May 2. 2.30 A.M.

“About daylight on May 2,” says Major Hotchkiss, “General Jackson awakened me, and requested that I would at once go down to Catherine Furnace, which is quite near, and where a Colonel Welford lived, and ascertain if there was any road by which we could secretly pass round Chancellorsville to the vicinity of Old Wilderness Tavern.  I had a map, which our engineers had prepared from actual surveys, of the surrounding country, showing all the public roads, but with few details of the intermediate topography.  Reaching Mr. Welford’s, I aroused him from his bed, and soon learned that he himself had recently opened a road through the woods in that direction for the purpose of hauling cord-wood and iron ore to his furnace.  This I located on the map, and having asked Mr. Welford if he would act as a guide if it became necessary to march over that road, I returned to head-quarters.

3.30 A.M.

“When I reached those I found Generals Lee and Jackson in conference, each seated on a cracker box, from a pile which had been left there by the Federals the day before.  In response to General Jackson’s request for my report, I put another cracker box between the two generals, on which I spread the map, showed them the road I had ascertained, and indicated, so far as I knew it, the position of the Federal army.  General Lee then said, “General Jackson, what do you propose to do?” He replied, “Go around here,” moving his finger over the road which I had located upon the map.  General Lee said, “What do you propose to make this movement with?” “With my whole corps,” was the answer.  General Lee then asked, “What will you leave me?” “The divisions of Anderson and McLaws,” said Jackson.  General Lee, after a moment’s reflection, remarked, “Well, go on,” and then, pencil in hand, gave his last instructions.  Jackson, with an eager smile upon his face, from time to time nodded assent, and when the Commander-in-Chief ended with the words, “General Stuart will cover your movement with his cavalry,” he rose and saluted, saying, “My troops will move at once, sir.""* (* Letter to the author.  A letter of General Lee to Mrs. Jackson, which contains a reference to this council of war, appears as a Note at the end of the chapter.) The necessary orders were forthwith dispatched.  The trains, parked in open fields to the rear, were to move to Todd’s Tavern, and thence westward by interior roads; the Second Army Corps was to march in one column, Rodes’ division in front, and A.P.  Hill’s in rear; the First Virginia Cavalry, with whom was Fitzhugh Lee, covered the front; squadrons of the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 5th were on the right; Hotchkiss, accompanied by a squad of couriers, was to send back constant reports to General Lee; the commanding officers were impressed with the importance of celerity and secrecy; the ranks were to be kept well closed up, and all stragglers were to be bayoneted.

4.5 A.M.