Danl. Butterfield to D. H. RuckKER, Quartermaster, May 1, 1863

May 1, 1863. (Received 5.40 p. m.) Col. D. H. RuckKER, Quartermaster :

I leave now to join our army on the south side. Be prepared for transportation of forage and subsistence in light-draught vessels, if required. Notify Ferguson and Stoddard. I will advise you of events.

RUFUS INGALLS, Chief Quartermaster.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE Potomac, May 1, 1863—7 p. m. General HOOKER:

Order for Sedgwick received at 5.45 o’clock. His troops are now advancing, at 6.45 o’clock. Order in regard to Averell received. Will be attended to. Sharpe’s man from Richmond has returned. Reports 59,000 rations issued to Lee’s army. Eight thousand or 10,000 troops the whole about Richmond. The dispatch will be sent in full in a few minutes. Am I not to join you in time for the fight? Haupt is ready to spring with the bridge. Sedgwick has eight days’ rations in haversacks and knapsacks. Twelve regiments of enemy’s infantry, sixtyeight wagons and ambulances, and one squadron of cavalry, passed along toward Richmond on the Telegraph road, the rear passing at 5.30 o’clock. They were moving rapidly.

DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General.

MAy 1, 1863—7.20 p. m. Major-General HOOKER: Sharpe’s Richmond man returned. Following report received :

Our friend just returned. The works around Richmond are most formidable at Meadow Bridge and Mechanicsville road. They are intended for field artillery. No guns in position. Fifty-nine thousand rations issued to Lee’s army, exclusive of cavalry. Not able tolearntheirnumber. Rumor putit down from 8,000 to 12,000 troops. At Richmond are the City Battalion and some artillery. Two thousand seven hundred rations issued to the troops in Richmond in active service. General Wise has 5,000 on the Peninsula. Longstreet has three divisions at Suffolk. When they left Lee, they were each 8,000 strong. Their effective force, all told, not over 15,000 men. D. H. Hill is ordered from Washington, N. C., to re-enforce Longstreet’s corps. He may, however, take Longstreet’s place at Suffolk, and Lee may be-enforced by Longstreet. Imboden has 2,500 men at Staunton. If not sent to Jones, may go to Lee. No other re-enforcements can be bronght to Lee in any reasonable time. Jones has

4,500 men in Western Virginia. DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Chief of Staff.

330 N. V. A., W. V. A., M. D., AND P. A. (Char. XXXVIL

May 1, 1863—7.20 p. m. General HOOKER: GENERAL: Six guns are up here; ten more will come, certain, and more if General Sedgwick can send them. I have carefully examined the passes, and it is not practicable to prevent the passage of troops, if a serious attempt is made, without infantry, at least a very strong division. General Benham has but 600 men.

CHANCELLORSVILLE, V. A., May 1, 1863—8.45 p. in. Major-General BUTTERFIELD:

Direct that the utmost vigilance be exercised by the commands of Generals Sedgwick and Gibbon to learn the earliest movements of the enemy on the opposite side of the river, and take all possible measures to prevent them. Direct General Gibbon to send one brigade of his division to Banks’ Ford, and have a suitable officer sent there to see that they are properly posted to prevent crossing. General Hunt has already received orders to put guns in position to prevent the enemy’s crossing. If the absence of one brigade should weaken General Gibbon too much, which I hope will not be the case, he must call on General Sedgwick for assistance. Telegraph all the information that you have, concerning the re-enforcement of the enemy from Richmond, to Washington, as it may have an important bearing on movements elsewhere. Say that all of the enemy’s cavalry are in my immediate presence, which I trnst will enable Stoneman to do a land-office business in the interior. I think the enemy in his desperation will be compelled to attack me on my Own ground. Observe all his movements and inform me of them. In co an hour more I should probably have been engaged. I am all right.

JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General, Commanding.

CHANCELLORSVILLE, V. A., May 1, 1863. (Received 8.45 p. m.) Major-General BUTTERFIELD ;

You are mistaken in supposing I made an attack. The attack was ordered at 2 p. m., and at 1.30 the troops were moving into position, and attacked while moving. I don’t know what you mean by talking of going to Washington. ‘

JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General.

Copy for information of General Sedgwick.

Nothing had been said to General Hooker of anybody or anything going to Washington except telegrams. The dispatches have evidently been mutilated or misinterpreted.

May 1, 1863—8.45 p. m. General HOOKER, Chancellorsville :

Dispatches just received—8.45 o’clock. Infantry will be ordered to Banks’ Ford at once. Ispoke of-sending word to Washington; nobody thinks of going. Have telegraphed Peck of Hood’s and Pickett’s presence. Will telegraph Washington. My dispatches do not seem to have been understood. The utmost vigilance has been ordered from the start.

DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General.

CHANCELLORSVILLE, V. A., May 1, 1863—8.45 p. m. Major-General BUTTERFIELD :

The telegram for Sedgwick’s demonstration reached him too late.

Order it in immediately.

Copy for information of General Sedgwick.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, V. A., May 1, 1863—10 p. m. Major-General HOOKER, Commanding Army of the Potomac:

I have just received the following dispatch from Benham:

Banks’ Forp, Va., May 1, 1863. General BUTTERFIELD:

My reflection upon the information just brought by General Hunt, considering the alarm or watchfulness of the forces this p. m., leads me to the belief that they rather fear an attack from us, but my belief is that I can dispose my 600 men very effectively at the mouth of three ravines to resist them, but if we have a full division from any of the troops near here, I should feel we can defy them fully.

