purpose in retreating, when he discovered that about 500 yards in front of Chancellorsville, in the midst of a dense thicket of black jack, the Federal pioneers had thrown up very strong intrenchments at right angles to the turnpike and plank roads with an abattis of felled trees bristling outwards in front, and seemingly defying the passage of any living and walking animal. Running southwards for about a mile from the plank road, the Yankee works turned short to the west until they again met the plank road between Chancellorsville and Orange Court House, towards the latter of which points another plank road deflects in a south-westerly direction after leaving Chancellorsville. Within these works the Yankees stood thickly and savagely at bay, their powerful artillery massed on some high ground a little in the rear. Their position was fearfully formidable-repulse, if the works were attacked solely from the front, seemed inevitable- the loss of life to the assailants anyhow must have been ghastly. Under these circumstances General Lee resolved to outflank the flanker."

On the next day, General "Stonewall" Jackson executed a daring movement. At the first break of dawn he set out with three divisions, and making a long détour, got round to the enemy's right, where he suddenly attacked them in the evening on their flank and rear, while General Lee opened a heavy artillery fire upon their front. The Federals were thrown into confusion, and seem to have been only saved by the approaching darkness from utter discomfiture. But the success of the Confederates was dearly purchased by the death of their favourite leader, General Jackson, who fell by a chance bullet from one of his own men. We will give the account of his fatal wound as it is told by the same writer :

"Formation or order the Federals had none; reserves, tactics, organization, disposition, plan, all went down before the whirlwind suddenness of the surprise. The loss of the Confederates was ludicrously small; their advance like that of a white squall in the bay of Naples. Night had fallen. About eight o'clock General Jackson rode forward with two or three of his Staff along the plank road, and advanced 150 yards in front of his foremost skirmishers, peering with those keen eyes which you might fancy could be seen through the densest gloom, forward into the night. He turned to ride back-a heavy fire from one of his own regiments, hailing from South Carolina, but whose number I will in mercy withhold, saluted him. One bullet struck his left arm four inches below the shoulder, shattering the bone down to the elbow. The wound was intensely painful; he half fell, half was lifted from his horse. An aide galloped back to A. P. Hill to report that Stonewall Jackson was wounded and lying in the road. General Hill galloped hastily up, flung himself from the saddle, began, choked with emotion, to cut the cloth of Jackson's sleeve, when suddenly four of the Federal videttes appeared on horseback, and were fired on by the Staff officers. The videttes fell back upon a strong and

swiftly advancing line of Federal skirmishers. General Hill and all the officers and couriers of both Staffs had no alternative but to mount and ride for their lives, leaving Jackson where he lay."

He was, however, not recognized by the Federals, who swept past him, and were in turn driven back. But in the mean time two more bullets had struck the fallen hero, and both again from his own men. He was carried to the rear, and his arm was amputated; but his strength failed him, and he soon afterwards diedthe most chivalrous soldier and the ablest officer that the American civil war has hitherto produced.

Next day, Sunday, May 3rd, the battle was renewed, and raged furiously along the whole line. Marye's heights were taken by the Federals, but recaptured the next day, and this was their only even temporary success, for the strong defences formed by them, consisting of trunks of trees and logs with interwoven branches, so as to be almost impenetrable, were stormed by the Confederates, and the enemy behind their shelter was completely broken.

"With astonishing accuracy Stuart's enfilading fire had torn through their ranks. In every variety of attitude of death, torn, rent, and shivered into scarcely distinguishable relics of humanity, lay what so lately had breathed and moved. Still more terrible and strangely appalling was the road from Chancellorsville towards Orange Court House, along which, and on either side of which, Jackson had descended to the harvest of death. Tumbrils overthrown, caissons exploded, horses dead and dying, sometimes with broken legs, sometimes with ghastly wounds, human bodies in every guise of suffering and death, riven trees, and, most fearful of all, a crackling fire, running swiftly through the grass and black jack brushwood, and suggesting dreadful thoughts of wounded and helpless men perishing by the most agonizing death known to humanity, froze the blood with horror, as the spectator in agony turned his eyes to Heaven, to gain a moment's relief from the unutterable and woful anguish of earth."

We need not continue the details of the battle, which had, in fact, now become a rout. The shattered columns of the Federals next morning made for Banks's Ford, pursued by the Confederates, and at nightfall, under cover of a dense fog, they crossed by a pontoon bridge, and, under a heavy fire from their victorious foes, reached the northern bank of the Rappahannock, a beaten and demoralized army, having lost in killed, wounded, and missing, 28,000 men.

When General Lee heard of Jackson's wound, he wrote to him, and said:

"If I could have directed events, I should have chosen, for the good of the country, to have been disabled in your stead. I congratulate you upon the victory, which is due to your skill and energy."

He also issued the following General Order upon the 11th of May:

"With deep grief the Commanding-General announces to the army the death of Lieutenant-General Jackson, who expired upon the 9th, at 3.15 p.m. The daring skill and energy of this great and good soldier, by a decree of an All-wise Providence, are now lost to us; but while we mourn his death, we feel that his spirit lives, and will inspire the whole army with his indomitable courage and unshaken confidence in God as our hope and strength.

"Let his name be a watchword for his corps, who have followed him to victory on so many fields. Let officers and soldiers imitate his invincible determination to do every thing in the defence of our beloved country."

CHAPTER VII.

CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA (continued).

Advance of the Confederate Army across the Potomac into Maryland-Battle of Gettysburg-The Confederates recross the Potomac-Riots at New York owing to the Conscription-Final Siege and Surrender of Vicksburg-Surrender of Port Hudson-President Davis proclaims a Conscription-Federal Attack on Charleston -Address of President Lincoln to Union Committee in Illinois-He suspends the Writ of Habeas Corpus- Withdrawal of the Confederate Commissioner from England-Confederate Victory at Chickamauga, in Tennessee-Operations in North Virginia-Battle of Chattanooga, in Tennessee-Message of President Lincoln to the Federal Congress-Message of President Davis to the Confederate Congress.

