e whip-poor-
will, until the full moon rose in all its splendor. As we proceeded
we came upon crowds of Eleventh Corps fugitives still hastening to
the rear. They seemed to be wholly disheartened. We halted for
a time, in order that our position in line of battle might be
selected, and then moved on. As we approached the field a midnight
battle commenced, and the shells seemed to burst in sparkles in
the trees above our heads, but not near enough to reach us. It
was Sickles fighting his way home again. When we came nearer and
filed to the right to take position on the Elley's Ford road, the
men struck up John Brown's song, and gave the chorus with a will.
Their cheerful demeanor and proud bearing renewed the confidence
of the army, who felt that the arrival of Reynolds' corps, with
its historic record, was no ordinary reinforcement.

We were now on the extreme right of the other forces, on the Elley's
Ford road, with the right flank thrown back behind Hunting Creek.

Hooker was very much discouraged by the rout of the Eleventh Corps.
An occurrence of this kind always has a tendency to demoralize an
army and render it less trustworthy; for the real strength of an
armed force is much more in _opinion_ than it is in _numbers_. A
small body of men, if made to believe the enemy are giving way,
will do and dare anything; but when they think the struggle is
hopeless, they will not resist even a weak attack, for each thinks
he is to be sacrificed to save the rest. Hence Hooker did not feel
the same reliance on his men as he did before the disaster. He
determined, nevertheless, to continue the battle, but contract his
lines by bringing them nearer to Chancellorsville. The real key
of the battle-field now was the eminence at Hazel Grove. So long
as we held it the enemy could not advance without presenting his
right flank to our batteries. If he obtained possession of it he
could plant guns which would enfilade Slocum's line and fire directly
into our forces below. Birney's division at this time was posted
in advance of Best's guns on the left, Berry was on the right, with
Williams' division of the Twelfth Corps behind Birney, and Whipple's
division in rear of Berry.

The position of Hazel Grove commanded Chancellorsville, where all
the roads met, and which it was vital to Hooker to hold. For if
he lost that, he could not advance in any direction, and only his
line of retreat to the Ford would remain open to him.