These comments may detract from that praise of audacity accorded to Lee in making this movement.  It seems rather to have been the dictate of common-sense; to have advanced upon General Hooker would have been the audacity.

It was thus necessary to defer the final blow at the main Federal army in his front, and General Lee promptly detached a force of about five brigades to meet General Sedgwick, which, with Early’s command, now in rear of the Federal column, would, it was supposed, suffice.

This body moved speedily down the turnpike to check the enemy, and encountered the head of his column about half-way, near Salem Church.  General Wilcox, who had been sent by Lee to watch Banks’s Ford, had already moved to bar the Federal advance.  When the brigades sent by Lee joined him, the whole force formed line of battle:  a brisk action ensued, continuing from about four in the afternoon until nightfall, when the fighting ceased, and General Sedgwick made no further attempt to advance on that day.

These events took place, as we have said, on Sunday afternoon, the day of the Federal defeat at Chancellorsville.  On Monday morning (May 4th), the theatre of action on the southern bank of the Rappahannock presented a very remarkable complication.  General Early had been driven from the ridge at Fredericksburg; but no sooner had General Sedgwick marched toward Chancellorsville, than Early returned and seized upon Marye’s Heights again.  He was thus in General Sedgwick’s rear, and ready to prevent him from recrossing the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg.  Sedgwick meanwhile was moving to assail Lee’s flank and rear, and Lee was ready to attack General Hooker in front.  Such was the singular entanglement of the Northern and Southern forces on Monday morning after the battle of Chancellorsville.  What the result was to be the hours of that day were now to decide.

Lee resolved first, if possible, to crush General Sedgwick, when it was his design to return and make a decisive assault upon General Hooker.  In accordance with this plan, he on Monday morning went in personal command of three brigades of Anderson’s division, reached the vicinity of Salem Church, and proceeded to form line of battle with the whole force there.  Owing to unforeseen delays, the attack was not begun until late in the afternoon, when the whole line advanced upon General Sedgwick, Lee’s aim being to cut him off from the river.  In this he failed, the stubborn resistance of the Federal forces enabling them to hold their ground until night.  At that time, however, they seemed to waver and lose heart, whether from receiving intelligence of General Hooker’s mishap, or from other causes, is not known.  They were now pressed by the Southern troops, and finally gave way.  General Sedgwick retreated rapidly but in good order to Banks’s Ford, where a pontoon had been fortunately laid, and this enabled him to cross his men.  The passage was effected under cover of darkness, the Southern cannon firing upon the retreating column; and, with this, ended the movement of General Sedgwick.