[23] the Old Road and joins the Plank Road, a little farther on, in the midst of the forest, near the Wolfrey House. Several roads, running from Ely's Ford and United States Ford, after a sinuous course meet on a hillock where there is a small clearing surrounding an edifice called the White House, and forming a road which joins the turnpike at Chancellorsville. It will be seen that the latter point was the nucleus of all the open passes across the stunted and thick growth of the Wilderness. It was here that Hooker determined to plant himself with a portion of his army, in order to compel the Confederates to abandon the impregnable positions of Fredericksburg.
In order to reach this place he was obliged to cross the Rappahannock and the Rapidan separately above their confluence, the passes below this point being too difficult to allow of an attack by main force, and too close to the Confederate army for any attempt to take them by surprise. The course of the two rivers favored this movement; for, prior to becoming united, they follow parallel directions for a distance (between ten and twelve miles, being only separated by a space of ground varying from five to two miles in width. They were only guarded by some cavalry pickets which maintained communication between Culpeper Court-house and the brigades of Mahone and Posey of Anderson's division, which guarded United States Ford and formed the extreme left of Lee's army. It was a very eccentric flank movement, which had to be made by a flank march in the presence of a vigilant and active adversary. The difficulty was immense. If the movement had been undertaken by the whole army, it was to be expected that it would have failed, as Burnside's march from Warrenton to Fredericksburg had done six months before: it was probable that the Federals' might be forestalled by Lee, and that they would find him everywhere on their route. Hooker, availing himself of his large numerical superiority, determined to divide his army into two nearly equal parts—to make the right wing execute the flank movement, while the left wing remained facing Lee's army at Fredericksburg, holding it in check by means of various demonstrations, and attacking it if it should attempt to retire. The first movement of the right wing being once accomplished,
