May 7, 1863, The New York Herald
Our Special Reports from the Battle Field.
OPERATIONS ON SATURDAY.
CHANGE OF POSITION.
During the night of Friday the position of our forces was very materially changed. The Second corps was thrown down the Blanks Ford road, holding the extreme left of our line, and, with a portion of the Fifth, completed the line on the east up to the plank road, supported by the Second division of the Third corps, which was resting on the direct road to the United States Ford. The Second division, Gen. Geary, of the Twelfth, held the left of our centre, its left resting on the plank road in front of the general headquarters, and extending along the entire front of the field. Gen. Williams’ division of the same corps was formed on the right of this line, facing to the southwest, its extreme right, resting in the edge of the woods facing the little cleared field indicated in the general map I send you, situated about two miles south of west from headquarters. The Eleventh corps was originally directed to take position on the right of Gen. Williams, with its right extending as far down towards the Wilderness road as consistent with a proper strengthening of the position. Birney’s division of the Third corps was ordered to take position on the plank road as a reserve both to the Eleventh and Twelfth; but General Sickles, discovering an advantageous opening in a cleared, field about a quarter of a mile south of the plank road, and a mile and a half west of general headquarters, obtained permission to advance Birney to this place, which brought him between the Eleventh and Twelfth corps. At this place he deployed off to the right around the field, General Williams, of the Twelfth, occupying the other side of the opening. This field is shown in the diagram above. It is a small farm, half of which (the portion occupied by our forces) is elevated to the general level of the land about Chancellorsville, the back half falling off rather precipitously into the valley of Scott’s creek, and forming a low piece of cultivated bottom land. The farm buildings are situated about in the centre of the clearing, at the point where the farm road descends the hill to cross the low bottom land. At the back of this low land a little stream skirts along at the foot of the hills behind the farm, leading into Scott’s creek, and thence down through the valley to the Rappahannock. Scott’s creek takes its rise far back from this place, and flows down through a deep and densely wooded ravine into the back of the cultivated land above described, and then winds along at its farther side in a general easterly course. I refer the reader to the diagram for a more definite idea of this locality, as the place will become conspicuous in the course of this narrative.
In the general disposition of the forces for Saturday both Berry’s and Whipple’s divisions of the Third corps were held in reserve, though Berdan’s Sharpshooters were detached from the latter’s division for a special duty with Birney.
REINFORCEMENTS.
During the night of Friday the First corps, Major General Sedgwick, arrived on the field from the left, and were assigned to a position on the extreme right, thus bringing our lines down in that direction nearly to the Rappahannock river.
MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY.
Under cover of the darkness of Friday night the enemy commenced moving large masses of troops around the front of our lines to get position on our right, with a view of flanking us there. Subsequent developments have proven that the entire grand division of D. H. Hill made this movement around the front of our lines during that night. At midnight the scouts and advanced pickets from both the Third and Twelfth corps observed the movement and communicated it to their respective commanders, but at that time it was impracticable to do anything to prevent it. At the first dawn of morning immense wagon trains were distinctly seen moving over the road indicated as the route of the rebel movement, which runs along the summit of the hills back of the little farm occupied by Birney and Williams. This was evidently a blind on the part of the enemy to lead us to believe they were evacuating and running to Gordonsville. Some of the corps commanders were confident that this was the case; but General Hooker very shrewdly guessed the real meaning of the demonstration. He, however, directed General Sickles to plant a battery at a point by the farmhouse in his enclosure, which commanded a view of the moving train, and shell it. This was quickly done by Clark’s New Jersey battery, and the train was thrown into disorder and compelled to move back.
BIRNEY ADVANCES.
