had progressed thus far that Lee
read its purpose. He hastily called in his divisions, and, on the
forenoon of May 1st, the Army of Northern Virginia was drawn up in
battle-line in front of that dense-wooded district known as the
Wilderness.

Exultingly confident, Hooker ordered an advance that day from near
Chancellorsville toward Fredericksburg. Hardly had he started when he
learned that Lee was moving against him; he, therefore, paused and threw
up defenses. His aim was to flank Lee, and, to prevent it, the
Confederate commander took desperate chances. Keeping up a rattling
demonstration in front he sent Stonewall Jackson with 30,000 men around
the right of the Union army. Had Hooker known of this daring movement,
he could easily have crushed each division in detail.

STONEWALL JACKSON'S FLANK MOVEMENT.

Jackson carried out his programme with fearful completeness. Without his
purpose being suspected, he traveled fifteen miles, reaching the road
leading from Orange to Fredericksburg, on the southern side of the
Rapidan. He was thus within two miles of General Howard's Eleventh
Corps. The men were preparing supper with no thought of danger, when the
air was suddenly split by thousands of "rebel yells," and the graybacks
rushed out of the woods and swept everything before them. The whole
Eleventh Corps broke into a wild panic, and ran for their lives toward
Chancellorsville.

The German division especially, under the command of Carl Schurz, were
irrestrainable in their terror.

The majority, however, stood their ground bravely, and their commanders
put forth every effort to stop the wild stampede. A partial success was
attained, and the artillery poured in a fire which checked the pursuit.
Fortunately night was at hand, and the fighting soon ceased. The
position of the Union army was critical in the extreme. It was squeezed
in between Chancellorsville and the fork of the two rivers. What fate
awaited it on the morrow?

[Illustration: THOMAS J. ("STONEWALL") JACKSON.]

At this juncture, the Confederate cause received the severest blow in
its history. That remarkable man, Stonewall Jackson, was confident that
the destruction of the Union army was at hand, and he was impatient for
the morrow that he might complete the fearful work. In the dusk of early
evening he rode forward, accompanied by several of his staff, to
reconnoitre the Union position. Passing beyond the outer line of
skirmishers, the party halted i