登陆注册
5156400000101

第101章

His plan of action was that 20,000 men should cross the river near the old battlefield of Fredericksburg, and thus lead the Confederates to believe that this was the point of attack.The main body were, however, to cross at Kelley's Ford, many miles higher up the river, and to march down toward Fredericksburg.The other force was then to recross, march up the river, cross at Kelley'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 entrench himself, having sent word to General Sedgwick, who commanded the force that had crossed near Fredericksburg, to recross, push round, and join 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 that this was not the point at which the enemy intended to attack, and in twenty-four hours one of Stuart's horsemen brought the news that Hooker had crossed the Rappahannock at Kelley's Ford and the Rapi Ian at Ely's Ford.Lee at once left one division to face General Sedgwick, and ordered the three others to join General Anderson, who with 8,000 men had fallen back before Hooker's advance, and taken his post at Tabernacle Church, about halfway between Fredericksburg and Tabernacle.Lee himself rode forward at once and joined Anderson.

Jackson led the force from Fredericksburg, and pressed the enemy back toward Chancellorsville until he approached the tremendous lines of fortifications, and then fell back to communicate with Lee.

That night a council of war was held, and it was agreed that an attack upon the front of the enemy's position was absolutely impossible.Hooker himself was so positive that his position was impregnable that he issued a general order of congratulation to his troops, saying that "the enemy must now ingloriously fly or give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him."Jackson then suggested that he should work right round the Wilderness in front of the enemy's position, march down until well on its flank, and attack it there, where they would be unprepared for an assault.The movement was one of extraordinary peril.Lee would be left with but one division in face of an immensely superior force; Jackson would have to perform an arduous march exposed to an attack by the whole force of the enemy; and both might be destroyed separately without being able to render the slightest assistance to each other.At daybreak on the 2d of May Jackson mustered his troops for the advance He had in the course of the night caught a severe cold.In the hasty march he had left his blankets behind him.One of his staff threw a heavy cape over him as he lay on the wet ground.During the night Jackson woke, and thinking that the young officer might himself be suffering from the want of his cape, rose quietly, spread the cape over him, and lay down without it.The consequence was a severe cold, which terminated in an attack of pneumonia that, occurring at a time when he was enfeebled by his wounds, resulted in his death.If he had not thrown that cape over the officer it is probable that he would have survived his wounds.

At daybreak the column commenced its march.It had to traverse a narrow and unfrequented road through dense thickets, occasionally crossing ground in sight of the enemy, and at the end to attack a tremendous position held by immensely superior forces.Stuart with his cavalry moved on the flank of the column whenever the ground was open, so as to conceal the march of the infantry from the enemy.As the rear of the column passed a spot called the Furnace, the enemy suddenly advanced and cut off the 23d Georgia, who were in the rear of the column, and captured the whole regiment with the exception of a score of men.At this point the road turned almost directly away from Chancellorsville, and the enemy believed that the column was in full retreat, and had not the least idea of its real object.

同类推荐
  • 思文大纪

    思文大纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 平吴录

    平吴录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 愚谷集

    愚谷集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金箓大斋补职说戒仪

    金箓大斋补职说戒仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Ethics

    The Ethics

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 三字经

    三字经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陌路凤凰

    陌路凤凰

    她是二十一世纪的一位杀手,却在阴差阳错之间成为亲王府的废材七小姐。“既然我夺了原主的身子,就应该替她好好的活下去!那些欺凌我的,我定当百倍千倍的还回去,我落雪可不是什么好欺负的角色。”上官落雪暗自握拳说。“哦,娘子,用不用为夫帮忙呢?”南宫逸晨说。“你...你怎么又在我的床上,快滚下来。”落雪生气的说。“娘子你在那,我就会跟你到那里去。”南宫逸晨坚定的说。
  • 星际芭比

    星际芭比

    安若素最后悔的就是手残,指尖一点,进入黑洞,步入未来。一觉醒来,不知是自己变小了,还是周围变大了。新的世界,手掌空间,开创美食。能跑路,能卖萌,会撩也受撩,寻找饲主,加油飞奔。“饲主大大,你能看见我没,不要踩着我哦。”饲主抿抿嘴,手捧着安若素,心里感觉暖暖的,软软的。小萌新一个,不喜勿喷,么么哒。
  • 指点江山:毛泽东诗词故事

    指点江山:毛泽东诗词故事

    毛泽东不仅是伟大的政治家、思想家、军事家,而且是才华横溢、独树一帜的诗人。毛泽东诗词艺术地记录了他一生的光辉足迹,生动地展示了中国革命和建设的伟大历史画卷,是一部中国人民的理想史、奋斗史、创造史和建设史。本书根据十集电视文献纪录片《指点江山一一毛泽东诗词故事》及其解说词编辑而成,精选毛泽东诗词36首,从言志、战争、爱情、友情、乡情、咏物、山水和建设等方面,以诗意的语言、生动的画面,深度解析诗词的丰富思想内涵和高度艺术成就,同时从诗、书、画、景等入手,结合毛泽东诗词背后的故事以及对这些诗词的赏析,形象地展示了毛泽东的伟大精神世界和革命领袖风采。
  • 二把手凶猛:兄弟我的10年营销破局秘笈

    二把手凶猛:兄弟我的10年营销破局秘笈

    有十年操盘经验的呼噜猫被聘请到晨光牛奶做营销总监,先是采取各种手段坐稳位子,接着带领公司开发关联通路以及其他渠道,让公司市场渐渐做大,以致几年的时间,就已经到了可以上市的地步。也正因其能力突出,贡献巨大,所以当公司越来越壮大的时候,被提拔为公司副总经理兼营销总监,成为了名副其实的公司二把手。然而这也引起了一些人的嫉妒,遭遇了公司财务总监联合其他几个高层的明争暗斗。呼噜猫能顺利击破对手的一个个阴谋诡计吗?
  • 人类:细说人类这些事

    人类:细说人类这些事

    宇宙世界是无限的,科学探索也是无限的,我们只有不断拓展更加广阔的生存空间,破解更多奥秘现象,才能使之造福于我们人类,人类社会才能不断获得发展。
  • 三观义

    三观义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修行本起经

    修行本起经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 菩萨藏修道众经抄

    菩萨藏修道众经抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王者荣耀花式CP大全

    王者荣耀花式CP大全

    这是一个随缘更新的坑。我们逗比着谈谈恋爱。更新真的很佛。重点:谈恋爱我们是认真的,搞笑当然也是认真的,比清蒸还真。CP多不多啊?多!必须多...的吧?的吧?书名仅供参考。我佛一点更,你们大家佛一点看,噶。