of cavalry, and followed by the artillery.  Torbert’s division of cavalry was left north of the Rapidan, for the time, to picket the river and prevent the enemy from crossing and getting into our rear.  The cavalry seized the two crossings before daylight, drove the enemy’s pickets guarding them away, and by six o’clock A.M. had the pontoons laid ready for the crossing of the infantry and artillery.  This was undoubtedly a surprise to Lee.  The fact that the movement was unopposed proves this.

Burnside, with the 9th corps, was left back at Warrenton, guarding the railroad from Bull Run forward to preserve control of it in case our crossing the Rapidan should be long delayed.  He was instructed, however, to advance at once on receiving notice that the army had crossed; and a dispatch was sent to him a little after one P.M. giving the information that our crossing had been successful.

The country was heavily wooded at all the points of crossing, particularly on the south side of the river.  The battle-field from the crossing of the Rapidan until the final movement from the Wilderness toward Spottsylvania was of the same character.  There were some clearings and small farms within what might be termed the battle-field; but generally the country was covered with a dense forest.  The roads were narrow and bad.  All the conditions were favorable for defensive operations.

There are two roads, good for that part of Virginia, running from Orange Court House to the battle-field.  The most southerly of these roads is known as the Orange Court House Plank Road, the northern one as the Orange Turnpike.  There are also roads from east of the battle-field running to Spottsylvania Court House, one from Chancellorsville, branching at Aldrich’s; the western branch going by Piney Branch Church, Alsop’s, thence by the Brock Road to Spottsylvania; the east branch goes by Gates’s, thence to Spottsylvania.  The Brock Road runs from Germania Ford through the battle-field and on to the Court House.  As Spottsylvania is approached the country is cut up with numerous roads, some going to the town direct, and others crossing so as to connect the farms with roads going there.

Lee’s headquarters were at Orange Court House.  From there to Fredericksburg he had the use of the two roads above described running nearly parallel to the Wilderness.  This gave him unusual facilities, for that country, for concentrating his forces to his right.  These roads strike the road from Germania Ford in the Wilderness.

As soon as the crossing of the infantry was assured, the cavalry pushed forward, Wilson’s division by Wilderness Tavern to Parker’s store, on the Orange Plank Road; Gregg to the left towards Chancellorsville.  Warren followed Wilson and reached the Wilderness Tavern by noon, took position there and intrenched.  Sedgwick followed Warren.  He was across the river and in camp on the south bank, on the right of Warren, by sundown.  Hancock, with the 2d corps, moved parallel with Warren and camped about six miles east of him.  Before night all the troops, and by the evening of the 5th the trains of more than four thousand wagons, were safely on the south side of the river.