Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/468

432 would be to his right, toward the old fields of unsuccessful Federal venture. Looking eastward, Mine run and Chancellorsville were in sight. Beyond, in mental vision, he could see Salem church and the twice-attacked and twice-defended Fredericksburg. He doubtless asked himself just where—in that historic region where his famous ancestor, Spotswood, had built the first blast-furnace for making iron, in America—the impending conflict would begin, immediate preparations for which he took in hand on returning to his camp.

Lee was accompanied to his point of observation by Longstreet, just returned from his Tennessee campaign; Field, commanding Hood's old division, and Kershaw, that of McLaws; Ewell, and his division commanders, Early, Edward Johnson and Rodes; A. P. Hill, with his division commanders, R. H. Anderson, Heth and Wilcox. It is said that after his information-seeking overlook of the Federal camps, Lee turned to these officers, and pointing toward Chancellorsville, said, that in his opinion, the Federal army would cross at Germanna or at Ely's; and that he then bade them prepare to take up the line of march whenever orders were given from the signal station.

When Grant ordered his forward movement, on the 4th of May, there were 147,000 men under his command, in and near Culpeper, disposed in three grand army corps; the Second led by Hancock, the Fifth by Warren, and the Sixth by Sedgwick. Burnside held the Ninth, as a sort of rear guard, north of the Rappahannock. It took 20,000 men to care for Grant's vast army train, leaving about 120,000 for fighting duty. With these were 274 field guns, of the most improved kind; while Sheridan, with some 13,000 cavalry, guarded the advance and flanks of the movement. This, said one of Grant's subordinates, was "the best clothed and best fed army that ever took the field." Its supply train, if extended in single line of march, would have covered more than 100 miles of distance.

To meet this mighty host, which was about to pass his flank, Lee had, at the end of April, less than 62,000 men for battle; 22,000, under A. P. Hill, near Orange Court House; some 17,000, under Ewell, in the Mountain run valley; 10,000 in Longstreet's two divisions, encamped near Gordonsville; 224 guns in his batteries, manned by 4,800 artillerists; and 8,300 cavalrymen, under the