When the train was stopped Gen. Sickles conceived the idea of obtaining possession of the road over which it had been moving, and thus prevent any further operations of the enemy in that direction. With this purpose in view he ordered Birney to advance and take possession of the hill on the south side of the ravine running out back from the farm, and opposite to the heights over which the road occupied by the rebels ran. The Berdan Sharpshooters were placed in the advance of this movement, supported by the Twentieth Indiana regiment. These deployed as skirmishers, advanced across the farm, and then up the hill through a densely tangled mass of underbrush, skirmishing with the enemy at every step, who were found to be in considerable force on the slope as well as on the summit. As soon as the skirmishers had crossed the field the main column was ordered to advance, General Birney placing himself at their head. Before crossing the little stream spoken of before, it became necessary to throw a bridge across it, in case artillery should be needed on the heights. This work was so rapidly done by the sappers and miners of Graham’s brigade as to cause but a few minutes delay, and before the enemy could prepare for them the whole force was on the top of the hill. The summit was found to be covered with a bushy second growth of timber that was extremely difficult of passage, and rendered observation entirely out of the question. The force was liable to be ambuscaded at every moment in this tangled thicket. There was, it is true, a little winding country road leading through this brush, but nothing more, and that scarcely wide enough for an ox cart to pass through. Still the column was pushed forward, constantly skirmishing with and driving back the enemy, until at last they came upon a system of rifle pits, in which the enemy made a desperate stand. At this point, too, the enemy were strengthened by a field battery, planted at some point back, which our forces could not then discover, and from which they continued to throw volley after volley of shells into the woods, though, fortunately, hurting no one. Still the shelling was excessively annoying, and a battery was ordered up to reply to it. Captain Seely battery, Fourth United States artillery, was quickly in position three-quarters of a mile out on the little road over the hill, and entered into a brisk duel with the rebel artillery, though neither party was able to see the other. Unfortunately, when this battery charged up the hill there was no time allowed it to procure a supply of ammunition. It could, therefore, work but a short time, and in twenty minutes was obliged to retire to replenish its caissons. During the short time it was engaged six of its men were more or less wounded.
A CHARGE.
At this juncture General Birney ordered a charge upon the rebel rifle pits, which were quickly cleared, about a hundred of their occupants falling into our hands as prisoners. With the annoyance of musketry thus stopped, our men found less difficulty in advancing, the enemy’s artillery doing but little damage to us. But even this was destined to be quickly ended. Colonel Berdan had worked his little sharpshooter brigade close up to the battery under cover of the bushes, when, ascertaining its exact position, he disposed his little force to capture it. Dividing them quietly into three parties, he moved a party forward to either side of the battery, and then charged it from in front with the third party, himself leading them. The battery was supported by the Twenty-eighth Georgia regiment, all of whom that were to be seen, about two hundred and seventy in number, threw down their arms at the first challenge to surrender, and were marched to the rear as prisoners. In the excitement of securing so considerable a body of prisoners, the battery was for the moment lost sight of, an opportunity which the rebel gunners improved to fly, taking everything with them but a single caisson.
A REBEL FOUNDRY.
We had now reached the extreme brow of the hill, and had driven the rebels back fully a mile. We had obtained a commanding position, overlooking the opposite range, across which the rebel road run. At this point there was quite an opening in the timber and a large frame building, recently erected by the rebels for a foundry, at which it was evident they had recently been casting shot and shell, manufacturing gun carriages, limbers and caissons, and doing other handy jobs in that line essential to warfare. It was a good point gained, and one that ought to have been held. But it was by no means a pleasant position at that particular time. The woods covering the face of the opposite hills were filled with rebel sharpshooters, who lost no opportunity of picking off any one who chanced to show himself. Berdan posted a portion of his famous command about the foundry and behind the trees in that vicinity, and commenced duelling at long range – a practice in which, if the rebels did not suffer more than we, their loss was very immaterial.
A FURTHER ADVANCE.
Another party of our sharpshooters, together with the Twentieth Indiana, moved forward still pressing on farther away from our main line. They skirmished along up the easterly slope of the hill we had gained until the road crossed – the ravine and entered the road that had been used by the enemy at a little white farm house full half a mile from the foundry. This was the limit that it was desirable to reach at that time, and General Birney ordered Colonel Hayman to advance his brigade – the Third – to that position. A battery was also ordered up to take position at the foundry and shell the opposite woods. General Sickles, at this time, was present on the hill, directing operations generally, and while standing by the foundry in conversation with Gen. Birney had a very narrow escape. The two generals, with a squad of their respective staffs, were standing out upon the brow of the hill in plain sight of the rebels, when one of their sharpshooters marked them and fired with a target rifle. The ball whizzed through between the two generals, narrowly escaping Gen. Sickles, as indicated by the sensible puff of wind it produced in passing.
