Valley Spirit

We give to-day a summary of the latest news from the Rappahannock, and in sorrow and humiliation record the fact that our gallant army of the Potomac has again been repulsed, with heavy loss. It is true some of the papers tell us it is "a change of base," a "strategic movement," compelled by the weather and the roads, but the painful experience of the last two years has taught us that it is far better to look these stern realities in the face, than to try and captivate the ears of the people with the syren [sic] songs of victory and glory, when we know that defeat and disaster follow close after the retiring footsteps of our national armies. The American people are not babes and children that the truth should frighten them. They have met every reverse of fortune in this great crisis, with a firm, conscientious, christian courage, which no other nation has ever exhibited. And every new disaster has but stimulated them to new zeal and firmer resolves and more untiring energy. "Let us know the worst," has been the universal demand, "That we may know how to meet it." These great national disasters reach us all individually, and we all have the most vital personal interest in repairing them. "Come, the worst, the worst," says the old Roman, in the play, when his slave begins to retail the long catalogue of domestic misfortunes.

Ardent admirers as we have been of the military genius of General McClellan, and strangely as the history of the last six months has fulfilled some of our predictions, yet we earnestly hoped for the success of General Hooker. He was the Commander-in-Chief of our grand army; a victory gained by him would have been a victory for the nation; his defeat is the nation's defeat; his humiliation is the nation's humiliation. The men who fought and bled and died under him were our friends and brothers and sons. General Hooker did the best he was able do to. If he "lacked the capacity to give the requisite orders," and was defeated by "the superior numbers and superior Generalship of Lee," as some of the radical papers assert, and which is very probably true, it was not his fault, but rather that of those who, with opportunities to judge of his ability, placed him in such a responsible position, with the fate of the nation hanging upon his every word and action. But warning and remonstrance are of no avail, invective and abuse badly become an hour of national distress; and we have therefore only our most sincere sorrow to offer the President and his advisers for the terrible disasters they are visiting upon the nation, and for which the people and history will hold them responsible; and to express the hope that in the good Providence of God they may be instrumental in bringing upon us no greater evils than we will be able to survive.

One of the meanest exhibitions of partisan feeling we have ever witnessed, is the attempt of the "loyal leaguers" of this place to make the reception of the 126th Regiment a political affair. Such conduct would be contemptible at any time, but it is doubly so now, when this regiment, composed of men of both political parties, who entered the service of their country with no partisan motives, animated by the pure and holy desire to serve and save their common country, have just come out of a desperate and bloody battle, with a heavy loss which has carried sorrow to many a household in the county. It is humiliating to see what little things politicians will resort to in these degenerate times, for the sake of making a little political capital. With the long list of killed, wounded and missing before us, and in view of the sorrow and gloom that shroud the households of many of our fellow citizens, common decency, if not humanity, dictates that, instead of stirring up a political quarrel about this reception, our citizens should put aside party prejudices, and unite in making provision for the relief of the wounded, the burial of the dead and a proper and becoming reception to the returning braves, apart from politics and the politicians.

DESPERATE BATTLE.
Two-thirds of Tyler's Brigade, of the Fifth Army Corps, Killed Wounded and Missing.
Batteries Captured and Recaptured.
REBEL GUNS AND COLORS TAKEN.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The Correspondence of the N.Y. Herald.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY'S OPERATIONS.

Fifth Army Corps Headquarters, In The Woods.
Back of Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863.

We have had some of the heaviest fighting of the war since sending my despatch yesterday afternoon. Happily the Fifth corps has been blessed with the good fortune of being only slight sufferers.

General Tyler's Brigade,

of General Humphrey's division, is a painful exception, however, as will be seen by the account below, in the terribly sanguinary conflicts of the past twenty-four hours. What may be in store for us--through what new scenes and changes we must pass, and how we may come out of the series of contests so fiercely began and persecuted, and with no show of speedy termination--is involved in deepest darkness and doubt.

General Skirmishing.

Hardly had the messenger left with my last despatch when a general skirmishing began nearly the whole length of our lines. It was kept up rather desultorily, cannonading and musketry intermingling, until about five o'clock when it waxed into a pretty

General Engagement.

