194

THE ELEVENTH CORPS AT CHAHCELLORSVILLE.

gusts and whirlwinds; the sideling swallows excitedly seeking shelter; theswift and swifter, black and blacker clouds, ever rising higher and pushingtheir angry fronts toward us. As we listened we heard the low rumblingfrom afar; as the storm came nearer the woods bent forward and shookfiercely their thick branches; the lightning zigzagged in flashes, and thedeep-bassed thunder echoed more loudly, till there was scarcely an intervalbetween its ominous crashing discharges. In some such manner came on thatbattle of May 2d to the watchers at Dowdall’s Tavern and Talley’s farm-house.

The first distant symptom occurred on the evening of May 1st. Then washeard the sudden crack of rifle-shooting. It began with Steinwehr’s skir-misliers, and then passed on to Schurz. Schimmelfennig pushed out abrigade straightforward toward the south-west and received a sudden fire ofartillery from the intruders. They left him and pushed on.

It was “ a rolling reconnoissance,” evidently to determine, for Lee’s and Jack-son’s information, the position of our flank. They probably had, however, somemore certain knowledge, gained from one or two of the enterprising residentslet loose during that Friday by our general forward movement. We forgotthese friends to Lee as we excitedly marched to Friday’s battle. When wnunexpectedly came back, some of these residents, with little baskets of pro-visions in hand, were gone beyond recall. I suspect that the commander oithe “ rolling reconnoissance ” and the said residents formed part of thefamous night conference of Lee and Jackson, where cracker-boxes served asseats and tables. General Lee says: “ It was therefore resolved to endeavorto turn his right flank and gain his rear, leaving a force in front to hold him

in check and conceal the movement.

THE WILDERNESS CHURCH. FROM A WAR-TIMEPHOTOGRAPH. SEE PREVIOUS PAGE.

The execution of this plan was intrustedto Lieutenant-General Jackson withhis throe divisions.”

Jackson’s movement, with a strongerindication of battle, began at sunrise,Rodes, Colston, and A. P. Hill , in theorder named, following the old roadby the Catherine Furnace, there shov-ing off farther south to get beyondthe sight of our men; then sweepingaround by a private road, well knov'nto them, up to the Orange Plank road;and thence on, perhaps a mile farther,through the wild forest till the oldturnpike was found and crossed. TheCatherine .Furnace, nearly opposit®Sickles’s right and two and a hahmiles distant, gavo an open reach andfully exposed the moving column 1°view. Except at that point the Con-federates were covered by woods andby Stuart’s busy and noisy cavalry.