SICKLES GOES TOO FAST.
During the progress of the movements that I have attempted to describe above, Gen. Sickles had kept Gen. Hooker constantly acquainted with his position and advances. The latter frequently, during the afternoon, sent up word that Sickles was going too fast and venturing too far; he should move slower. General Sickles had applied for support for his movements, but had not succeeded in getting any, even from his own corps, until the eleventh hour, when permission was accorded him to advance General Whipple to Birney’s support. Application had been made to have General Berry also moved up; but General Hooker replied that the enemy were massing a strong force in front of the headquarters, and he needed Berry in that vicinity in case of an attack. But when it was reported at headquarters that Birney had really gained the heights and was in possession of so desirable a situation, General Hooker immediately consented to his ordering all the support he desired.
THE MAIN LINE ADVANCES.
The Eleventh corps, lying in the rear of Birney’s right, was thereupon directed to advance and join its left flank to Birney’s right, and the Twelfth corps was also ordered up on the left. General Whipple, who had arrived on the ground with his division, was directed to charge simultaneously with the others, moving up the ravine. Gen. Williams’ division of the Twelfth corps, in moving up, would come directly on to the hill from which Birney had been so much annoyed by sharpshooters. There appeared to be no greater obstacle in their way than this, and the column was deployed at the crossing of Scott creek and moved into the woods, taking proper precautions in keeping a good line of skirmishers in advance. They had to advanced a hundred yards into the woods when their skirmishers became engaged with those of the enemy, the latter, however, gradually falling back. The main line pressed hard on after the skirmishers, keeping always within close supporting distance, although the nature of the country was the most impracticable that could be selected for the advance of a column in line of battle. But still they went forward, and had advanced about half way up the hill, when they came face to face with the rebels drawn up in two lines of great strength. An engagement ensued at once, our men charging boldly on the rebel lines. Then commenced the first real action of the day. The enemy held their ground obstinately, replying to volley with volley, and contesting the ground with perfect desperation. As usual, wherever we came in contact with them they outnumbered us greatly; but the brave men who attacked them never stopped to consider the heavy odds that existed against them. Rapidly they loaded and quickly fired their pieces, taking care always that their aim was not wild, but effective. Under their sure aim the enemy quailed, and finally the first line gave way and fell back upon the second. Our men gave a shout of triumph and pressed on anew, determined to carry the heights. But the enemy were as determined to hold them, and with a powerful line of fresh troops their advantages were greatly increased. Our men, borne down with heat and fatigue, began to show evidences of faltering, which was promptly observed by their commander, and the column was ordered to fall back. It was manifestly an impossibility for them to carry the position in that condition by a direct attack, and to hold the men under fire after they were persuaded of their inability to accomplish the task would only prove disastrous. By ordering them back at the first indication of discouragement, General Williams displayed his good generalship and saved his fine division, bringing them off in the most perfect good order. It is probable that, had Whipple been a little more prompt in advancing his column upon Williams’ right, both divisions would have accomplished the task assigned them. But for some unexplained reason Whipple division did not get fairly in motion before Williams was hotly engaged, and the enemy were enabled to throw all their available force in that vicinity directly in his front, and afterwards, when Williams had retired and Whipple advanced, the same powerful combination of force met him and drove him back.
THE STAMPEDE OF THE ELEVENTH.
