Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/65

Rh his march without further interruption, crossing the turnpike to the Plank road, and moving on that road easterly to the vinicityvicinity [sic] of Chancellorsville, the head of the 12th corps reaching that place about 2 P. M., while Howard, with the 11th corps, halted at Dowdall's tavern.

Hooker now had three army corps assembled at Chancellorsville, and another under Couch approaching by the United States ford road, while Sickles was ready to move and join him at a moment's notice. His plans had worked out well. His leading corps had marched near forty miles and occupied the coveted ground with scarcely a show of resistance. He was greatly elated, and had good reason to be proud of his success. When one considers how well the movement was guarded, the difficult character of the roads, and the passage of the two fords over the Rapidan, with the long tortuous hills on the southern side and the sticky red clay characteristic of Orange County, it must be admitted to have been a remarkable feat, and merited the verdict generally given at the time, that it was a brilliant success, and that he had clearly outmanouveredoutmaneuvered [sic] Lee. Having succeeded thus far Hooker believed he commanded the situation. It admitted of great possibilities, but if he saw them, he was not disposed to depart from his original program. He was now on the ground which Grant had to fight for in the succeeding year, with the difference that then Grant was east of Lee, and now Hooker was west of Lee. From Chancellorsville to Spottsylvania Court House is less than eight miles in an air line, with connecting roads either by Todd's tavern or by Aldrich and Piney Branch Church. From the Plank road where Slocum struck it to Todd's tavern over the Brock road is a little over four miles, and about the same distance from Todd's tavern to Spottsylvania Court House, which is a little east of south from Chancellorsville. As General Lee was in ignorance of how Hooker had disposed his forces, and so late as the afternoon of the 1st inquired of Stuart where the 11th and 12th corps were, stating that the prisoners taken were from Meade's corps only, it is difficult to see any good reason why Hooker should not have continued his movement and made Spottsylvania his objective instead of