Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee

General Lee now determined to crush Sedgwick if possible; so leaving Stuart with Jackson's corps in Hooker's front, he marched to McLaws and Early's assistance with Anderson's division. Anderson reached Salem Church about noon, but the attack did not begin until about six, owing, General Lee says, to the difficulty of getting the troops in position. When the signal was given, Anderson and Early moved forward at once in gallant style, driving Sedgwick across the plank road in the direction of the Rappahannock. The approaching darkness, we are told by General Lee, prevented McLaws from perceiving the success of the attack, until the enemy began to cross the river below Banks's Ford. When the morning of the 5th dawned, Sedgwick had made good his escape and removed his bridges. Fredericksburg was also evacuated. Early was left to hold the lines as before, while Anderson and McLaws returned to Chancellorsville, which place they reached on the afternoon of the 5th in a violent thunderstorm. At daylight on the 6th these two divisions were ordered to assail the enemy's works in conjunction with Jackson's corps, but during the storm of the night before, Hooker retired over the river. One can hardly conceive a greater risk than that taken by General Lee in these operations. For two days Hooker's immense army was kept in place by Jackson's corps, while General Lee assaulted Sedgwick.

The Confederate cavalry operations, from smallness of numbers, were much circumscribed. Stuart only had five regiments at Chancellorsville, three of them being on Lee's left and two on his right, while two more had been left to contend as best they could with Stoneman's ten thousand troopers. Stoneman accomplished nothing. Hooker's official report says that no officer ever made a greater mistake in construing his orders, and no one ever accomplished less in so doing. He returned to the army on the 4th, the day Sedgwick was disposed of. General Lee's official report said that “the conduct of the troops can not be too highly praised. Attacking largely superior numbers in strongly intrenched positions, ”