IN the middle of June the news fell like a thunderbolt on the North that the Confederate army, under General Lee, in imposing force had crossed the Potomac, and was established on the soil of Maryland. It was too true; and the motives which induced General Lee to march into the enemy's territory are stated by himself in an official despatch addressed to the Adjutant-General of the Confederate army. He said :

"The position occupied by the enemy opposite Fredericksburg being one in which he could not be attacked to advantage, it was determined to draw him from it. The execution of this purpose embraced the relief of the Shenandoah Valley from the troops that had occupied the lower part of it during the winter and spring, and, if practicable, the transfer of the scene of hostilities north of the Potomac.

"It was thought that the corresponding movements on the part of the enemy to which those contemplated by us would probably give rise might offer a fair opportunity to strike a blow at the army therein, commanded by General Hooker; and that in any event that army would be compelled to leave Virginia, and possibly to draw to its support troops designed to operate against other

Y

parts of the country. In this way it was supposed that the enemy's plan of campaign for the summer would be broken up, and part of the season of active exertions be consumed in the formation of new combinations and the preparations they would require.

"In addition to these advantages, it was hoped that other valuable results might be attained by military success."

vance.

The movement began on the 3rd of June, and the Federals made several unsuccessful attempts to stop the Confederate adThe Shenandoah Valley was cleared of the enemy, and a great number of prisoners, and a large amount of military stores, with artillery, fell into the hands of the Confederates. At Winchester a whole Federal division,. under General Milroy, was captured or dispersed. The main army of General Hooker withdrew from the line of the Rappahannock, following the road near the Potomac, but avoided crossing the river, although by the 17th of June a part of the Confederate force had already entered Maryland. General Stuart with his cavalry was left to guard the passes of the mountains and harass the movements of the Federals, with instructions to follow into Maryland in case they crossed the Potomac. Generals Longstreet and Hill then crossed the river with their divisions at Williamsport and Shepherdstown, and the columns waiting at Hagerstown advanced into Pennsylvania, encamping near Chambersburg on the 27th. subsequent movements are thus described by General Lee:"Preparations were now made to advance upon Harrisburg; but on the night of the 29th information was received from a scout that the Federal army, having crossed the Potomac, was advancing northwards, and that the head of the column had reached the South Mountains. As our communications with the Potomac were thus menaced, it was resolved to prevent his further progress in that direction by concentrating our army on the east side of the mountains. Accordingly Longstreet and Hill were directed to proceed from Chambersburg to Gettysburg, to which point General Ewell was also instructed to march from Carlisle.

The

"General Stuart continued to follow the movements of the Federal army south of the Potomac after our own had entered Maryland, and in his efforts to impede its progress advanced as far eastward as Fairfax Court House. Finding himself unable to delay the enemy materially, he crossed the river at Seneca, and marched through Westminster to Carlisle, where he arrived after General Ewell had left for Gettysburg. By the route he pursued the Federal army was interposed between his command and our main body, preventing any communication with him until his arrival at Carlisle."

In the mean time great was the consternation throughout the North. The President immediately issued a proclamation, calling upon Maryland to furnish 10,000, Pennsylvania 50,000, Ohio 30,000, and West Virginia 10,000 men, to repel the invaders.

General Hooker resigned, or was dismissed from the command of the army of the Potomac, and General Meade-an officer previously almost unknown-was appointed in his place. The two hostile armies came into collision at Gettysburg, which lies in a valley surrounded by hills. General Lee says in his despatch :

"The leading division of Hill met the enemy in advance of Gettysburg on the morning of the 1st of July. Driving back these troops to within a short distance of the town, he there encountered a larger force, with which two of his divisions became engaged. Ewell, coming up with two of his divisions by the Heidlersburg-road, joined in the engagement. The enemy was driven through Gettysburg, with heavy loss, including about 5000 prisoners and several pieces of artillery.

"He retired to a high range of hills south and east of the town. The attack was not pressed that afternoon, the enemy's force being unknown, and it being considered advisable to await the arrival of the rest of our troops. Orders were sent back to hasten their march, and in the mean time every effort was made to ascertain the numbers and position of the enemy, and find the most favourable point of attack. It had not been intended to fight a general battle at such a distance from our base, unless attacked by the enemy; but, finding ourselves unexpectedly confronted by the Federal army, it became a matter of difficulty to withdraw through the mountains with our large trains. At the same time the country was unfavourable for collecting supplies while in the presence of the enemy's main body, as he was enabled to restrain our foraging parties by occupying the passes of the mountains with regular and local troops. A battle thus became in a measure unavoidable. Encouraged by the successful issue of the engagement the first day, and in view of the valuable results that would ensue from the defeat of the army of General Meade, it was thought advisable to renew the attack."

The battle raged all the next day, and some of the positions of the Federals were carried, which induced the Confederates to hope that by renewing the attack on the following morning they would achieve a decisive victory. But the Federals fought with stubborn resolution; and all the efforts of the enemy were in vain against them. General Lee thus describes his failure and subsequent retreat :

"The enemy in the mean time had strengthened his line with earthworks. The morning was occupied in necessary preparations, and the battle recommenced in the afternoon of the 3rd, and raged with great violence until sunset. Our troops succeeded in entering the advanced works of the enemy, and getting possession of some of his batteries, but our artillery having nearly expended its ammunition, the attacking columns became exposed to the heavy fire of the numerous batteries near the summit of the ridge, and after a most determined and gallant struggle were compelled