ision of his own corps reinforced
his left, and Barlow's brigade of the Eleventh Corps his right.
He was greatly delayed by the swamps and the necessity of building
bridges, but finally crossed Lewis Creek and reached the road upon
which Jackson was marching. He soon after, by the efforts of
Berdan's sharpshooters, surrounded and captured the 23d Georgia
regiment, which had been left to watch the approaches from our
lines. Information obtained from prisoners showed the Jackson
could not be retreating, and that his object was to strike a blow
somewhere.

Birney's advance, and the capture of the 23d Georgia were met by
corresponding movements on the part of the enemy. A rebel battery
was established on the high ground at the Welford House, which
checked Birney's progress until it was silenced by Livingston's
battery, which was brought forward for that purpose. Pleansonton's
cavalry was now sent to the Foundry as an additional reinforcement.
Sickles' intention was to cut Jackson off entirely from McLaws'
and Anderson's divisions, and then to attack the latter in flank,
a plan which promised good results. In the mean time Pleasonton's
cavalry was sent forward to follow up Jackson's movement. Sickles
requested permission to attack McLaws, but Hooker again became
irresolute; so this large Union force was detained at the Furnace
without a definite object, and the works it had occupied were
vacant. While Sickles was not allowed to strike the flank, Slocum's
two divisions under Geary and Williams were sent to push back the
fortified front of the enemy in the woods; a much more difficult
operation. Geary attacked on the plank road, but made no serious
impression, and returned. Williams struck further to the south,
but was checked by part of Anderson's division. A combined attack
against Lee's front and left flank, undertaken with spirit earlier
in the day, would in all probability have driven him off toward
Fredericksburg and have widened the distance between his force and
that of Jackson; but now the latter was close at hand and it was
too late to attempt it. As the time came for the turning column
to make its appearance on Howard's right, a fierce attack was again
made against Hancock with infantry and artillery, to distract
Hooker's attention from the real point at issue.

Pleasonton, after dismounting one regiment and sending it into the
woods to reconnoitre, finding his cavalry were of no use in such
a country