CHANCELLORSVILLE

CHAPTER X

GEN. Burnside had been superseded by Gen. Hooker. Winter had passed and spring had come. Rumors began to circulate throughout our camp about Gcn. Hooker's movements. They were, as usual, false alarms until about the 30th of April, 1863, when we learned that he had divided his army and crossed the river both above and below Fredericksburg. One corps under Gen. Sedgewick had been thrown across below, while Gen. Hooker with the main body had crossed above and fortified a strong position at Chancellorsville on Gen. Lee's extreme left and rear, making our situation a peculiarly critical one. What will Generals Lee and Jackson do about it? This is the uppermost thought in all minds and is on every tongue. Gen. Longstreet is absent with his corps. Our army is too weak without him to cope with the great army under Hooker. We left camp and turned our faces toward Chancellorsville. A. P. Hill's light division in light marching order swung out on the road with a quick step, all in silence, fairly devouring the ground as they pushed on. We had left camp below Hamilton's Crossing and marched throughout the night. On Fri (Page 87) day we followed on after Gen. Ewell's division. That evening we came within range of the enemy's shells as they discovered our movements along the road and were trying to inflict on us what punishment they could as we passed their point of view. One of our batteries deployed to the right of the road and engaged their attention as we passed the point. Just here, Gen. Jackson passed between us and this battery, riding alone, going to the front As night approached we halted and were lying down along the roadside, all tired and worn out with the long march, when a small, thin-visaged man, with a small flat head, and a Roman nose, wearing a little military cap and spectacles, mounted on the frame of a bobtailed horse, came riding slowly along looking very wise. One of our boys, who was prone to speak without much forethought, called out at random, "How are you Dr. Cox?" And sure enough this was his real name and title. The doctor reined up his nag, straightened himself up assuming all the dignity possible and asked sharply, "Who spoke to me?" An audible titter ran through the ranks, and many laughed outright, at which the doctor got furious and demanded in severe tones to have the man pointed out on the spot who had dared to insult him. Poor old George Boyd, for he was the culprit, seemed to wish the ground would open and take him (Page 88) in. The laughter increased and the outraged doctor called for the officer in command, but I am glad to say that he got little comfort or satisfaction. He was evidently a man of small caliber to become involved in such a dilemma on so small a provocation. A title and a small promotion can unbalance some people. A real man would never have been involved in such a scrape. That night we deployed in battle line in the woods and impenetrable darkness, and falling on the ground were soon in the land of dreams. We were aroused by a fusillade of musketry fire, and jumping to our feet, rubbing our eyes and coming to "attention" ready for the worst, we were soon ordered to lie down again as it proved to be simply an exchange of shots between our pickets as they were being relieved in the darkness and had mistaken each other for the enemy.

On Saturday we pushed on to aid Gen. Jackson in that celebrated flank movement, and in the early afternoon our brigade together with Gen. Thomas' Georgia brigade countermarched several miles on double-quick to drive away the enemy who had attacked our wagon train in our rear. But some of Gen. Anderson 's troops did the work before we got there, so we turned "right about" and resumed our march. Sometime that night we came near the battleground of that evening where Gen. Jackson had surprised the enemy under Gen. Howard and had driven them pell-mell for (Page 89) some miles, night alone putting a stop to the stampede of the blue line and the hot pursuit of the gray. We lay down to sleep and await the dawn of another day. Before daylight we were called up and marched off to the right of Gen. Jackson's line. Just before it was light we were formed in' line of battle. A stray Yankee, lost from his command, walked up to our line and made inquiry for a New York Regiment, and of course he was politely looked after and cared for. A skirmish line was thrown forward and advanced toward the enemy and as the sun peeped over the eastern horizon, with a wild cheer the brigade rushed forward in a charge, captured a battery of artillery and four or five hundred prisoners, all in a few minutes, as they were evidently not looking for us so early in the morning. It was rather impolite to rush in so unceremoniously before these gentlemen had time to prepare their morning toilet or begin their preparations for breakfast. With this matter settled most satisfactorily to our minds we moved forward into an open field, then made a "left-wheel" movement and advanced across the field to attack a second line at the far edge of the field. In this attack we were not so fortunate and had to fall back to a hill in our rear. Gen. Archer quickly reformed the ranks, greatly assisted by Tom Long, one of our home boys, who, for gallantry had been promoted to the position of courier to the gen (Page 90)

