THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

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our right flank and rear. At 2 p. m. I went into the Chancellor House, whenGeneral Hooker greeted me with the exclamation: “ Lee is in full retreattoward Gordonsville, and I have sent out Sickles to capture his artillery.”I thought, without speaking it: “ If your conception is correct, it is verystrange that only the Third Corps should be sent in pursuit.” Sicklesreceived orders at 1 p. m. to take two divisions, move to his front and attack,^hich he did, capturing some hundreds of prisoners. The country on thetront being mostly wooded enabled the enemy to conceal his movements anda t the same time hold Sickles in check with a rear-guard, which made sucha show of strength that reenforcements were called for and furnished. In^he meantime Jackson did not for a moment swerve from his purpose, butsteadily moved forward to accomplish what he had undertaken.

It was about 5:30 in the evening when the head of Jackson’s column°Wnd itself on the right and rear of the army, which on that flank consisted°I the Eleventh Corps, the extreme right brigade receiving its first intimation°I danger from a volley of musketry fired into their rear, followed up solrn petuously that no efficient stand could be made by the brigades of the^ 0r Ps that successively attempted to resist the enemy’s charge. Whengeneral Hooker found out what that terrific roar on his right flank meante quickly mounted and flew across the open space to meet the onset, passing^ his way stampeded pack-mules, officers’ horses, caissons, with men andorses running for their lives. Gathering up such troops as were nearest to* le scene of action, Berry’s division from the Third Corps, some from theWelfth, Hays’s brigade of the Second, and a portion of the Eleventh, aneffectual stand was made. Pleasonton, who was returning from the front,^here he had been operating with Sickles (at the time Jackson attacked),a kmg in the state of things, rapidly moved his two regiments of cavalryau d a battery to the head and right flank of the enemy’s advance columns,^hen, making a charge and bringing up his own guns, with others of the

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U'Veiith and Third Corps, he was enabled to punish them severely.

Pickets had been thrown out on Howard’s flank, but not well to the righta,||< I rear. I suspect that the prime reason for the surprise was that thesuperior officers of the right corps had been put off their guard by adoptinge conjecture of Hooker, “Lee’s army is in full retreat to Gordonsville,” asas by expecting the enemy to attack precisely where ample preparationsad been made to receive him. It can be emphatically stated that no corps111 Ike army, surprised as the Eleventh was at this time, could have held its§ t0 Und under similar circumstances.

half-past two that afternoon the Second Corps’ lines were assaulted byar tillery and infantry. Just previous to Jackson’s attack on the right a^sperate effort was made by Lee’s people to carry the left at Mott’s Run, bute men who held it were there to stay. Hooker, desiring to know the enemy’s^ re ngth in front of the Twelfth Corps, advanced Slocum into the thicket,1 that officer found the hostile line too well defended for him to penetrateand was forced to recall the attacking party. When night put an end toe fighting of both combatants, Hooker was obliged to form a new line for