The attack was mainly on the right, where the work was warmest. For one or two hours the roar of artillery and musketry was incessant. The disastrous and disgraceful giving way of General Schurz's division of General Howard's corps (Sigel's old corps) completely changed the fortunes of the day. The men, I am told, fled like so many sheep before a pack of wolves, and the enemy rushed up, taking possession of the abandoned line along the Gordonsville plank road and compelled the construction of a new line.

Shelling of the Chancellor Mansion.

Owing to the falling back of Schurz's men, the enemy were in position to bring their pieces to bear on the Chancellor mansion, which they shelled and burned and that notwithstanding it was filled with our wounded and had a hospital flag flying in front. Our wounded, who could not be removed, met death from the shells or the flames. Some of their own wounded, who were being properly cared for there, met the same terrible fate. The scene here--the fleeing of the female inmates and abandonment of the place by General Hooker as his headquarters will be graphically described by your headquarters correspondent, who remained and witnessed the entire scene, which I did not.

The Results of this Afternoon's Battle

cannot be fully told for some time. Many of our killed and wounded (I refer to those of other corps) had to be left on the field, and many a brave one, through neglect of his wounds, must have died since.

A Midnight Attack.

About eleven o'clock last night, as the moon was obscured by a passing cloud, the enemy renewed his attack of the afternoon. The attack was most desperate. Our men stood firm and fought like tigers, and refused to yield an inch of ground. The enemy thought to follow up the advantage gained in the afternoon; but through change in the position of our line and our brave resistance their attempts to advance were as frequently repulsed. When the enemy made the attack they came with terrific yells followed by instantaneous volleys of musketry and incessant artillery. Our men were not taken as much by surprise as was expected. They rose with responsive yells, and responsive musketry and artillery added to the roar of the enemy's fire. The fight lasted two hours. It was part of Malvern Hill over again--moonlight and mournful massacre of men. The Fifth corps lost but very few, the force of the attack being directed on other parts of the line.

Fighting this Morning.

The enemy made a third attack this morning at six o'clock. It was in this attack, that General Tyler's brigade, of General Humphrey's division, met with their severe loss. Besides the One Hundred and Thirty-third and One Hundred and Fifty fifth Pennsylvania regiments, Colonel Alabach's brigade and the Sixth United States infantry, of General Sykes' division, these were the only troops of the Fifth corps sustaining loss. The men fought splendidly. No troops ever fought better. A determination to hold his position caused Gen. Tyler to sustain the loss he did. His men made four separate charges upon the enemy and drove them back each time. Our men had the best of the fight in the end.

Still Another Attack.

About half-past five P. M. another attack was made upon our troops. A change in our tactics meantime had been made, which the enemy were not long in finding out to their sorrow. The attack was in the centre, where the Chancellorsville mansion stood. They massed in the field beyond the house. Our men lay in trenches, which they had dug in the interim, and not seeing any men the enemy advanced right in front of several of our batteries concealed in the woods. At the word our batteries opened on the [sic] them. Col. Gurney, of the Ninth Massachusetts, who was looking at the enemy at the time through a field glass, says the effect of our firing was terrible. It was like touching off powder in a basin filled with flies. He saw one officer on a white horse blown high into the air. In a moment the dead lay in heaps. Our batteries had an enfilading fire on them. The enemy, those who escaped, flew wildly before our murderous rain of shot and shell. Even Gen. Griffin's division, which occupied the trenches fronting this attack, in support of the batteries, met with very little loss. I give below a list of our killed and wounded in the above attack, as far as I have been able to procure the names. In the present state of activity and confusion, and occupying the trenches as the corps does at this time, it is impossible to get the full and accurate details. As stated above, our loss thus far has been only slight.

General Tyler's Loss.

In addition to the loss sustained by General Syke's division day before yesterday, Lieutenant Colonel Lock, of General Meade's staff, informs me that General Tyler reports that he went into the fight before he met with such severe loss with 1,800 men, and had only 600 men left at the end of the action. Notwithstanding this report, the general impression is that more than half the missing men will make their reappearance.

A Review of the Two Day's Operation.

Day before yesterday, about eleven o'clock, the Fifth corps advanced from Chancellorsville down the old turnpike towards Fredericksburg. Six miles from the city the enemy had intrenched himself, and showed an inclination to dispute our further progress. The artillery opened in a few moments and a severe fight was maintained for some time. General Sykes' division of regulars being hotly engaged. Our advance was gradually driven back to Chancellorsville, where Hampton's Pennsylvania battery of ten pounder Parrott guns was planted, supported by the Seventh Ohio and Twenty-eight Pennsylvania regiments. Skirmishing was kept up throughout the afternoon, but the attack began simultaneously on the right and on the left below Fredericksburg.

