gainst the enemy, and in spite of a terrific outburst of musketry
and artillery from the open space at Dowdall's, the Plank Road and
the works which Buschbeck had defended were regained. Berry at
once moved forward his line to hold them. Many guns and caissons
taken from Howard's corps, and Whipple's ammunition train of pack
mules were also recovered. The confusion into which the enemy were
thrown by this assault against their right, enabled Berry to easily
repulse the attack on him, and he continued to hold the position.
The result of this brilliant movement was the reoccupation of a
great part of the works Howard had lost, and the capture of two
guns and three caissons from the enemy. It is said that in this
conflict some of Sickles' men, in consequence of the thickets and
confusion, finding themselves surrounded, surrendered as they
supposed to the enemy, but to their delight found themselves in
Berry's division, among their old comrades.

Soon after this fight was over Mott's brigade of the Third Corps,
which had been on duty at the Ford, rejoined the main body.

Both sides now rested on their arms and prepared to renew the
struggle at daylight. Hooker, in view of a possible defeat, directed
his engineer officers to lay out a new and stronger line, to cover
his bridges, to which he could retreat in case of necessity.

At sunset the First Corps went into bivouac on the south side of
United States Ford, about four miles and a half from Chancellorsville.
The men were glad enough to rest after their tedious march on a
hot day, loaded down with eight days' rations. General Reynolds
left me temporarily in charge of the corps, while he rode on to
confer with Hooker. We heard afar off the roar of the battle caused
by Jackson's attack, and saw the evening sky reddened with the
fires of combat, but knowing Hooker had a large force, we felt no
anxiety as to the result, and took it for granted that we would
not be wanted until the next day. I was preparing a piece of india-
rubber cloth as a couch when I saw one of Reynolds' aids, Captain
Wadsworth, coming down the road at full speed. He brought the
startling news that the Eleventh Corps had fled, and if we did not
go forward at once, the army would be hopelessly defeated. We were
soon on the road, somewhat oppressed by the news, but not dismayed.
We marched through the thickening twilight of the woods amid a
silence at first only broken by the plaintive song of th