. The twentieth regiment of Massachusetts volunteer infantry, 1861-1865 . nswhich has never been spoken of save in words ofpraise, and his fitness for a large command wassoon to be put to the final test in carrying into exe-cution what appeared to him in his winter camp soeasy of accomplishment. In the broad scheme which contemplated notonly the defeat but the destruction of Lees army,it was intended that the cavalry corps, which num-bered nearly twelve thousand, should play an impor-tant part. To break up the railroads and destroythe bridges between Fredericksburg and Richmond,and thus render
. The twentieth regiment of Massachusetts volunteer infantry, 1861-1865 . nswhich has never been spoken of save in words ofpraise, and his fitness for a large command wassoon to be put to the final test in carrying into exe-cution what appeared to him in his winter camp soeasy of accomplishment. In the broad scheme which contemplated notonly the defeat but the destruction of Lees army,it was intended that the cavalry corps, which num-bered nearly twelve thousand, should play an impor-tant part. To break up the railroads and destroythe bridges between Fredericksburg and Richmond,and thus render it difficult if not impossible tofeed the army, and at the same time prevent thereturn of Longstreets corps, then operating in frontof Suffolk, except at a foot pace; and, with theseobjects secured, to take up a position behind thePamunkey River, and there hold Lee at bay untilHooker could come up and secure his destruction,was the brave task given it to accomplish. Therewas a wide field for doubt whether orders requiring n g »j 9 c n u C0 o E§ ? g Ed a 2 H < 5 g. CHANCELLORSVILLE 237 the fulfillment of these objects would not fail of be-ing carried out by a force only recently organized,which thus far had seldom crossed swords with theenemy. Though there were officers in the corps wholater made their names famous, as yet they had hadbut little experience beyond that of escort andpicket duty. To carry out these views it wasnecessary that the cavalry should start a week ormore before any movement or threat of a move-ment should be made by the infantry, and GeneralStoneman set out on the 13th of April with instruc- jtions to make a wide detour around the enemy,passing by his left flank and then south for the ac- ^^complishment of his mission. Unfortunately a vio- q_lent rainstorm came on before he had reached the asupper fords of the Rappahannock, which rendered erthem impassable and delayed the movement untilthe army took up its march two weeks later. The ^npart played by
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