The rebels advanced against our front, cheering and fighting like demons, but were repulsed. After a lull of considerable time, during which their troops could be seen moving has[t]ily around further to the right, an attack was made by the enemy on the plank road. Geary's division fought handsomely, and after a fierce struggle drove them back. Towards night a demonstration was made on our right flank from the direction of Gordonsville. The cannonading was very heavy, and the roar of musketry deafening. The Eleventh corps fell into disorder, and came back upon the main body of the troops badly broken up, but the Twelfth corps moved rapidly out and checked the enemy's operations.

Our Position on Saturday Night.

At night our front extended along the plank, and, with our right resting near Wilderness and our left at Chancellorville. During the night there was some cannonading and a few volleys of musketry, but nothing of importance was accomplished by either side.

The Struggle on Sunday.

This morning the battle commenced in earnest. The enemy pushed up against our lines steadily and with a persistance [sic] almost incredible; but our batteries, supported by the Third corps, mowed them down by hundreds, and finally compelled them to retire. Their batteries, however, soon opened again. The large brick mansion at Chancellorsville, used as headquarters by General Hooker, was shelled and set on fire. Previous to leaving the building, Gen. Ho[o]ker was knocked down by a post supporting the porch, which a shell had torn out, and for a short time the command devolved upon General Couch. General Hooker's bruises were not serious.

Our Lines Falling Back.

Our lines gradually fell back towards the river about a mile, where another stand was made behind intrenchments, which position we now hold. About eleven o'clock to-day the firing ceased, and was not resumed again until late this afternoon.

Capture of Guns And Colors.

A number of guns and several stands of colors have been captured from the enemy together with nearly two thousand prisoners. Several of our pieces have been lost. One battery was taken by the enemy, but recaptured by our own men.

It is impossible to form any idea of our loss. The troops are in excellent spirits, and can scarcely be restrained. We have not suffered heavily, however, and will doubtless be able to ascertain the entire loss tomorrow.

Gen. Berry was killed, shot through the shoulder and chest, it is believed by a rebel sharpshooter. Gen. Devins and Gen. Mott were wounded. Gen. Hancock had a horse shot under him.

Fighting is now-six P.M.--going on quite briskly. It is reported that our infantry hold Gordonsville, and that our forces have occupied Hanover Court House.

The intelligence that the Sixth corps had crossed at Fredericksburg created among the troops the wildest enthusiasm. It is believed that the enemy is rapidly retreating; but since the engagement this morning very little has been ascertained concerning his movements. From prisoners we have taken it is learned that the enemy has had his entire force engaged to-day, with the exception of Early's division, which was left at Fredericksburg.

The Stampede of the Eleventh.

Under cover of the darkness of Friday night the enemy commenced moving large masses of troops around the front of our lines to get a position on our right, with a view of flanking us there. Subsequent developments have proven that the entire grand division of D.H. Hill made this movement around the front of our lines during that night. At midnight the scouts and advanced pickets from both the Third and Twelfth corps observed the movement and communicated it to their respective commanders; but at that time it was impracticable to do anything to prevent it.

Gen. Sickles ordered Birney to advance and take possession of the hill on the south side of the ravine running out back from the farm, and opposite to the heights over which the road occupied by the rebels ran.

The Eleventh corps had been ordered to advance on the right of Birney, and moved forward to take the position assigned to them on Birney's flank. One brigade succeeded in getting up the hill, and reported, by its commander, (whose name I have unfortunately lost), to Generals Sickles and Birney. The rest of the corps met the enemy in force when about two-thirds of the distance up. Here they had a short engagement, in which it does not appear that they had even so large a force to contend against as that which Williams, with his single division, had fought so bravely. Headed by their commander, the gallant Howard, the German corps charged boldly up to the rebel lines. Here they were met, as the rebels always meet their foes, with shouts of defiance and derision, a determined front and a heavy fire of musketry. The German regiments returned the fire for a short time with spirit, manifesting a disposition to fight valiantly. But at the time when all encouragement to the men was needed that could be given, then some officers of the division (one at least, as I am informed) fell back to the rear, leaving his men to fight alone. At the same time General Devens, commanding the F[i]rst Division, was unhorsed and badly wounded in his foot by a musket ball. Thus, losing at a critical moment the inspiring influence of the immediate presence of their commanders, the men began to falter, then to fall back, and finally broke in a complete rout. General Howard boldly threw himself into the breach and attempted to rally the shattered columns; but his efforts were perfectly futile. The men were panic stricken, and no power on earth could rally them in the face of the enemy.

