her up the river, and to march down
toward Fredericksburg. The other force was then to recross, march up the
river, cross at Kelly's Ford, and follow and join the main army. At the
same time the Federal cavalry, which was very numerous and
well-organized, was, under General Stoneman, to strike down through the
country toward Richmond, and thus cut the Confederate communication with
their capital, and so prevent Longstreet's division, which was lying
near Richmond, from rejoining Lee.

The passage of the river was effected at the two fords without
resistance on the 29th of April, and upon the same day the cavalry
column marched South. General Lee directed a portion of his cavalry
under General Fitz Lee to harass and delay this column as much as
possible. Although he had with him but a few hundred men he succeeded in
doing good service in cutting off detached bodies of the enemy,
capturing many officers and men, and so demoralizing the invaders that,
after pushing on as far as the James River, Stoneman had to retreat in
great haste across the Rapidan River.

Hooker, having crossed the river, marched on to Chancellorsville, where
he set to to intrench himself, having sent word to General Sedgwick, who
commanded the force that had crossed near Fredericksburg, to recross,
push round, and join him as soon as possible. Chancellorsville was a
large brick mansion standing in the midst of fields surrounded by
extensive forests. The country was known as the Wilderness. Within a
range of many miles there were only a few scattered houses, and dense
thickets and pine-woods covered the whole country. Two narrow roads
passed through the woods, crossing each other at Chancellorsville; two
other roads led to the fords known as Ely's Ford and the United States
Ford. As soon as he reached Chancellorsville Hooker set his troops to
work cutting down trees and throwing up earthworks for infantry and
redoubts for artillery, erecting a double line of defenses. On these he
mounted upward of a hundred pieces of artillery, commanding the narrow
roads by which an enemy must approach, for the thickets were in many
places so dense as to render it impossible for troops to force their way
through them.

When Sedgwick crossed the river, Lee drew up his army to oppose him; but
finding that no more troops crossed, and that Sedgwick did not advance,
he soon came to the conclusion this was not the point at which the enemy
intended to attack, and in twent