earnest. In a stirring order of the 4th of May, as the movement began, Gen. Meade said to the army:

You have been reorganized, strengthened and fully equipped in every respect. You form a part of the several armies of your country, the whole under the direction of an able and distinguished general who enjoys the confidence of the Government, the people and the army.

Your movement being in co-operation with others, it is of the utmost importance that no effort should be left unspared to make it successful.

Soldiers, the eyes of the whole country are looking with anxious hope to the blow you are about to strike in the most sacred cause that ever called men to arms! Remember your homes, your wives and children, and bear in mind that the sooner your enemies are conquered, the sooner you will be returned to enjoy the benefits and blessings of peace!

Bear with patience the hardships and sacrifices you will be called upon to endure. Have confidence in your officers and in each other. Keep your ranks on the march and on the battle-field, and let each man earnestly implore God's blessing, and endeavor by his thoughts and actions to render himself worthy the favor he seeks.

The main army, as reorganized after the appointment of Lieut.-Gen. Grant, consisted of the Second, Fifth and Sixth Army Corps, respectively commanded by Maj.-Gens. Hancock, Warren and Sedgwick. Among the division commanders were, in the Second Corps, Gens. Barlow, Gibbons, Birney, and (at a later date) R. O. Tyler. The four divisions of the Fifth Corps were respectively commanded by Gens. Griffin, Ayres, Wadsworth (who was succeeded by Gen. Crawford), and Cutler. In the Sixth Corps, Gens. Wright (subsequently corps commander), Getty and Ricketts commanded divisions. The Ninth Corps was afterward formally attached to the Army of the Potomac. There was also a large cavalry force, in excellent condition, under the command of Maj.-Gen. Sheridan, which was to prove a most valuable arm of the service in the coming campaign. The total was not less than 25,000 men.

The three corps first named were encamped within the triangular area lying between the Rappahannock and the Rapidan, on two sides, and the Orange and Alexandria railroad on the

third, which crosses these rivers about twenty-five miles west and north-west from the point of their confluence. The north bank of the Rapidan was held by Union pickets. There was likewise a small army at Winchester, in the Shenandoah Valley, under command of Maj.-Gen. Sigel—which might be called an outpost of the same army, though nominally belonging to another military department—and a cavalry force under Maj.Gen. Averill, which was to operate beyond Lynchburg, and to support Sigel, as occasion required.

The Rebel army of Lee, occupying the position already indicated, south of the Rapidan, had been strengthened during the winter, probably, in part, at the expense of the army under Johnston, in Georgia, as well as from other sources, but was still somewhat inferior in numbers, it is believed, to that which had now passed under the immediate supervision of Gen. Grant.

The

Gen. Hancock's command, the Second Corps, crossed the Rapidan on the 4th of May, at Ely's Ford, not far above the point of junction between that river and the Rappahannock, and advanced on the direct road toward Chancellorsville. The Fifth Corps crossed on the same day, at Germanna Ford, a few miles further up the stream, proceeding out the road toward Todd's tavern, crossing that from Fredericksburg to Orange Court House, some distance west of Chancellorsville. Sixth Corps, occupying the right, was the last to cross. The cavalry division, under Gen. Wilson, advanced on the right of Warren's corps, pushing on toward the enemy's works on Mine Run. No serious opposition was made to the crossing of any portion of these forces. On the following day, May 5th, the march was continued, the course of the army lying through the wide extent of forest known as the Wilderness. Wilson's cavalry, having gone out by the plank road, had encamped near Mine Run on the night of the 4th. Resuming their march on the next morning, they arrived, during the forenoon, in the vicinity of Shady Grove Church, some miles to the south-west of Todd's Tavern, to which the Fifth Corps was now approaching. The Second Corps was moving up as rapidly as possible, extending its right to form a junction with the

Fifth. This connection, but for a prompt movement of the enemy, would have been effected at Shady Grove Church, giving possession of an important pike before nightfall.

Toward noon, a lively cannonading announced that the cavalry advance had encountered an opposing force. An attack of Rebel cavalry, of Wade Hampton's division, compelled Wilson to fall back gradually, after a sharp engagement, toward Warren's column, which advanced in support. The principal fighting occurred near Parker's Store, Ewell's corps having come up to oppose Warren. The purpose of Lee to crush the central column, and to interpose a heavy force between our right and left, was now clearly disclosed. The attack was made by Ewell with great impetuosity and persistence. He was supported by the corps of A. P. Hill, which afterward came up by the plank road. The plan was well conceived by the Rebel commander, and the danger of its success was imminent. Griffin's division first encountered the Rebel force, fighting with great bravery (the nature of the country permitting only the use of musketry), and at length, sustained by the other divisions of the same corps, forcing back the enemy, though with severe losses.