I must frankly confess that I have no ability to do justice to the scene that followed. It was my lot to be in the centre of that field when the panic burst upon us. May I never be a witness to another such a scene. On one hand was a solid column of infantry retreating at double quick from the face of the enemy, who were already crowding their rear, on the other was a dense mass of beings who had lost their reasoning faculties, and were flying from a thousand fancied dangers as well as from the real danger that crowded so close upon them, aggravating the fearfulness of their situation by the very precipitancy with which they were seeking to escape from it. On the hill were ten thousand of the enemy, pouring their murderous volleys in upon us, yelling and hooting, to increase the alarm and confusion;; hundreds of cavalry horses, left riderless at the first discharge from the rebels, were dashing frantically about in all directions; a score of batteries of artillery were thrown into disorder, some properly manned, seeking to gain positions for effective duty, and others flying from the field; battery wagons, ambulances, horses, men, cannon, caissons, all jumbled and tumbled together in an apparently inextricable mass, and that murderous fire still pouring into them. To add to the terror of the occasion there was but one other means of escape from the field, and that through a little narrow neck or ravine washed out by Scott's creek. Towards this the confused mass plunged headlong. For a moment it seemed as if no power could avert the frightful calamity that threatened the entire army. That neck passed, and this panic stricken[,] disordered body of men and animals, permitted to pass down through the other corps of our army, our destruction was sure.

But in the midst of that wildest alarm there was a cool head. That threatened calamity was averted by the determinated self-possession of Major General Daniel E. Sickles. Spurring his horse forward he forced his way through the tangled mass and entered this narrow neck. Across this neck there funs a strong brick wall behind which the forces of General Williams and Berry had already thrown themselves preparatory to meeting the enemy. On one flank of the wall was the deeply sunken bed of the creek, impassible for any species of vehicle, and scarcely safe for men. At the upper end of the wall was a narrow gateway, the only opening to be found. To this point General Sickles picked his way, and there, drawing his sword, blocked the passage with himself and horse. On came the panic stricken crowd, terrified artillery riders spurring and lashing their horses to the utmost; riderless horses dashing along regardless of all obstacles; ambulances upsetting and being dashed to pieces against trees and stumps; men flying and crying with alarm--a perfect torrent of passion, apparently uncontrollable. But against it all the brave General threw himself, and by his determined bravery brought the first heavy mass--a cannon drawn by six horses, well mounted--to a halt, and blockaded the passage. Others dashed up behind and crowded on the first, their drivers cursing and swearing and calling to the foremost to go on. The loose horses jumped the stone wall, and the flying men scrambled over it, utterly oblivious to the fact that the opposite side was crowded with men whose lives were thus doubly endangered. But by the blockade of the main passage the stampede of artillery and cavalry had been principally checked. Once halted, reason began to return to those who had previously lost it, and much of the artillery, properly manned, was quickly brought back upon the field.

Pleasanton Checks the Rebels.

In the meantime, Pleasanton, in obedience to orders received from General Sickles, had mustered two or three of the batteries and was busily employed pouring grape and canister into the woods that were filled with the rebels. Every moment his effective force of pieces was increased by cannoniers recovering from their fright and returning to duty, so that by the time the stampede was finally checked he had at least twenty-five pieces bearing directly upon the enemy in all directions about the field, and at so close a range that every discharge took effect, not upon one or two but upon dozens. The slaughter here must have been beyond count. We have reason to believe that nearly the whole, if not the entire body of Hill's force was in the attack upon that little field, which must have filled the woods. Such an incessant fire from so many pieces, and into so dense a mass, could not have produced any ordinary limit of slaughter. But it being now quite dark, and as we never regained entire possession of the woods, where the enemy were the thickest, we have no means of knowing how great the slaughter was. It was sufficient to know that the enemy was held in check, and Sickles' gallant corps had an oppurtunity [sic] to rally from the disastrous effects of the shameful stampede of the Eleventh corps.

