Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/410

378 this movement, for on the 23d he wrote to Jackson that he considered the Federal preparations opposite Port Royal as only a feint that it was not necessary to move troops to meet, as he was satisfied that Hooker's purpose was to attempt a passage elsewhere, and closed by writing: "I will notify Generals McLaws and Anderson to be on the alert, for I think if a real attempt is made to cross the river, it will be above Fredericksburg."

During the night of the 28th, Sedgwick threw his pontoons across the Rappahannock, nearly in front of Hamilton's crossing, and on the morning of the 29th the Federal lines of battle again appeared on the broad river plain below Fredericksburg. That same morning Stuart informed Lee that the Federal flanking advance had crossed at Kelly's ford, and later in the day that two columns of Federal infantry were moving toward the Germanna and Ely fords of the Rapidan. This information confirmed Lee as to Hooker's intentions, and he at once ordered Anderson westward to support the opposition which he directed Stuart to make to the Federal movement toward Chancellorsville. At midnight Hooker's advance forced back from Chancellorsville the brigades of Mahone and Posey, of Anderson's division, and occupied that plantation. Anderson withdrew and formed his lines in the intrenchments that had been thrown up in front of Tabernacle church, across the three roads that there converged, from the westward, into the turnpike road leading to Fredericksburg.

On the night of this same 29th of April, Stuart sent Gen. W. H. F. Lee, with two regiments of cavalry, to intercept Stoneman's movement against Gordonsville, while in person he led Fitz Lee's brigade across the historic Raccoon ford of the Rapidan, and placed his cavalry in position to protect Lee's left. This brought him into conflict with the Federal cavalry advance on the morning of the 30th, near Todd's tavern, not far from Anderson's left at Tabernacle church.

Meade's corps of the Federal army, the Fifth, reached Chancellorsville during the night of the 29th, and by sunset of the 30th, Hooker had there concentrated 50,000 men, while 18,000 more, under Sickles, were near at hand. Sedgwick, with his 40,000 or more, was still threatening Lee's right, below Fredericksburg; at the same time some 13,000 Federal cavalry were threatening his railway communications.