The next effort of the Rebel general was to prevent the exccution of the movement which Hancock was making, as already described. From half-past two o'clock until after dark, a furious attack was kept up on the divisions of Birney and Gibbons, the entire Second Corps being more or less engaged. The assailants were finally repulsed, but no decisive advantage was gained, beyond the maintenance of the positions already occupied.

Thus closed Thursday, the 5th of May, after well-planned, persistent, and concentrated attacks on the moving and separated columns of our army, which was fortunately so well directed, as not to be altogether out of mutually supporting distance. Both sides seriously suffered. The opening was by no means disastrous, nor yet was it auspicious. The coming day could not but be looked forward to with anxiety, the enemy having manifestly the advantage in position and in knowledge of the country, which was to be the battle-field.

From such a scene of action, so difficult for the movement of troops, so beset with the intricacies and entanglements of wild woods but imperfectly known, it may be that other commanders, at an earlier stage of the war, would have thought themselves fortunate in accomplishing a safe retreat. No such thought was now entertained.

Combined with the movement thus commenced by Grant, and an essential element of the situation, was the landing of a considerable army under Butler at Bermuda Hundred, directly threatening Richmond. The army of the Potomac was so advancing as to cover Washington. Lee might now have retired on Lynchburg as his base and assumed the aggressive and such was not improbably his earlier purpose; but the formidable movement south of Richmond, which he was to defend at all hazards, left him no such alternative. It was on the 5th of May that the new army of the James, under Maj.-Gen B. F. Butler, occupied Bermuda Hundred. This command consisted of the 10th and 18th Army Corps, re spectively under Maj-Gens. Q. A. Gilmore and W. F. Smith. The communications south of Richmond were immediately threatened, while a fleet of gunboats, under Rear Admiral S. P. Lee, was ready to advance up the river toward that city. This combined movement below the Rebel capital apparently determined the course of Lee in his present relations to the army which had boldly crossed the Rapidan, threatening the flank of his formidably entrenched forces.

Failing in his efforts to crush our advancing columns, which he had allowed to cross the Rapidan unopposed, Lee now found, on the morning of the 6th, that it was too late, even to retreat at once upon Richmond, his adversary being too close upon his flank. At the same time, he could not abandon that city to its fate, threatened as he now knew it was, and fall back on Lynchburg. He accordingly determined to give battle, resuming the aggressive, availing himself of his advantages over the Union army, from the nature of the ground, for rapidly concentrating his men at whatever point he chose. the morning of the 6th his troops were early in motion.

"The Wilderness" will ever be memorable as one of the

bloodiest fields of the war. much the same as that on which the battle of Chancellorsville was fought, the battle-field being in fact, a portion of the same forest. The ill success of the advance, which ended with that engagement, undoubtedly emboldened the Rebel army to hope a like result on the present occasion, and led to that bravery and persistence in assault, which, from the nature of the conflict, necessarily produced an almost unprecedented harvest of carnage and agony.

The character of the country is

In the forenoon of Friday, the 6th of May, Hancock's corps, reinforced by Wadsworth's division of the Fifth Corps, L. A. Grant's brigade from Getty's division of the Sixth Corps, and other forces, advanced on our left, steadily pushing back the enemy (at first apparently only A. P. Hill's Corps), for the distance of about two miles and occupying their front line of breastworks. Hancock held the position gained, until, soon after noon, he was impetuously attacked by heavily massed forces of the enemy, including the corps of Longstreet (who was severely wounded in this action), and in turn forced back, with serious loss to his former position, of the morning. In like manner, Sedgwick, on the right drove the Rebel forces. in his front, but was compelled to yield before the assaults of their reinforced column, giving up all the ground he had gained. Following up their temporary success, the Rebel. troops pressed on until the right flank of our army was partly turned, and the danger of fatal disaster seemed imminent. The coolness of Sedgwick, and the well-tried valor of the Sixth Corps, saved the day. In addition to his other losses, however, was that of a considerable number of prisoners, including two commanders of brigades, Gens. Shaler and Seymour. A stampede among the teams in the rear of this corps had commenced just at night, and general confusion was menaced. But the incipient panic, which had not extended to the men in line, was fortunately stayed. During the night, all transportation wagons, and ambulances, were kept in orderly motion toward Chancellorsville. Some even retired beyond that place, to Ely's Ford, but were promptly recalled in the morning-an advance being intended, and not a retreat. If there