at the beginning, and on the first of May Hooker found himself at
Chancellorsville, face-to-face with the bulk of Lee's forces; and
Sedgwick, crossing the river and charging with the utmost
determination, had driven out of Fredericksburg the Confederate
division of Early; but when Hooker found himself in front of Lee
he hesitated, faltered instead of pushing on, and allowed the
consummate general to whom he was opposed to take the initiative.

Lee fully realized his danger, and saw that his only chance was,
first to beat back Hooker, and then to turn and overwhelm
Sedgwick, who was in his rear. He consulted with Jackson, and
Jackson begged to be allowed to make one of his favorite flank
attacks upon the Union army; attacks which could have been
successfully delivered only by a skilled and resolute general,
and by troops equally able to march and to fight. Lee consented,
and Jackson at once made off. The country was thickly covered
with a forest of rather small growth, for it was a wild region,
in which there was still plenty of game. Shielded by the forest,
Jackson marched his gray columns rapidly to the left along the
narrow country roads until he was square on the flank of the
Union right wing, which was held by the Eleventh Corps, under
Howard. The Union scouts got track of the movement and reported
it at headquarters, but the Union generals thought the
Confederates were retreating; and when finally the scouts brought
word to Howard that he was menaced by a flank attack he paid no
heed to the information, and actually let his whole corps be
surprised in broad daylight. Yet all the while the battle was
going on elsewhere, and Berdan's sharpshooters had surrounded and
captured a Georgia regiment, from which information was received
showing definitely that Jackson was not retreating, and must be