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at headquarters, I saw the arrival of Mr. Seward with several ladies, and three or four of the foreign Ministers, from Washington.
I was not introduced to them, as I was on business and in a hurry to get home.
I have been riding all day and am a little fatigued.
April 30, 1863.
The papers will of course tell you the army has moved.
I write to tell you that there is as yet but a little skirmishing; we are across the river and have out-manoeuvered the enemy, but are not yet out of the woods.May 2 P. M.
We have had no great fighting as yet, though Sykes's division, of my corps, had quite a skirmish yesterday.
It is doubtful what the enemy are going to do, but many believe they are evacuating.camp near Falmouth, Va., May 7, 1863.
I reached here last evening, fatigued and exhausted with a ten days campaign, pained and humiliated at its unsatisfactory result, but grateful to our heavenly Father that, in His infinite goodness, He permitted me to escape all the dangers I had to pass through.1 The papers will give you all the details of the movement, so that I shall confine myself to a general account of my own doings.
General Hooker's plan was well conceived and its early part well executed.
It was briefly thus: A portion of the army were to make a forced march, cross the Rappahannock so high up as to preclude opposition, cross the Rapidan at the lower fords, drive away the defenders of the works placed at the crossings of the Rappahannock nearest to Fredericksburg, and when one of these was opened, the rest of the army was to join the advanced corps, be concentrated, and push the enemy away from Fredericksburg.
I have advised you that on Monday, the 27th ulto., my corps, the Fifth, together with the Eleventh and Twelfth, left camp and reached Kelly's Ford on the 28th.
That night and early next morning we crossed the Rappahannock, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps moving on one road to Germanna Ford and I on another to Ely's ford, of the Rapidan.
These fords were reached and crossed by the 