ordered a heavy force to his assistance, it is thought that a great
disaster could have been prevented, and probably a victory might have
been gained.

But the golden opportunity, which is seldom duplicated in a given crisis
or a life-time, was lost; and the enemy, though somewhat disorganized
and badly disheartened by our well-managed batteries, had time, during
this lull, to recover strength. They then advanced again with such power
as to compel our men to retire from Chancellorsville toward the
Rappahannock, leaving the brick mansion a mass of ruins, made such by
the fire of the enemy.

By noon General Hooker had recovered his consciousness sufficiently to
order the movements of his troops. The fighting on his front was now
nearly over, but his position was critical. General Sedgwick, who had
been directed to cross the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, with
orders to advance thence against all obstacles until he could fall upon
General Lee's rear, while the grand army engaged him in front, found it
impossible to proceed as rapidly as was expected of him, and was finally
repulsed with such slaughter and pursued with such vigor as to be
compelled to recross the river, leaving at least five thousand of his
men killed, wounded, and captured in the hands of the enemy.

No alternative seemed now left to the Army of the Potomac but to beat a
retreat and recross the river. On the evening of the fifth, General
Hooker held a council of war with his commanders, at which, however,
nothing was decided upon; but in the night he took the responsibility of
ordering all his forces to recross the Rappahannock, which they did in
good order and without molestation; and thus ended the disastrous battle
of Chancellorsville, with a loss of about eighteen thousand men on each
side, and our remaining troops returned to bivouac on their old
camping-ground on the north bank of the river near Falmouth.

This retrograde movement was undoubtedly considered to be necessary in
consequence of the impending storm, which set in about four o'clock of
the afternoon of the fifth, and rendered the march and night
exceedingly disagreeable. The river was swollen so rapidly as to set
adrift several of our pontoons, and the act of recrossing, though
orderly, was by no means pleasant. The storm was cold and violent, and
the roads soon became so bad as to remind the boys of Burnside's
unfortunate advance in January. It is supposed by some that the rain
exp