May 7, 1863, The New York Herald
Long live the Union! The news of Monday’s warlike operations on the Rappahannock, received in this city yesterday, has lifted a heavy weight of anxiety from the public mind. Our heroic Army of the Potomac is still intact, and in a strong position for offensive or defensive purposes – a position which its fearless and active commander appears to entertain no though of abandoning except to advance.
In order that our readers may fully understand the general situation of affairs, we give this morning several illustrated maps and the interesting detailed reports from our special correspondents on the field of the military operations around them since Friday morning last, and the results down to Tuesday morning. It will thus be seen that General Hooker’s position remains substantially the same as at the beginning. We esteem it, too, a matter of congratulation that the detached army corps of General Sedgwick, on the Heights of Fredericksburg, hemmed in between two overwhelming divisions of the rebel army, was successful in cutting its way out, and in recrossing the river on its pontoon bridges under the enemy’s fire. It seems almost a miracle that in this daring and difficult enterprise, the corps was not captured en masse or utterly destroyed. It was, no doubt, materially assisted by Gen. Hooker’s attack upon the right on Monday afternoon, which, for the purpose of feeling and disarranging the movements of the enemy, was a brilliant success.
The reoccupation of the Heights of Fredericksburg by the rebels is no serious loss to us. General Hooker’s base of operations and his depots of supplies are on this side of the river, and are properly protected. The object of Lee and Jackson in their attack upon the heights was not the recovery of those intrenchments, which have ceased to be of any value to them, but the capture or destruction of a detached body of some twelve or fifteen thousand Union troops, with their small arms, equipments and artillery. Failing in this object, the recapture of their old defensive position is a barren victory to the enemy, and very dearly purchased, while the brilliant movement of Sedgwick from Fredericksburg greatly strengthens Gen. Hooker’s operations.
The formidable rebel attack upon General Hooker’s flank on Saturday last was but a repetition of Jackson’s overwhelming descent upon General McClellan’s right at Gaines’ Mills, and it is fearful to think how narrowly Hooker escaped a greater disaster than that of McClellan. Having escaped it, and recovered from it, and having concentrated his army in a strong position, with each flank resting upon the river, we expect that, should the rebels attempt again their rash experiment of Malvern Hill, they will meet with the same terrible repulse. In the loss of Monday, however, it is most probable that the rebels will conclude they have lost their opportunity, and will wait again for General Hooker to take the initiative. We do not suppose they will be required to wait long, as stout old Heintzelman, with thirty thousand men from Washington, is reported en route to the Rappahannock.
But still the question recurs: What has become of General Stoneman and his powerful column of cavalry, which was the most warlike and imposing feature of President Lincoln’s late review of the Potomac army? From the reinforcements which have joined Lee, including Longstreet’s column from Suffolk, it would appear that Gen. Stoneman has failed to destroy those railroad connections with Richmond, upon the cutting of which General Hooker so strongly relied to detach the enemy in his front from his reinforcements and supplies, in time to fully accomplish this purpose. What has become of General Stoneman? His cavalry force was too strong to be resisted by all the cavalry of Lee combined; and Stuart, with his column, is hovering about the Rappahannock. Let us only hear that Stoneman and his cavalry have returned, or that they have accomplished the work assigned them, and we shall at once be relieved of every doubt as to the issue of this Virginia campaign. There are indications, however, that Stoneman has succeeded in his main object; and we shall therefore hope to soon hear of important results around Richmond, growing out of this success and of other movements in contemplation.
The heavy rains of the last two days have doubtless extended to the Rappahannock, rendering meantime any aggressive movements on either side, except by cavalry, impracticable, if, not impossible. This will be an advantage to Gen. Hooker in his present situation; whereas, if he were only twenty miles further southward, these rains and the impassable roads of mud which they will produce might prove as embarrassing as a rebel army in his rear. We believe that our army, in completely recovering from the shock of Jackson’s tremendous flank attack of Saturday, passed the extreme point of danger, and that it is now secure against all contingencies till ready again to advance.
Finally, we are gratified to hear that the administration has at length made the important discovery that the surest way to protect Washington is to strengthen the Army of the Potomac; and he will be trifling with the patience of the people to a dangerous extent should President Lincoln fail again to render this gallant army superior to that of the enemy with all their reinforcements. Let President Lincoln do his duty towards this army, and it will save, not only Washington, but his administration, the government and the Union – for these are the issues at stake.