Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[289] orders from General Anderson to move my brigade across and to the left of the plank road, and, bearing well off from the road, endeavor to get upon the enemy's right flank and rear. I immediately commenced the movement, and reaching the Gordonsville and Fredericksburg railroad, I moved rapidly up that road, keeping Captain Wilson's company, Forty-eighth Georgia regiment, and Captain Scragg's company, Twenty-second Georgia regiment, well in advance, as skirmishers.

About six o'clock P. M. I reached Wellford's iron furnace, one and a half miles south-west of Chancellorsville, where I found Major-General Stuart, who informed me that the enemy, in considerable force, was occupying the thick woods north of, and near the furnace, in the direction of Chancellorsville. I immediately prepared to give him battle, and ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Carswell, commanding Forty-eighth Virginia regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel Warden, commanding Twenty-second Georgia regiment, to move cautiously forward through the almost impenetrable forest, with one company for each regiment thrown forward as skirmishers, and, finding the enemy, to press him vigorously. The Third Georgia regiment and Second Georgia battalion I held in reserve, to be used as occasion might require. Lieutenant-Colonels Carswell and Warden, moving rapidly forward, were soon engaged with a heavy force of the enemy's infantry, and the firing for a few minutes was very severe. Through this heavy fire Carswell and Warden continued to press, and their gallant commands soon cleared the woods, and reaching the edge of an open field, charged upon and drove the enemy up a high hill, in rear of a farm house, where he took shelter under cover of a dense pine thicket. Fearing lest my small command should fall into a Yankee trap, I ordered my line to halt, and despatched a messenger to General Stuart, asking that he send me a portion of his artillery, under cover of whose fire I intended again to charge the enemy, unless our artillery should show them to be in very greatly superior force. Some time elapsed before our guns could be got into position, owing to the character of the ground and the very bad roads over which they had to pass, and it was nearly sunset before we opened our fire. Immediately the enemy responded with two heavy batteries, one immediately in front and one upon our right, and very soon a third opened upon us from a high hill on our left. Our guns replied with spirit, but owing to the superior number of guns opposed to them and their advantageous position, the result was not as favorable to us as I had hoped and anticipated. Ascertaining the locality of the enemy's guns, I directed Lieutenant-Colonel Carswell to move off by his left flank through a deep ravine near the edge of the field, in which the enemy's guns were posted, and gaining the right and rear of the enemy's battery upon our left, to charge upon and take it. But owing to the near approach of night and the dense undergrowth through which we had to pass, it was found impossible to accomplish my object, and, at dark, the firing ceased on both sides, and I withdrew my men; and, in obedience to orders from Lieutenant-General Jackson, received through Major-General Stuart, I marched by the furnace road, and, at eleven o'clock P. M. rejoined my division, then on the plank road about one mile from Chancellorsville. My loss, during the day, amounted to two killed and twenty-two wounded. The enemy's loss I had no means of discovering, as I left the scene of conflict so soon, but it must have been very considerable, including quite a number of prisoners.

Early on Saturday morning, the second instant, I was ordered to form my brigade on the left of, and perpendicular to the plank road, with my right resting upon it, keeping one regiment deployed as skirmishers well to the front in the dense woods. In this position I continued until two o'clock P. M., when I received orders to move quickly in the direction of the iron furnace to the support of General Posey, who was then threatened by a heavy force of the Yankees. Just at this time the enemy advanced two full brigades upon the Third Georgia regiment, deployed as skirmishers in my front, and commenced a fire upon that regiment. I was compelled to leave it unsupported, but reporting the fact promptly to the Major-General commanding the division, I proceeded rapidly to the support of General Posey, whose brigade I found in line extending on both sides of the road to the furnace, and distant from the latter about one thousand yards. The enemy appeared in considerable force upon the hills around the furnace, and had a strong line of sharpshooters advanced as far as the small run which flows at the foot of the furnace hill. After a brief consultation with General Posey, I formed my brigade on his right, with my line extending well to the right in the direction of the left of the Third Georgia regiment, left, as before stated, hotly engaged by a large force of the enemy. The firing continuing so incessant and terrific in the direction of the latter regiment, I despatched a messenger to Major Jones, commanding, to ascertain the condition of things in his immediate front, and to inform him of my readiness to reenforce him if he should require it, but ordering him to hold his position at all hazards, as he held the key to our whole line in this quarter. Having received an answer from Major Jones that he was not only able to hold his own against the terrible odds to which he was opposed, but that he was actually advancing upon and driving the enemy before him, I drew in my line upon the left and concentrated the balance of my brigade there, in order to cooperate more favorably with Posey,. who was, about this time, threatened with a heavy. force which was seen advancing down the hill from the furnace, and approaching his position with loud cheers. This was about dark on Saturday, and as the enemy's threatened movement against General Posey was not made, I. again directed my attention in the direction of Major Jones's position on my right.

Shortly after dark the firing ceased along my whole front, and at half past 8 o'clock, Major Jones's Third Georgia regiment having been relieved