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in results, is due to the entire inadequacy in numbers of the cavalry of the army of Northern Virginia.
The enemy has confronted us with at least three divisions of cavalry, more or less concentrated, which we oppose with one division, spread from the Chesapeake to the Alleghany; yet, had not the approach of a battle below made it neccessary to divide the force of the two Lees, I feel very confident that Stoneman's advance would have been prevented, though with great sacrifice of life, owing to disparity of numbers.1 With the commanding General, who is aware of all the facts, we are content to rest our vindication, if the pursuit of the plain path of duty need vindication.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. E. B. Stuart, Major-General, commanding.
Report of Major-General Johnson.
Major: I have the honor to forward Brigadier-General R. E. Colston's official report of the battle of Chancellorsville.
It will be observed that General Colston's report is very full, embracing the operations of the different brigades in detail.
None of the brigade commanders who commanded in the battle are present; three were killed, and the other, Brigadier-General H. C. Nichols, permanently disabled.
If General Colston's report is not sufficiently full for your purposes, please inform me, and I will forward reports from senior officers present, who participated in the battle.
I am, Major, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
Ed. Johnson, Major-General.
Report of Brigadier-General Colston.
Sir: As commander of Trimble's division during the battle of Chancellorsville on the second and third instant, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of that division.
This report would have been forwarded before but for the fact that, being separated from the rest of the division, and being no longer in command of it, I did not receive all the brigade returns until yesterday.
On the twenty-ninth of April, the divisions received orders to march from their camps at Moss and Shinker's Necks to Hamilton's Crossing.
They reached this point in the evening, and remained there until May first.
Orders were then received to march in a direction leading towards Chancellorsville.
The march was continued until night, and resumed early the next morning upon the plank road leading to Orange Court-House.
Arriving at the point where Generals Anderson's and McLaws's divisions were in position, we turned to the left by a road leading by Catherine furnace to the Brook road, and thence to the Orange and Fredericksburg plank road, which we followed to the Germana junction.
Here the first brigade, under General Paxton, was detached from the division, and ordered to report to Brigadier-General Fitz Lee of the cavalry.
This brigade was not engaged during the evening of the second, and did not rejoin the division until next morning.
The rest of the division moved on together with the corps, until they had reached a point west of Wilderness Church, and in the rear of the enemy's right flank.
About five o'clock P. M., on May second, I received orders to form line of battle near the “Luckett house,” perpendicular to a road which passes on by Wilderness Church, and merges into the plank road leading to Chancellorsville.
After receiving several orders and counter orders, which caused some delay, my line was finally formed, my three brigades being nearly all on the left of the road, Colston's brigade being on the right under Colonel Warren, Jones's brigade next, and Nichols on the extreme left.
My line was about two hundred yards in the rear of General Rodes, who was in the first line, and orders were received that when any portion of the first line needed reenforcements, the officer commanding this position would call for and receive aid from the portion of the line in his rear, without referring the order to division commanders.
Orders to advance were received at six o'clock precisely, and the troops moved on with enthusiasm against the enemy.
In a few moments the action opened with a tremendous fire of musketry, two pieces of Stuart's horse artillery in the road supporting our infantry with their fire.
Notwithstanding the tangled and very difficult character of the woods, and the resistance of the enemy, our troops advanced with great rapidity, driving the enemy like chaff before them, but not without loss to themselves.
The division had advanced but a short time, not more than ten or fifteen minutes, and the battle had hardly more than commenced, when General Rodes called upon Colonel Warren to support him. The troops of my division had pressed on so ardently that they were already within a few steps of the first line, and, in some places, mixed up with them.
The second and third brigades, commanded by General J. R. Jones and Colonel Warren, pushed on with and through the first line, and they were the first to charge upon and capture the first line of intrenchments of the enemy which were in an open field beyond the Wilderness Church.
This they did under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry.
A large number of prisoners and two pieces of artillery were taken here by the Second brigade, Captain W. S. Hannah, of the Fiftieth Virginia
