Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 3.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[469] natural consequence of this change of tactics, sabres and pistols have in these encounters taken the place of the musket; for the first time the sabre has made a large number of victims.

The conflict of the 9th of June could not thwart Lee's plans nor seriously embarrass Stuart as to the role which had been assigned to him, as it was his duty, above all, to cover the movements of the infantry; but he foresaw that this role would be a difficult one in the presence of so stubborn an adversary. It was a serious warning to the Confederate cavalry to be on its guard and keep close together, in order that the veil which it was charged to draw between the two armies might not be pierced again.

With regard to Hooker, he knew on the morning of the 10th that General Lee, with a portion of his infantry, was at Culpeper the day before. But the information obtained by his troopers at the cost of their blood not being under control like the news gathered by the enemy through their intercourse with the inhabitants, all in sympathy with the cause of the South, was naturally very imperfect. Thus, while the two army corps of Longstreet and Ewell were at Culpeper on the 9th, the Union general believed that the latter was still on the right bank of the Rapidan in the neighborhood of Chancellorsville. Consequently, he could not yet fathom the designs of his adversary. Did the latter intend to make a descent into the Valley of Virginia, supporting his cavalry with a corps of infantry, or did he propose to renew the movement which had secured him the victory of Manassas the previous year, by boldly throwing himself between Washington and the Army of the Potomac? Such were the two eventualities which Hooker asked his government to be prepared for. Without attempting to form an idea of the bold and brilliant conception by which Lee, with all his army, was going to slip through his hands in order to reach Pennsylvania before him, he had fully understood that the valley of the Shenandoah might be the scene of an expedition after Jackson's fashion. We have stated that he had notified his superiors of the fact since the 5th: he renewed this warning on the 10th in announcing the battle of Brandy Station. No notice was taken of it at Washington: we shall see presently the consequences of this neglect.