Pleasonton
spent the night in fortifying this hill, and placed forty guns in
position there; but it was of no avail, for it was outside of the
new line Sickles was directed to occupy at daylight, and Hooker
was not aware of its importance. A request was sent to the latter
to obtain his consent to hold it, but he was asleep, and the staff-
officer in charge, who had had no experience whatever in military
matters, positively refused to awaken him until daylight, and then
it was too late, for that was the time set for the troops to fall
back to the new line.

At 9 P.M., Hooker sent an order to Sedgwick, who was supposed to
be at Falmouth and to have 26,000 men, to throw bridges over, cross,
drive away Early's 9,000, who held the heights of Fredericksburg,
and then to come forward on the Plank Road, and be ready at daylight
on the 3d to take Lee's force in reverse, while Hooker attacked it
in front.

This order was given under the impression that Sedgwick had not
crossed with his main body, but only with Howe's division, whereas
he was at the bridge heads, three miles below Fredericksburg, on
the south side of the river. Hooker probably forgot that he had
ordered a demonstration to be made against the Bowling Green road
on the 1st, and that Sedgwick went over to make it.

CHAPTER VII.
THE BATTLE OF THE THIRD OF MAY.

The Eleventh Corps were now sent to the extreme left of the line
to reorganize. There they were sheltered behind the strong works
thrown up by Humphrey's division, and were not so liable to be
attacked.

The new line laid out by Hooker's order was on a low ridge
perpendicular to the Plank Road, and opposite and at right angles
to the right of Slocum's front. It was strongly supported by the
artillery of the Third, Twelfth, and part of the Eleventh Corps,
massed under Captain Best on the heights at Fairview, in the rear
and to the left. Sickles was ordered to fall back to it at dawn
of day, Birney to lead the way, and Whipple (Graham's brigade) to
bring up the rear. The Plank Road ran through the centre of the
position, Birney being on the left and Berry on the right, with
Whipple's division on a short line in rear, as a reserve. French's
division of Couch's corps was posted on Berry's right, the other
division (that of Hancock) remained between Mott Run and
Chancellorsville.

When the movement began, Birney's division, on the left of Whipple's,
occupied the high ground at Hazel Grove, fa