But the climax of the disaster was not yet reached. The Eleventh corps had been ordered to advance on the right of Birney, and moved forward to take the position assigned to them on Birney’s flank. One brigade succeeded in getting up the hill, and reported, by its commander (whose name I have unfortunately lost), to Generals Sickles and Birney. The rest of the corps met the enemy in force when about two-thirds of the distance up. Here they had a short engagement, in which it does not appear that they had even so large a force to contend against as that which Williams, with his single division, had fought so bravely. Headed by their commander, the gallant Howard, the German corps charged boldly up to the rebel lines. Here they were met, as the rebels always meet their foe, with shouts of defiance and derision, a determined front and a heavy fire of musketry. The German regiments returned the fire for a short time with spirit, manifesting a disposition to fight valiantly. But at the time when all encouragement to the men was needed that could be given, then some officer of the division (one at least, as I am informed) fell back to the rear, leaving his men to fight alone. At the same time General Devens, commanding the First division, was unhorsed and badly wounded in his foot by a musket ball. Thus, losing at a critical moment the inspiriting influence of the immediate presence of their commanders, the men began to falter, then to fall back, and finally broke in a complete rout. General Howard boldly threw himself into the breach and attempted to rally the shattered columns; but his efforts were perfectly futile. The men were panic stricken, and no power on earth could rally them in the face of the enemy. Information of the catastrophe was promptly communicated to Gen. Sickles, who thus had a moment given him to prepare for the shock he instantly apprehended his column must suffer. The high land of the little farm that formed the base of his operations was parked full of artillery and cavalry, nearly all the artillery of the Third corps, together with Pleasanton’s cavalry, being crowded into that little fifty acre enclosure. But Sickles was not to be thrown off his guard by a trifle, and anything short of a complete defeat seemed to be considered by him in the light of a trifle. With the coolness and skilfulness of a veteran of a hundred campaigns, he set to work making his dispositions. He had not a single regiment within his reach to support his artillery; Whipple was falling back, and must meet the approaching stampede with his own force in retreat; Birney was far out in the advance, in imminent danger of being completely surrounded and annihilated; the rebel forces were pressing hard upon the flying Germans, who could only escape by rushing across his lines, with every prospect of communicating the panic to them. It was a critical moment indeed, and one that might well stagger even the bravest hearted. But it did not stagger the citizen soldier. Calling to one after another of his staff, he sent them all off, one after the other, lest any should fail of getting through, to warn Birney of his danger and order him to fall back. Then, turning to Gen. Pleasonton, he directed him to take charge of the artillery, and train it all upon the woods encircling the field, and support it with his cavalry, to hold the rebels in check should they come on him, and himself dashed off to meet Whipple, then just emerging from the woods in the bottom land. He had scarcely turned his horse about when the flying Germans came dashing over the field in crowds, meeting the head of Whipple column and stampeding through his lines, running as only men do run when convinced that sure destruction is awaiting them. At the same moment large masses of the rebel infantry came dashing through the woods on the north and west close up to the field, and opened a tremendous fire of musketry into the confused mass of men and animals. To add to the confusion and terror of the occasion, night was rapidly approaching and, darkness was already beginning to obscure all things.
THE PANIC.
I must frankly confess that I have no ability to do justice to the scene that followed. It was my lot to be in the centre of that field when the panic burst upon us. May I never be a witness to another such scene. On one hand was a solid column of infantry retreating at double quick from the face of the enemy, who were already crowding their rear; on the other was a dense mass of beings who had lost their reasoning faculties, and were flying from a thousand fancied dangers as well as from the real danger that crowded so close upon them, aggravating the fearfulness of their situation by the very precipitancy with which they were seeking to escape from it. On the hill were ten thousand of the enemy, pouring their murderous volleys in upon us, yelling and hooting, to increase the alarm and confusion; hundreds of cavalry horses, left riderless at the first discharge from the rebels, were dashing frantically about in all directions; a score of batteries of artillery were thrown into disorder, some properly manned, seeking to gain positions for effective duty, and others flying from the field; battery wagons, ambulances, horses, men, cannon, caissons, all jumbled and tumbled together in an apparently inextricable mass, and that murderous fire still pouring in upon them. To add to the terror of the occasion there was but one means of escape from the field, and that through a little narrow neck or ravine washed out by Scott’s creek. Towards this the confused mass plunged headlong. For a moment it seemed as if no power could avert the frightful