Sykes brings up Weed’s battery, and opens on Semmes, and drives in his skirmishers, but can make no serious impression on his line.  McLaws sends word to Jackson that Sykes is attacking in force, and that the country is favorable for a flank attack.

Jackson orders Kershaw through the woods to join Semmes’s left, and sends Wilcox up the Mine road to extend the Confederate right, and head off a Federal advance from this direction.

Sykes thus finds himself overlapped on both flanks.  He throws Ayres’s regular brigade out on his left, and the One Hundred and Forty-sixth New York on his right.  His position is difficult, but he determines to hold it as long as possible.

It is noon.  No sounds are heard from the parallel columns.  Sykes has to make his line very thin, but holds his ground.  If supported, he can maintain himself.

But at this juncture he receives orders to fall back on Chancellorsville, and slowly retires to McGee’s; later to his old position, Hancock taking his place in the front line; and he next morning at daylight is also withdrawn, and takes up the line he retains until Sunday morning.

Slocum, in like manner on the plank road, meets Posey and Wright, and a small affair occurs.  But Wright is sent along the unfinished railroad, and outflanks him.  He is also at this moment ordered to retire.

Meade has had similar orders, and has likewise withdrawn; and Wilcox is sent to Banks’s Ford to hold it.

Wright continues his movement along the railroad, as far as Welford’s or Catherine’s Furnace, when, finding himself beyond communication with his superior, he, in connection with Stuart, who has been holding this point, determines to feel the Union line.  Two regiments and a battery are thrown in along the road to Dowdall’s Tavern, preceded by skirmishers.  Our pickets fall back, and through the dense wood the Confederates reach our line.  But they are warmly received, and retire.  This is six P.M.  Wright now joins his division.

Lee has arrived, and assumes command.

Jackson’s divisions, thus following up our retiring columns, by nightfall occupy a line from Mine road to Welford’s Furnace.  A regiment of cavalry is on the Mine road, and another on the river road as outposts.  Stuart remains at the Furnace.  McLaws occupies the crest east of Big-Meadow Swamp, and Anderson prolongs his lines westwardly.

Let us now examine into these operations of Friday.

This movement towards Fredericksburg was not a sudden idea of Hooker’s, but the result of a carefully studied plan.  In his order of April 3, to Sedgwick, he says that he proposes to assume the initiative, advance along the plank road, and uncover Banks’s Ford, and at once throw bridges across.  Gen. Butterfield, in a communication to Sedgwick of April 30, says, “He (Hooker) expected when he left here, if he met with no serious opposition, to be on the heights west of Fredericksburg to-morrow noon