End of the Panic.

Let me here finish with the Eleventh corps. They did not all fly across Sickles' line. They dispersed and ran in all directions, regardless of the order of their going. They all seemed possessed with an instinctive idea of the shortest and most direct line from the point whence they started to the United States ford, and the majority of them did not stop until they had reached the ford. Many of them, on reaching the river, dashed in and swam to the north side, and are supposed to be running yet.

Monday's Operations.
Repulse of the Sixth Corps.

New York, May 6.--The Herald has received the following account of the fight of Gen. Sedgwick's corps with the enemy:

It appears that after the great slaughter of Sunday, Gen. Lee detached a large body of the rebels to meet Sedgwick, and it is known that Longstreet was also rapidly getting in Sedgwick's rear. At the same time, early on Monday morning, large masses of rebels appeared on the heights east of Frenericksburg [sic], where we had but a small force, having sent a large portion to stren[g]then Sedgwick.

The position was relinquished after a short resistance, having first removed all the guns.

Some fighting occurred above Fredericksburg, which is believed to have been an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Longstreet from moving up.

The rebels interposed no objection to our holding Fredericksburg, which we will retain.

Gen. Sedgwick was holtly [sic] engaged all Monday, the rebels pressing him at all points.

His men were obliged to give way before the overwhelming masses of the rebels, and his discomfiture seemed certain, when a Vermont brigade made a ferocious charge, repulsing them and securing the safety of that portion of the army.

The slaughter of the enemy near Bank's Ford was perfectly horrible; whole brigades of rebels being literally wiped out.

Gen. Sedgwick, however recrossed the river in the face of the enemy, after midnight, the enemy raking our bridges with artillery, causing great loss of life.

He succeeded in getting across in comparatively good order, and marched immediately to United States Ford, to join Hooker's main army.

Chancellorsville, May 4--4 P.M.

General Whipple Wounded.

Evreything [sic] remains quiet along the front today, with the exception of occassional [sic] shots from the sharpshooters. Gen. Whipple, while examining the lines of defence this morning, was shot by a rebel rifleman, and it is feared mortally wounded. One of our sharpshooters, who saw the rebel fire, shot him before he had time to reload.

The Hospitals Shelled.

About sunrise this morning the enemy planted a battery near the United States Ford, and shelled the hospitals and baggage trains. Considerable confusion was created; but the battery was spe[e]dily silenced and quiet restored. Some of the rebel prisoners were killed. One shell passed through four hospital tents, and a few moments after another carried away the head of a wounded man who was reading a letter just received from home.

The Supply Trains.

None of the trains are allowed to cross the river, all supplies being sent up on pack mules. The enemy's line extends from the vicinity of Bank's Ford around by Chancellorsville to Ealy's Ford. A renewal of the engagement is momentarilly [sic] expected. Our position is strongly intrenched [sic], and can be held against a vastly superior force.

Our Loss

Is yet undetermined. An unusual number of officers have fallen; but the hospital arrangements are good, and everything that could be done to alleviate their suffering has been performed.

General Patrick Prevents Straggling.

Very little staggling [sic] has occur[r]ed. Gen. Patrick with his staff labored indefatigably in preventing the falling out and strolling to the rear, and admirable order prevails throug[h]out the entire army.

Where The Attack is Expected.

It is expected that the enemy will attack us on the right. The troops are in the entrenchments eager for a renewal of the engag[e]ment, and confident of success.

The Supposed Rebel Losses.

From captured officers we learn that the enemy's loss has been terrible. In Jackson's corps the casualities [sic] are unprecedented. Jackson is wounded in the hand, D.H. Hill severely and removed from the field; Roach and Ransom are killed, and Nicholls wounded.

The Rebels Fire The Woods.

Many killed have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and are still lying on the field. It is feared that some of our wounded were burned to death, as, after our troops fell back on Sunday, the enemy fired the woods.

Desperation of the Rebels.

It may seem strange to Northern readers and those away from the scene of contest to read of the repeated attacks made by the enemy, who, it would naturally be supposed, would put themselves almost wholly on the defensive. The fact is they never fought with such desperation before; they feel that they are being hemmed in, their all is at stake, and it is victory or death with them.