eral. Here on this hill we took our stand, and I contend that this was the key to the situation. It was evident that if Gen. Hooker allowed to stay there any length of time he was ruined, because Gen. Lee was never slow to take and use every advantage. Soon Major Pegram-the splendid, gallant Pegram! I had long since learned to love him for his bravery-came at the head of his artillery and galloping up to Gen. Archer said, "General, if you will hold this ground until my guns are in position you may then retire your men under the bill to a safer position for your infantry." How came Pegram there so promptly? Gen. Lee had sent him. Of course I would not leave A.P. Hill out of the count, for he too was always wide-awake, but somehow it occurs to me that Gen. Lee was behind this move. Pegram brought his guns into action and soon put the opposing guns out of business, and as he made things hot for the enemy's infantry. Gen. Posey's Mississippi Brigade to our right made a dash for their line and succeeded in smashing it and drove them back in confusion, capturing their position, and this in my opinion was the turning point in Sunday's battle at Chancellorsville. From now on the enemy were forced back toward the river, giving up their fortified position and Gen. Joe Hooker was badly beaten at every point. I, of course, am giving an account of this great battle from my viewpoint. A dozen (Page 91) persons may witness a street fight between two men and each of the twelve may see it a little differently and yet each be accurate and correct in his statement of the details, though their accounts be quite at variance the one from the other. Lieutenant Hutton, a brother to my sister' Florence's husband, was killed here. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia-a brave useful officer and his place was a difficult one to fill. Other brave men of our company were killed and wounded in this charge. As the artillery were moved further forward our lines were rapidly advanced to take advantage of such success as we had gained. Making a further "leftwheel" and coming into a piece of wood squarely in front of the enemy's line we charged them at once but failed to dislodge them. This ended our fighting for the day. I have already stated above that Gen. Sedgewick had crossed the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg with thirty thousand troops, and Gen. Lee had left Gen. Early with only eight thousand to oppose him. It can be readily seen that if Gen. Sedgewick should press forward and overwhelm Early and then push on with his thirty thousand upon Gen. Lee's rear, our army could easily be crushed between these two mighty forces. Hooker had double the force of Lee and Jackson, and Sedgewick after brushing Early out of his way would have an army equal to ours. So (Page 92) one can see at a glance how critical was the situation on that Sunday morning at Chancellorsville. Sedgewick did overwhelm Early and did move out on the road toward Chancellorsville and the danger was appalling. But Gen. Lee was equal to the situation. After shattering Hooker's lines by his impetuous attacks and driving him away from Chancellorsville, thus having the entire situation well in hand, he detached a part of his victorious army and sent them on a forced march to Early's relief. Gen. McLaws, with his division was dispatched on this mission and on reaching Early's retreating column, the two combined, and though still weaker than Sedgewick, soon had him in full retreat seeking safety beyond the Rappahannock.Victory perched on our banners all along the line and the impartial historian will pronounce this one of the greatest of the war. The generalship of Lee and Jackson never shone to greater advantage than on this occasion. It could not have been surpassed. With all the odds against them, Hooker with a greatly superior force and in a position of his own selection and it well fortified, for him to be driven back by an inferior force and be forced to relinquish every point, adds imperishable luster to the Southern soldier and immortal renown to his great commander. The sad news that Gen. Jackson had been wounded reached our ears and to say that a keen sor (Page 93) row filled every bosom is but to express our feelings in the mildest terms. He was the idol of all his soldiers and they knew that with him to lead there was no such thing as failure. To be wounded too at the hands of his own beloved troops made it doubly sad. Approaching them in the dark, from the direction of the enemy, whither he had gone to inspect their position in person, they mistook him and his aides for Yankee horsemen and fired on them in the darkness with a fearful accuracy, as scarcely one escaped the deadly missiles. He was borne off to the rear under a galling cannonade from Hooker's guns which were pouring their grape and canister into the woods and along the plank road, trying