These sentences convey a not incorrect idea of the general character of this remarkable engagement, which had no precedent in the war.  We shall now proceed to speak of General Lee’s plans and objects, and to indicate where they failed or succeeded.  The commanders of both armies labored under great embarrassments.  General Grant’s was the singular character of the country, with which he was wholly unacquainted; and General Lee’s, the delay in the arrival of Longstreet.  Owing to the distance of the camps of the last-named officer, he had not, at dawn, reached the field of battle.  As his presence was indispensable to a general assault, this delay in his appearance threatened to result in unfortunate consequences, as it was nearly certain that General Grant would make an early and resolute attack.  Under these circumstances, Lee resolved to commence the action, and did so, counting, doubtless, on his ability, with the thirty thousand men at his command, to at least maintain his ground.  His plan seems to have been to make a heavy demonstration against the Federal right, and, when Longstreet arrived, throw the weight of his whole centre and right against the Federal left, with the view of seizing the Brock Road, running southward, and forcing back the enemy’s left wing into the thickets around Chancellorsville.  This brilliant conception, which, if carried out, would have arrested General Grant in the beginning of his campaign, was very near meeting with success.  The attack on the Federal right, under General Sedgwick, commenced at dawn, and the fighting on both sides was obstinate.  It continued with indecisive results throughout the morning, gradually involving the Federal centre; but, nearly at the moment when it began, a still more obstinate conflict was inaugurated between General Hancock, holding the Federal left, and Hill, who opposed him on the Plank-road.  The battle raged in this quarter with great fury for some time, but, attacked in front and flank at once by his able opponent, Hill was forced back steadily, and at last, in some disorder, a considerable distance from the ground which had witnessed the commencement of the action.  At this point, however, he was fortunately met by Longstreet.  That commander rapidly brought his troops into line, met the advancing enemy, attacked them with great fury, and, after a bloody contest, in which General Wadsworth was killed, drove them back to their original position on the Brock Road.

It now seemed nearly certain that Lee’s plan of seizing upon this important highway would succeed.  General Hancock had been forced back with heavy loss, Longstreet was pressing on, and, as he afterward said, he “thought he had another Bull Run on them,” when a singular casualty defeated all.  General Longstreet, who had ridden in front of his advancing line, turned to ride back, when he was mistaken by his own men for a Federal cavalryman, fired upon, and disabled by a musket-ball.  This threw all into