calamity that threatened the entire army. That neck passed, and this panic-stricken, disordered body of men and animals, permitted to pass down through the other corps of the army, our destruction was sure. But in the midst of that wildest alarm there was a cool head. That threatened calamity was averted by the determined self-possession of Major General Daniel E. Sickles. Spurring his horse forward he forced his way through the tangled mass and entered this narrow neck. Across this neck there runs a strong brick wall, behind which the forces of Generals Williams and Berry had already thrown themselves preparatory to meeting the enemy. On one flank of the wall was the deeply sunken bed or the creek, impassable for any species of vehicle, and scarcely safe for men. At the upper end of the wall was a narrow gateway, the only opening to be found. To this point General Sickles picked his way, and there, drawing his sword, blocked the passage with himself and horse. On came the panic stricken crowd, terrified artillery riders spurring and lashing their horses to their utmost; riderless horses dashing along regardless of all obstacles; ambulances upsetting and being dashed to pieces against trees and stumps; men flying and crying with alarm – a perfect torrent of passion, apparently uncontrollable. But against it all the brave General threw himself, and by his determined bravery brought the first heavy mass – a cannon drawn by six horses, well mounted – to a halt, and blockaded the passage. Others dashed up behind and crowded upon the first, their drivers cursing and swearing and calling to the foremost to go on. The loose horses jumped the stone wall, and the flying men scrambled over it, utterly oblivious to the fact that the opposite side was crowded with men whose lives were thus doubly endangered. But […..] began to return to those who had previously lost it, and much of the artillery, properly manned, was quickly brought back upon the field.
PLEASANTON CHECKS THE REBELS.
In the meantime, Pleasanton, in obedience to the orders received from General Sickles, had mustered two or three of the batteries and was busily employed pouring grape and canister into the woods that were filled with the rebels. Every movement his effective force of pieces was increased by cannoniers recovering from their fright and returning to duty, so that by the time the stampede was finally checked he had at least twenty-five pieces bearing directly upon the enemy in all directions about the field, and at so close a range that every discharge took effect, not upon one or two but upon dozens. The slaughter here must have been beyond count. We have reason to believe that nearly the whole, if not the entire body, of Hill’s force was in the attack upon that little field, which must have filled the woods. Such an incessant fire from so many pieces, and into so dense a mass, could not have now quite […..] dark, and as we never regained entire possession of the woods, where the enemy were the thickest, we have no means of knowing how the great the slaughter was. It was sufficient to know that the enemy was held in check, and Sickles’ gallant corps had an opportunity to rally from the disastrous effects of the shameful stampede of the Eleventh corps.
END OF THE PANIC.
Let me here finish with the Eleventh corps. They did not all fly across Sickles’ line. They dispersed and ran in all directions, regardless of the order of their going. They all seemed possessed with an instinctive idea of the shortest and most direct line from the point whence they started to the United States ford, and the majority of them did not stop until they had reached the ford. Many of them, on reaching the river, dashed in and swam to the north side, and are supposed to be running yet. As soon as General Hooker heard of the panic he established a line of guards across the roads and stopped all who were to be seen upon the highways; but by far the greater portion never thought of the roads, but dashed on through the woods until they reached the river. It was no worse with privates than with officers. The stampede was universal; the disgrace general. The fugitives were picked up the next day, wherever found, and the corps was reformed, but has not since been taken into action.
BIRNEY SAFE.
In the midst of the confusion incident to this panic the brave Birney and his gallant division have been forgotten. Almost simultaneously with the reception of the information sent him by General Sickles of the rout of his supports on the right, he began to have practical evidence of it by the flight of the demoralized Germans across his lines, and before he could prepare to retire his force he found his line of retreat cut off by the repossession by the rebels of the road by which he had advanced. In this dilemma he had no other recourse but to make a road out. His column was therefore ordered to leave the lane and move quietly down into the ravine. This was successfully accomplished. Even the battery that had been taken up to the foundry being brought down the hill. In the ravine he had a slight skirmish with a portion of the rebels who had been pursuing Whipple, putting them to flight, and then moved his column out through the ravine in the most perfect order.
WHIPPLE SAFE.
General Whipple, when attacked in his rear by the rebels and on his flank by the demoralized and frantic men of the Eleventh, was in the utmost danger of losing his entire command. I have never yet ascertained how he saved it, but I do know that he brought them off in comparatively good order, and bivouacked that night, with Birney and Pleasanton, on the little farm in the woods.