to check the approach of an expected attack in this direction. Not a great many days after this we heard the saddest of all news-that our beloved general was dead. From exposure he contracted pneumonia and this together with his wounds was more than he could withstand, and on the 10th of May, 1863, at a quarter past 3 P. M. he passed away and "crossed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees." We of his old command could not realize it. Our hearts were heavy and our eyes filled with bitter tears. The matchless, the peerless, the immortal "Stonewall." We could only exclaim in our deep sorrow, "God's will be done." (Page 94) I was present with the command, sharing its hardships, but being on the commissary staff I did not participate in the battle. Of all the victories of the war this was the greatest when we consider all the circumstances. Gen. Jackson's part in it, his masterful tactics and skillful handling of his troops can never be excelled. The God whom he loved and ardently served permitted him to see all his plans mature into the grandest success, and when Hooker's right flank had been crushed and crumpled up on his center, in the very height of the wave of success he was called away from these scenes of war and carnage never more to witness the like again. I remember that at the time of this battle I greatly desired that I might live to read a clear and an impartial account of it in history. I felt it in my bones that Gen. Lee and his little army had done something wonderful and had performed a feat only surpassed by a miracle. But I am sorry to say that though I am writing this fifty years after its occurrence I have never yet read anything that does full justice, in my judgment, to the Southern troops on this occasion. There were a series of battles, all comprised under the one title, "Battle of Chancellorsville", in all of which the Confederates were successful except Gen. Sedgewick's attack on Gen. Early when the latter was simply overrun by sheer force of numbers. (Page 95) Gen. Hooker's grandiloquent address to his army on assuming command sounds ridiculous in the light of subsequent events. The light of fifty years shows it up in its grotesque absurdity and exaggerated folly. "The grandest army- on the planet." So he styled the army of the Potomac, the boys in blue. And after he had moved it away around Gen. Lee's left and had succeeded in planting it on the wooded heights of Chancellorsville on the Richmond side of the Rappahannock, listen at him crow in his general order to his troops, who had performed a splendid feat in crossing a river with no one to oppose: "Gen. Lee must now ingloriously retreat or else come out from his defenses to give battle where certain destruction awaits him. In equipment, intelligence, and valor the enemy is our inferior. Let us never hesitate to give him battle whenever we can find him." These are strong words coming from a commander of a great army, but they dwindle into insignificance when placed alongside the events that immediately followed their utterance. "Never hesitate to give him battle whenever we can find him." He did find him with small trouble, at Chancellorsville, and there was no "inglorious retreat" on Gen. Lee's part, and "certain destruction" did not await him and his army. On the contrary the "grandest army on the planet" was most "ingloriously" doubled up on itself in a most unceremonious way, and (Page 96) was compelled to steal off under cover of night and recross the Rappahannock to avoid that "certain destruction" which Gen. Hooker predicted as awaiting Gen. Lee. Gen. Lee's army numbered 57,000, entrenched along the hills south of the Rappahannock above and below Fredericksburg, whilst Gen. Hooker occupied the opposite bluffs and hills on the north side of the river with 132,000 men. Gen. Longstreet had been sent with his corps south of the James River below Richmond and could not be counted on for assistance in the impending battle. Hooker with 92,000 men crossed above Fredericksburg at Chancellorsville, away to the left and rear of Gen. Lee's position. He left Gen. Sedgewick to cross below with 40,000 men. This was the situation on the 30th of April, 1863, and any one can easily see Gen. Lee's dilemma. Quick decision, prompt action, no hesitation, or all is lost. Here was a supreme test of the mettle of Lee and Jackson and I am proud to say that all future history will show how they met it and met it like the great commanders they were-the greatest ever produced on American soil. Chancellorsville is not a town or village, but merely a large brick residence with a few outhouses lying about it. It is ten miles west and south of the town of Fredericksburg, with which it is connected by a plank road and a macadamized pike. (Page 97)

Family Record and War Reminiscences
by William Frierson Fulton, Jr.
Livingston, AL, 1919
Transcribed by James W. Martin