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

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[110] join him with the largest portion of his army, he might yet have fought Lee that battle in the open country to which he had not hitherto been able to compel his adversary, and probably have made the fickle fortune of war to perch once more upon his banners. Otherwise, the game was lost. There was no reason for attempting on the 5th the movement upon Chancellorsville which he had not thought proper to undertake on the 4th. Sedgwick, isolated as he was, could not fight on Tuesday the three divisions which had forced him to retreat on Monday. He would have been driven into the river, and compelled to recross it as soon as Lee had got his forces together. This result once secured, the latter was certain of being able to invest the remainder of the Federal army in the Wilderness, and to keep it there closely blockaded until it voluntarily abandoned a position which was henceforth as useless as it was dangerous.

Hooker, whose mind had not yet recovered all its lucidity, did not think of reinforcing his lieutenant, but simply advised him not to cross the river except at the last extremity, holding out a hope to him that he should endeavor to make a diversion in his favor.

In the mean time, the Confederate artillery, approaching the bivouacs of the Sixth corps, was beginning to harass with its projectiles the Federals who were hastening to reach the shallow waters of the Rappahannock. Sedgwick and Hooker were exchanging telegraphic despatches which had to be conveyed by mounted couriers to distant telegraph-stations. These despatches crossed each other in such a way that the message received by one party was never an answer to the message he had just despatched. Another cause of confusion added to the disorder which already prevailed in the management of the army. Sedgwick informed his chief that he should be obliged to recross the river; then assured him that, conformably to his instructions, he would endeavor to maintain himself on the right bank; and Hooker wrote to him successively in reply, first ordering him to come back, then directing him to remain. The first despatch was received by Sedgwick at one o'clock in the morning; the second only reached him more than two hours later. During the interval the passage had been effected; the Sixth corps was on the left