The Fifth Army Corps.

At ten A.M. I returned to Gen. Meade's headquarters, and found this corps occupying the same position as when I left, which position it is still occupying. The change in the programme of fighting, bringing artillery more into active play and leaving the infantry less exposed, is generally approved and believed to be the most judicious, safest and wisest course that could be adopted to ensure victory over the enemy.

Tuesday's Operations.

Chancellorsville, May 5, 1863.

All Quiet This Morning.

Last evening Gen. Sedgwick had a severe fight with Jackson's corps. Our forces were hard pressed but after a gallant charge by the Vermont brigade the firing ceased and the rebels retreated.

Two hundred and fifty prisoners were taken, including three colonels, two majors and a large number of line officers.

A Skirmish.

About five o'clock yesterday evening the First division of the Fifth corps moved out of the intrenchments and advanced down towards the Wilderness road. The enemy opened immediately upon them; but our batteries quickly replied, and after a sharp fight for a few moments the rebels retired.

During the night there was considerable cannonading, but without effect. This morning Gen. Sedgwick's corps recrossed the river and is now near Bank's Ford.

All quiet.

Return of Hooker's Army to their Camps at Falmouth.

United States Ford, May 6--8 A.M.

Yesterday morning the trains were all ordered back to camp, and by dark the wagons, extra caissons, pack mules, &c, were at Falmouth. The wounded were hastily removed from the hospitals and sent to Washington, leaving nothing on the other side except our infantry and artillery.

About five o'clock it commenced raining. The water fell in torrents for over an hour, deluging the roads, tearing up the corduroys, sweeping away bridges and threatening the destruction of the pontoons. The river rose with great rapidity and soon overflowed the ends of the pontoons, rendering crossing impracticable. The upper pontoon was taken up and need in lengthening out the others, and after several hours of very hard labor the bridges were once more ready.

Pine boughs were spread upon the pontoons to prevent the noise of crossing, and about midnight the troops commenced falling back. The First corps was the first to cross, and is now nearly all over. The Third corps remains in the entrenchments to cover the retreat. It is hoped that the army will reach this side before the enemy discovers the retreat; but cannonading has commenced quite fiercely at the front, and a desperate battle is not an improbable event.

We can doubtless retire across the river without serious loss; but if discovered in our attempt the struggle will be fierce. Unmolested the troops can get over by noon.

The roads are in a horrible condition--almost as bad as when General Burnside foundered here last winter. Our sick are lying in the woods, but ambulances are coming up to remove them.

There was no fighting yesterday of any consequence. The sharpshooters were quite active, and the artillery opened occasionally; but results were unimportant. The enemy has evidently massed his army on our right, with a view, it is believed, of crossing above and attacking us on the flank and rear. The high water, however, will frustrate that movement.

Three pontoon trains are down near Hamilton's crossing, and some fears have been entertained that the rebels would make a demonstration across the river below Fredericksburg.

A great number of our wounded have fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Our dead on the battle field of Sunday are still unburied, and the wounded are undoubtedly dying in great numbers for want of attention. Dr. Johnson, Medical Inspector of the army, has volunteered to go over with a corps of surgeons and take charge of our wounded. He will probably be sent across as soon as practicable.

General Hooker is very much depressed. Last night he held a colsultation [sic] with his commanding generals, in which it was urged that a longer stay in its present position would prove unsafe for the army. A hasty return to our camps is imperative.

The rain is falling heavily and the river rising with great rapidity.

The Latest Intelligence.

