THE CHAN CELLO PSHILLE CAMPAIGN.

166

STAYING JACKSON’S ADVANCE, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 2, WITH ARTILLERY PLACED ACROSSTHE PLANK ROAI).“ FROM A WAR-TIME SKETCH.

BOVS’*'

v l3/ •

At about 5 a. m., May 3d, fighting was begun at Clianeellorsville, whenthe Third (Sickles’s) Corps began to retire to the left of our proper rightflank, and all of that flank soon became fiercely engaged, while the battle ranalong the whole line. The enemy’s guns on the heights to our left, as well asat every point on the line where they could be established, were vigorouslyused, while a full division threw itself on Miles at Mott’s Run. On the rightflank our guns were well handled, those of the Twelfth Corps being conspicu-ous, and the opposing lines of infantry operating in the thicket had almosthand-to-hand conflicts, capturing and recapturing prisoners. Tho enemyappeared to know what he was about, for pressing the Third Corps vigorouslyhe forced it back, when he joined or rather touched tho left of Lee’s mainbody, making their line continuous from left to right. Another advantagegained by this success was tho possession of an open field, from which gunscovered the ground up to the Chancellor House. Upon the south porch ofthat mansion General Hooker stood leaning against one of its pillars, observ-ing the fighting, looking anxious and much careworn. After the fighting hadcommenced I doubt if any orders were given by him to tho commanders onthe field, unless, perhaps, “ to retire when out of ammunition.” None werereceived by me, nor were there any inquiries as to how the battle was goingalong my front. On the right flank, where the fighting was desperate, theengaged troops were governed by the corps and division hinders. If the earof the commanding general was, as he afterward stated, strained to catchthe sound of Sedgwick’s guns, it could not have heard them in the continuousuproar that filled the air around him ; but as Sedgwick, who was known as afighting officer, had not appeared at the time set—daylight—nor for somehours after, it was conclusive evidence that he had met with strong opposi-tion, showing that all of Lee’s army was not at (Ihancellorsville, so that the