William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac

The views of General Grant strongly favored an operation against Lee's left, crossing the Rapidan above that flank. This plan was recommended by the consideration that an advance by this line would cover the communications with Washington against any contingency of a counter—move northward by Lee, and force him directly back towards Richmond. It was, however, attended with the serious difficulty that the duration of the campaign would be limited by the amount of rations that could be carried with the army, since it would be impracticable to keep up a line of supplies in an advance by that route. This objection was of sufficient weight to determine the adoption of the other alternative, which was to cross the Rapidan by the lower fords and turn Lee's right.

Quitting the camps in which it had lain during the winter, the army moved at midnight of the 3d of May. The advance to the Rapidan was made in two columns: the right column, made up of the corps of Warren and Sedgwick, to cross at Germanna Ford; the left column, consisting of Hancock's corps, at Ely's Ford, six miles below.

Warren's corps, forming the advance of the right column, marched from the vicinity of Culpepper, and, preceded by Wilson's cavalry division, reached Germanna Ford at six o'clock of the morning of Thursday, the 4th; and as soon as the bridge was laid, began the passage, which was completed by one o'clock. During tile afternoon, Sedgwick's corps followed across, and encamped for the night near the river. Warren, advancing some miles southward from the Rapidan, bivouacked at Old Wilderness Tavern at the point of intersection of the plankroad from the Germanna Ford with the turnpike from Orange Courthouse to Fredericksburg. On the latter road, Wilson's division of cavalry was, in the afternoon, thrown out towards Robertson's Tavern to watch the directions whence any hostile menace might be expected. The left column, consisting of Hancock's corps, moved from its