The latest intelligence is that Gen. Hooker has succeeded in recrossing the Rappahannock by way of the United States and Bank's Fords. He has brought away his artillery; but the rear guard have sustained a sharp fight in getting over. All who have witnessed this finale of his "onward to Richmond" movement concur in the belief that a most egregious blunder was made by somebody. It is now evident that instead of thirty-five, sixty or seventy thousand men, Lee had under his command from one hundred and twenty thousand to one hundred and forty thousand and that the whole rebel army of the East was concentrated upon the Rappahannock before even the cavalry advance had crossed the river. The quiet manner of the rebels in permitting the army of Gen. Hooker to advance to Chancellorsville with nothing more than a skirmish is now known to be a part of the programme of Gen. Lee to entrap Gen. Hooker and capture his whole army. Gen. Hooker's retreat to this side of the river is absolutely a victory in view of the circumstances. If Foster in North Carolina, Peck at Suffolk, Keyes at Williamsburg, and Hunter at Charleston, had kept up the advance movements of the Army of the Potomac across the Rappahannock, Hooker would undoubtedly have succeeded. But there has been a lamentable failure of co-operation. Whatever denunciations may now be heaped upon the head of an unsuccessful general, who was thought by many to be unequal to the command assigned to him, yet all the disasters that have occurred are mainly attributible [sic] to the incompetency of those who had the direction of military affairs in other departments as well as that in which this abortive effort was made. Either the General in-chief or the Secretary of War should have seen that it was necessary to prevent the concentration of all the rebel forces in the East upon one point before directing an effort to be made to carry that position. The Army of the Potomac has fought well. It has sustained its old reputation. It has been led once more to the slaughter, and has been sacrificed to the imbecillity [sic] of the military Secretary of the administration.

The Failure of The Campaign.

Hooker's campaign is a failure, just when it was supposed to be on the very eve of a brilliant success. It is understood that he was outgeneralled by Lee and his army outnumbered by the rebels. Still a retreat was not looked for; but Hooker himself seems to have lost confidence in success, particularly as Sedgwick's corps had not joined him, and thus was induced to give the order to retreat. The army retired over the United States Ford and Bank's Ford. The backward movement commenced at ten o'clock last (Tuesday) night, and before daylight this (Wednesday) morning the artillery and mule trains have all crossed, and the infantry was still crossing, Couch's corps in the advance. The enemy were not able to harass our army in its retreat very materially. Their sharpshooters tried to pick off the artillery horses and mounted officers, and whenever they could bring guns to bear upon us they did so; but our artillery usually dislo[d]ged them before they could inflict much damage. The army is now supposed to be on its way back to its old camping ground. There is no apprehension that the enemy will cross the river in pursuit, except, perhaps, some of its cavalry.

Our Losses.

Our entire loss in killed, wounded and missing, does not exceed ten thousand. The enemy's loss must have been double of this, honorably to the army, inimitably for the country, the greatest proportion of them in killed and wounded.

Our loss of prisoners does not exceed seventeen hundred. We have received twenty-four hundred and fifty prisoners of the enemy.

We lost eight guns and took the same number of pieces from the enemy.

General Lee's Official Despatch.

Milford, May 3, 1863.

To President Davis:

Yesterday Gen. Jackson penetrated to the rear of the enemy, and drove him from all his positions from the Wilderness to within one mile of Chancellorsville.

He was engaged at the same time in front by two of Longstreet's divisions.

Many prisoners were taken, and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded is large.

This morning the battle was renewed.

He was dislo[d]ged from all his positions around Chancellorsville and driven back towards the Rappahannock, over which he is now retreating.

We have again to thank Almighty God for a great victory.

I regret to state that Gen. Paxton was killed, Gen. Jeckson [sic] severely and Gens. Heth and A.P. Hill slightly wounded.

Robert E. Lee,
General Commanding.

The last week was one of terrible anxiety and suspense in this community--such as we have only known on one or two occasions before, and such as we pray God we may not know soon again. Early in the week it was rumored that a great battle had either taken place, or was impending; on the banks of the Rappahannock and the Rapidan. But it was not until Wednesday that we heard any definite or reliable news. And then we learned for the first time, that our brave boys had participated in the bloody conflict and that many of them were among the killed and wounded. The news, such as it was, but added to the excitement, anxiety and suspense--names were so wretchedly misspelled as to be scarcely recognizable--and numbers of regiments and companies were confused and unintelligible. And then, too, but few names were given, while newspapers informed us that Tyler's Brigade had numbered eighteen hundred when it went into the fight, and only six hundred when it came out--a loss of two thirds of its entire number. Who were the loved ones who had fallen "with their backs to the earth and their feet to the foe," but whose sad fate had not yet been made known? Oh, the dreadful suspense was more terrible than the worst reality could be! And it was no wonder anxious and careworn faces could be met with every place there was a probability of getting news. It is no wonder that around many of our once happy firesides, there were sighs and tears and unutterable anguish, during those long evenings of painful uncertainty. War is no child's play. It is a horrible, bloody reality. It has hung many a sad home, in our midst, in the sable curtains of mourning, already; and there may be many more sorrows in store for us. But let us bear these sorrows as heroically as our brave loved ones marched up to the cannon's mouth and met death and wounds there.

