[99] however, to hold out long, but the slow movements of the Federals allowed Lee time to come to his assistance.
We have seen, in fact, that the news of Early's defeat had reached the astonished commander of the Confederate army in the midst of his troops, who were resting and forming in the ensanguined clearing of Chancellorsville. The abatis which had been constructed two days previously by the Federals, and the resinous undergrowth adjoining them, had caught fire; the crackling of the burning wood had succeeded the rattling of musketry and mingled mournfully with the cries of the wounded, who were too numerous to be all rescued from the flames. Heavy masses of black smoke hovered between the two armies as they were preparing with equal activity, one for the attack, the other for the defence. It was, we believe, a little after one o'clock: the Confederate battalions had already formed into line, when Lee received a message from Early informing him that Sedgwick was in possession of the turnpike. Bad as this news might be, he had every reason to consider himself fortunate in receiving it at a moment when he was not engaged, and could quickly ward off this new danger. Lee received it without betraying the least emotion, and determined what course to pursue without a moment's hesitation. He concluded that Hooker had just experienced a check sufficiently serious to prevent his resuming the offensive before dark, and that by confining himself to the task of watching him closely with four of the divisions that had just participated in the battle, without attacking him, he could send the fifth to meet Sedgwick in order to delay the march of the Sixth corps until night. It now fell to the lot of Longstreet's soldiers to undergo long marches and hazardous manoeuvres. Mahone's and Kershaw's brigades immediately began moving along the Plank Road, and shortly after McLaws received orders to follow them with Semmes and Wofford, who formed the remainder of his division. Lee therefore kept with him three divisions of Jackson's corps and three of Anderson's brigades, for the purpose of holding the whole of Hooker's army in check. While McLaws' and Mahone's brigades were marching in the direction of Fredericksburg, Wilcox was establishing himself at Salem Church, and Early, believing the enemy to be moving on the Bowling Green Road, was making
