Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 30.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

By day the following morning I was ordered to move with General Fitz. Lee's Cavalry. On we pressed through byways and highways, covering the troops of Jackson, until finally reaching the plank road a halt was made, General Fitz. Lee being present. In a short time General Jackson arrived at the head of his columns. Some disposition of troops, both of cavalry and infantry, having been made, General Lee remarked: ‘General Jackson, if you will ride with me I can show you the enemy's right.’ They rode off in the direction of Chancellorsville. Soon the order came to move across to the old turnpike, which was done. There the head of the column was turned to the right, and going possibly less than a mile in the direction of Chancellorsville, I was halted, and unlimbered one section—two guns—in the road. General Rodes, who was just behind, was ordered to align his division upon my guns.

The two wings of Lee's army now occupied the same road; Lee upon the east, fronting, and Jackson on the west, in rear of Hooker's army. The cavalry having cleared the front, I was thinking it a little strange to receive no orders (my command being attached to the cavalry) to retire with the cavalry, and seeing General Jackson sitting near by, I approached him, saluted, and asked if I was expected to move with his line. ‘Yes, Captain,’ said he, ‘I will give you the honor of going in with my troops.’ （Jackson had been my old instructor at the V. M. I.) I remained talking with him during the formation of his lines; Rodes' Division leading, Colston's two hundred yards in their rear, and A. P. Hill only partially deployed, two hundred yards in rear of Colston.

Hearing such heavy artillery firing, just opposite, in the direction of Salem Church, I ventured to ask the General who it was. He asked, ‘How far do you suppose it is?’ I replied, ‘Five or six miles.’ He then said, with characteristic sententiousness, ‘I suppose it is General Lee.’ He then asked me the time of day. ‘Five forty, General.’ ‘Thank you; time we were moving,’ was the General's laconic reply. I at once mounted and went to my guns. In a few minutes the clarion notes of the bugle from Major Blackford's skirmish line, some hundred and fifty yards in advance, rang out the command ‘Forward,’ when Jackson's twenty-five thousand veterans stepped forth into the dark shadows of the wilderness, in search of the right flank of Hooker's army; keeping two guns with the front line of battle, and two with the second, alternating the sections as the leading guns would come into action. On we pressed