However great may be our loss, of one fact the newspaper accounts assure us: our 126th Regiment acted nobly, held their position for hours against fearful odds, made several desperate charges, and finally withdrew in good order, when the extreme right flank of the right wing--the eleventh army corps--gave away in a disgraceful route, and made their former position utterly untenable. "The men fought splendidly," says a reporter of the New York Herald, speaking of Tyler's Brigade; "no troops ever fought better. A determination to hold his position caused General Tyler to sustain the loss he did. His men made four separate charges upon the enemy and drove them back each time. Our men had the best of the fight in the end."

The killed and wounded of the 126th Regiment, as far a we have learned their names, are as follows:

Killed.

Nicholas C. Trout--Company C.

Simon Rupley--Company K.

Corp. George F. McSavey--Company K.

Wounded.

Lieut. Colonel D.W. Rowe, in check.

Company B.

M.W. Kissecker, hand; Jas. Noy, arm; A. Glenn, side; G. Burns, hand; James Cleary, hip; S.N. Salkeld, thigh; Jonathan Bowman.

Company C.

George Cole, head; James McConnell, leg; Sergt. D.L. Coyle, shoulder; W. Starleper, thigh; B. Bruce, thigh; J.T. Ripple, knee; William S. McDowell, head; Sergt. J.D. Metcalf, head; Corp. J.O. Parker, hand; J.L. Zimmerman, arm; W.G. McCartney, leg.

Company D.

Captain J.C. Hullinger; Lewis Monat, arm; A. Nicklas, leg; U.H. Moore, breast; Walker Shearer; John B. Hart; Corp. And. Holby; J.L. Schultz, foot and shoulder; J.A.J. Snyder.

Company F.

Lieutentant [sic] Samuel Bonsall; William Soule, nose.

Company G.

Sergt. S.O.B. McCurdy, arm; James McCartney, hand; Corp. R. Walters, leg.

Company H.

John Stouffer, wrist; John Wilson, side; N. M. Bowers, leg; Calvin M. Skinner, knee; Wm. A. Gaston, thigh; Martin Stubbs, arm; And. A. Pomeroy, arm; Joseph Shaeffer, shoulder; Samuel Lee, shoulder; John Smith, head; Jas. Williams, Arm; John H. Everett.

Company L.

Sergt. N. H. Gibler; J.A. Still; Cornelius Brantly, shoulder; M. Wilson; James Gray.

Company K.

Lieut. J.G. Rowe, head; Corp. S.K. Snively, ankle; J.C. Bemesderfer, head; William Rupert, hip; John Robison, knee; W.H. Suively; J.A. Unger, breast.

Missing.

Lieut. Josiah W. Fletcher, Company H.

Lieut. H. Clay McCauley, Company D.

The papers report Charles Allison, D.W. Brandt and R. Randall, of Company A wounded, but private advices state, that, although the company was in the midst of the fight, it did not meet with a single casualty.

The newspaper accounts furnish a number of names of wounded in the 126th, which we are unable [to] classify, and therefore give the names without their companies.

Lieut. J.G. Paine; J. Olliver, leg; S. Worth, arm; J.E. Longacre, neck; J.B. Weimer, thigh; S.R. Whitmer, ear; J.L. Trotter, arm; T. Benchfield, leg; Sergt. A.J. Kent, head; W. Patton, seriously; John Henry, hand; George Geedy, hand; P.N. Carruthers, hand; W. Hank hand; C. Barklay, shoulder; G. Bell; G. Walls; Sergt. J.B. Lecher; A.H. Fassie.

Those of our people who are not in the habit [of] walking around town much, can have no idea of the large number of new buildings which have been erected during the past year, and of those which are now in process of erection. Most of these are neat, plain, substantial edifices, giving evidence of taste and prosperity. Some too are fine, large, costly mansions, indicating wealth, refinement and generous hospitality. The truth is, Chambersburg is going ahead in the path of sure, substantial progress, which speaks well for her future. It is far beyond the Chambersburg of ten years ago. And yet there is still a demand for dwelling houses here, and a hundred comfortable buildings would soon find occupants and pay good rents. Let our Capitalists "keep the ball rolling."