the happy effects of the battalion system, it was done quickly. The effect of this fire upon the enemy's batteries was superb.

In the meantime the enemy was pressing our left with infantry, and all the re-enforcements I could obtain were sent there. Colquitt's brigade, of Trimble's division, ordered first to the right, was directed to the left to support Pender. Iverson's brigade, of the second line, was also engaged there, and the three lines were more or less merged into one line of battle and reported hard pressed. Urgent requests were sent for re-enforcements, and notices that the troops were out of ammunition, &c. I ordered that the ground must be held at all hazards; if necessary, with the bayonet. About this time also our right connected with Anderson's left, relieving all anxiety on that subject. I was now anxious to mass infantry on the left, to push the enemy there, and sent every available regiment to that point.

About 8 a.m. to works of the enemy directly in front of our right were stormed, but the enemy's forces retiring from the line facing Anderson, which our batteries enfiladed, caused our troops to abandon these works, the enemy coming in their rear. It was stormed a second time, when I discovered the enemy making a flank movement to the left of the road, for the purpose of dislodging our forces, and hastened to change the front of a portion of our line to meet this attack, but the shortness of the time and the deafening roar of artillery prevented the execution of this movement, and our line again retired. The third time it was taken, I made disposition of a portion of Ramseur's brigade to protect the left flank. Artillery was pushed forwrad to the ctrest, sharpshooters were posted in a house in advance, and in a few moments Chancellorsville was ours (10 a.m.) The enemy retired toward Ely's Ford, the road to United States Ford branching one-half mile west of Chancellorsville.

In this hotly contested battle the enemy had strong works on ech side of the road, those on the commanding ridge being heavily defended by artilery. The night also had given him time to mass his troops to meet this attack, but the desperate valor of Jackson's corps overcame every obstacle and drove the enemy to his new line of defense, which his engineers had constructed in his rear, ready for occupation, at the intersection of the Ely's Ford and United States Ford roads.

General Anderson's division, of the right wing, arrived upon the field comparatively fresh. I set about reforming my command with a view to a renewal of the attack when the commanding general received intelligence that the enemy had crossed at Fredericksburg and taken Marye's Hill. An aide-de-camp of General Sedgwick captured by Colonel [William C.] Wickham's regiment on the right, near Banks' Ford, reported two corps under command of Sedgwick. The commanding general decided to hold Hooker, beaten as he was, in his works with Jackson's corps, and detach enough of other forces to turn on Sedgwick. The success of this strategy enabled him again to concentrate to force Hooker's position, and arrangements were made for attack with this corps on the morning of the 6th (Wednesday); but before it was begun our skirmishers found the enemy's works abandoned, and, pressing forward to the river,captured many prisoners. The enemy had another work 2 miles in rear of the other, which was also abandoned.

This region of country is known as the "Wilderness." Rapid pursuit in such a country in an impossibility where the enemy takes care to leave his trains beyond the Rappahannock, and avails himself, as he does, of the appliances of art, labor, and natural obstacles to delay his pursuers. In this battle, in which the enemy's main force was attacked in chosen