H. W. BENHAM, Brigadier-General.

There are now twenty-two guns of the Horse Artillery at Banks’ Ford and a brigade of infantry ordered there. There will be in the neighborhood of thirty four guns in all in the morning. I have no data on which to base any reason or supposition of an attack on Banks’ Ford. Benham says if he had a full division from any troops, he should feel that he could defy them. If he could not defy them from the river with thirty-two pieces of artillery and a brigade of infantry, he ought to be pitched into the river himself. I have never been there, but it can’t be possible but this would hold it. It may be that he has an idea that he is to be attacked there. I have sent Colonel Platt there to-night, and a brigade of Gibbon’s is ordered there.

Very respecttully, &c., DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Ohief of Staff.

332 N. V. A., W. V. A. M. D., AND P. A. (Cuar, XXXVIL

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE Potomac, May 1, 1863—10.05 p. m. Col. J. C. KELTON, Assistant Adjutant-General:

Siz: General Hooker directs me to telegraph all information I receive concerning the re-enforcements of the enemy from Richmond, as it may have an important bearing on movements elsewhere, and to say that all the cavalry are in his immediate presence. Our information is as follows:

Two deserters from a Louisiana regiment of Early’s division, who came in this morning—born in New York State, but for some time residents of the South—report that while detached to the rear of their lines yesterday, near Hamilton’s Crossing, to bake provisions for their company, they saw Hood’s division pass by along the line; that they talked to the troops and asked them where they belonged. The character of these men and the nature of the information they gave as to the position of the enemy in front of the left wing of the army causes me to rely upon their statements. Colonel Sharpe, deputy provostmarshal-general, advises me that deserters from Early’s division had heard their captain say on Wednesday that Hood and Pickett would be

here in time for the fight. DANL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Chief of Staff.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, V. A., May 1, 1863—10.30 p. m, Major-General HOOKER: I have received several dispatches from you dated 8.45 p. m.; one directing the utmost vigilance of Sedgwick and Gibbon to learn the earliest movements of the enemy; Gibbon to send a brigade to Banks’ Ford; suitable force sent and properly posted to prevent any crossing; orders to telegraph all information to Washington concerning re-enforcements of the enemy from Richmond; one in which you say you do not know what I mean by talking of going to Washington. The character of these dispatches received leaves no doubt in my mind that my dispatches to you have either been mutilated or tampered with. I have, therefore, caused a literal copy of every dispatch which I have sent you to be made and forwarded herewith by special messenger. I have sent you, to my recollection, no information of any demonstration of the enemy toward Banks’ Ford. I have no information with regard to the arrival of Pickett’s division from the south, except in the memoranda from Colonel Sharpe, which Linclose.* With regard to Hood’s division, Reynolds and Sedgwick had the impression yesterday that the enemy were re-enforced from Richmond. Two deserters came in to-day, one of them quite an intelligent man. From a long and careful examination of him, I became satisfied that a portion, at least, of Hood’s division had arrived from Richmond. I make a résumé of the movements of the enemy in front of Sedgwick as impressed upon my mind by the character of all the information received to-day, viz: That Hood’s division, or such portion of it as arrived, moved up in front of you toward Chancellorsville; that A. P. Hill’s division was relieved last night by Karly’s division, and moved off to your front. Their movements were

visible from 8.30 to 11.30 o’clock by our signal officers and balloons. After 11.30 o’clock no movements from the enemy’s right to his left, that is, from Sedgwick’s front to yours, has been visible at all during the day, except trifling detachments. Orders have been issued for patrols on the telegraph lines, with directions to put to death instantly any person found tampering or interfering with them at all. Five miles of telegraph wire is at Banks’ Ford, with instruments, ready to cross there, and were ordered there on the supposition that Banks’ Ford woula be uncovered by the operations of to-day. Can be changed to United States Ford if you so direct.

The report of the eftect of demonstration of Sedgwick is, the enemy got uuder arms. Reynolds adds (to General Sedgwick), from what he had told General Sedgwick, he would understand that Reynolds could not move without bringing on an engagement.

The artillery, as requested by General Hunt, has all been sent to Banks’ Ford. General Patrick has been during the day at United States Ford, with 100 cavalry. Sent about 40, under Colonel Cram, to yourself, to keep communication open. He reports that the telegraph wire was broken by the carelessness of the artillery. I have sent Colonel Platt to Banks’ Ford to assist in posting troops there. A brigade of General Gibbon, as directed in your orders, has been directed to proceed there.

Private dispatch from General Wadsworth reports the troops in good spirits and position a strong one.

The only thing I have tried to say about Washington in my dispatches to you is that [ have reported nothing to the President, Secretary, General Halleck, or any one else; that I have not allowed any dispatches to go to give any one information of what is occurring. I desired to know if this met your approval. I did not feel authorized myself to make any statements without your approval.

I send herewith, in addition to the copies of my own dispatches, copies of information and dispatches received from other sources, that have not been sent up by special messengers before.

I directed General Benham, as will be seen by copy of my dispatch to you, to forward you all important information from Banks’ Ford by couriers, and hereafter not to trouble you with unnecessary details. I directed the signal officer to send you from there promptly all the reports from the balloon. The delay in your getting balloon reports or reports of the movements of the enemy this morning was for two reasons—first, nothing could have been discovered until about 9 o’clock, owing to the fog; second, the telegraph had been interfered with and has not been in working order. :

{ send this by special messenger, directed to wait for your reply, and return before morning with any directions for operations to-morrow.

Inclosed is Richmond paper of yesterday.

Very respectfully, &c.,