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now joined them, and reported the result of his reconnoisance upon the south and west of Hooker's position. * * *.
Generals Lee and Jackson now withdrew, and held an anxious consultation.
That Hooker must be attacked, and that speedily, was clear to the judgment of both of them. * * *
2. He (General Lee) had already commanded his troops to commence a movement towards the left, and communicated his views to General Jackson, who warmly concurred in their wisdom.
A report was about this time received from General Fitzhugh Lee, of Stuart's command, describing the position of the Federal army, and the roads which he held with his cavalry leading to its rear.
General Jackson now proposed to throw his command entirely in Hooker's rear. * * *.
In his last account,
Hotchkiss claimed to have obtained information (on the morning of May 2nd) of a road which had been recently opened by
Col. Welford, and that it was by this road that
Jackson's corps made the detour around
Hooker's right flank, but the ‘Route of
Jackson's Corps,’ as indicated by
Hotchkiss on the map published with his first account in 1867, was by the ‘Furnace’ and ‘
Brock’ roads, which were old roads, and were clearly shown on the map of
Spotsylvania county, prepared before the
Battle of Chancellorsville, by
Major A. H. Campbell, of the C. S. Engineer corps, (see Plate No. XCI, published with Vol. 25, of
Rebellion Records).
It is apparent from
Dr. Dabney's account that
General Jackson was seeking for a shorter route than
Campbell's map showed, as well as information as to the condition of the known roads, but if the route of the Second Corps on May 2nd is correctly laid down by
Hotchkiss on his map, all efforts to find a suitable cut-off failed, for it followed the old roads shown on
Campbell's map. Furthermore, it was from his chaplain, (
the Rev. Mr. Lacy), that
Jackson sought information about the roads, for
Dr. Dabney says:
When his chaplain awoke in the morning, before the dawn of day, he perceived a little fire kindled under the trees, and General Jackson sitting by it upon a box, such as was used to contain biscuit for the soldiers.
The General knew that his former pastoral labors had led him to this region, and he desired
