not acquiesce. Pleasanton then suggested that he send some cavalry there and see what was going on outside, to which he consented, and the Sixth New York, under Lt. Col. McVicar, was sent there after dark. They met nothing in going, but in coming back they found the Fifth Virginia cavalry with Stuart and his staff thrown across their patch to prevent their returning. The charge was immediately sounded and they cut their way through and returned to camp, losing their commander—killed. The result of this reconnaissance was reported to Hooker in the morning.

   General Couch with two divisions of his (Second) corps moved up to the United States ford and crossed. At night the Third Corps under Sickles was detached from Sedgwick’s left wing and ordered to march via the United States ford and join Hooker.

A Study in Geography.

   The country around Chancellorsville is uneven and covered with stunted underbrush, in some places very difficult of penetrating—a veritable wilderness with here and there an opening or a small farm. To the north is an opening named White House. Looking south around Chancellorsville is an open space called Fairview. This opening extends to the southwest and connects with another on somewhat higher ground called Hazel Grove. Two miles west of Chancellorsville there are three or four small farms; in the south part is Dowdal’s tavern, at that time occupied by Melzi Chancellor and family. General Howard had his headquarters here. A little further north of Dowdal’s is the Wilderness church, and Hawkins’ farm is a little northwest of this. To the west of Dowdal’s is Tally’s. We camped on Hawkins’ farm near te church. The openings were altogether too small to handle the army of the Potomac. A turnpike road comes in at Dowdal’s from the direction of Germania ford and continues through Chancellorsville to Fredericksburg. The Orange Plank road from the southwest comes into this pike at Dowdal’s and continues to Chancellorsville, then turns south through Fairview and bends around to the southeast coming in again near Tabernacle church about 3 miles east of Chancellorsville and 7 miles west of Fredericksburg. A road also comes in to Chancellorsville from the northeast from Bank’s ford. On the north of Chancellorsville a road comes in from Ely’s ford and one from United States ford which unites at White House and running on through Chancellorsville and Fairview, and continues southwest through Hazel Grove to the Catherine furnace a mile and a half south. Here was an east and a west road which came into the plank road farther east. Still Farther south was another parallel road at Wolford’s farm.

   I speak of these roads and openings because they were utilized to a great extent during the next few days. So please reread and get them properly located in your mind. W. S.