the banks of the river, near Kelly’s Ford; and, on the next day, this force was joined by three additional corps—­the First, Third, and Sixth—­and the whole, on Wednesday (the 29th), crossed the river without difficulty.  That this movement was a surprise to Lee, as has been supposed by some persons, is a mistake.  Stuart was an extremely vigilant picket-officer, and both he and General Lee were in the habit of sending accomplished scouts to watch any movements in the Federal camps.  As soon as these movements—­which, in a large army, cannot be concealed—­took place, information was always promptly brought, and it was not possible that General Hooker could move three large army corps toward the Rappahannock, as he did on April 27th, without early knowledge on the part of his adversary of so important a circumstance.

As the Federal infantry thus advanced, the large cavalry force began also to move through Culpepper toward the Central Railroad in Lee’s rear.  This column was commanded by General Stoneman, formerly a subordinate officer in Lee’s old cavalry regiment in the United States Army; and, as General Stoneman’s operations were entirely separate from those of the infantry, and not of much importance, we shall here dismiss them in a few words.  He proceeded rapidly across Culpepper, harassed in his march by a small body of horse, under General William H.F.  Lee; reached the Central Railroad at Trevillian’s, below Gordonsville, and tore up a portion of it; passed on to James River, ravaging the country, and attempted the destruction of the Columbia Aqueduct, but did not succeed in so doing; when, hearing probably of the unforeseen result at Chancellorsville, he hastened back to the Rapidan, pursued and harassed as in his advance, and, crossing, regained the Federal lines beyond the Rappahannock.

To return to the movements of the main Federal force, under the personal command of General Hooker.  This advanced rapidly across the angle between the two rivers, with no obstruction but that offered by the cavalry under Stuart, and on Thursday, April 30th, had crossed the Rapidan at Germanna and Ely’s Fords, and was steadily concentrating around Chancellorsville.  At the same time the Second Corps, under General Couch, was preparing to cross at United States Ford, a few miles distant; and General Sedgwick, commanding the detached force at Fredericksburg, having crossed and threatened Lee, in obedience to orders, now began passing back to the northern bank again, in order to march up and join the main body.  Thus all things seemed in train to succeed on the side of the Federal army.  General Hooker was over with about one hundred thousand men—­twenty thousand additional troops would soon join him.  Lee’s army seemed scattered, and not “in hand” to oppose him; and there was some ground for the ebullition of joy attributed to General Hooker, as he saw his great force massing steadily in the vicinity of Chancellorsville.  To those around him he exclaimed:  “The rebel army is now the legitimate property of the Army of the Potomac.  They may as well pack up their haversacks and make for Richmond, and I shall be after them!”