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ampered by avoidable delays。 So when he reached Falmouth he found Lee had forestalled him on the opposing heights of Fredericksburg itself。
The disastrous thirteenth of December was dull； calm； and misty。 But presently the sun shone down with unwonted warmth； the mists rolled up like curtains； and there stood 200；000 men； arrayed in order of battle： 80；000 Confederates awaiting the onslaught of 120；000 Federals。
On came the solid masses of the Federals； eighty thousand strong； with forty in support； amid the thunder of five hundred attacking and defending guns。 The sunlight played upon the rising tide of Federal bayonets as on sea currents when they turn inshore。 The colors waved proudly as ever； and to the outward eye the attack seemed almost strong enough to drive the stern and silent gray Confederates clear off the crest。 But the indispensable morale was wanting。 For this was the end of a long campaign； full of drawn battles and terrible defeats。 Burnside was an unpopular substitute for McClellan； he was not in any way a great commander； and he was acting under pressure against his own best judgment。 His army knew or felt all this； and he knew they knew or felt it。 The Federals； for all their glorious courage； felt； when the two fronts met at Fredericksburg； that they were no more than sacrificial pawns in the grim game of war。 After much useless slaughter they reeled back beaten。 But they could and did retire in safety； skillfully 〃staffed〃 by their leaders and close to their unconquerable sea。
Lee could make no counterstroke。 The Confederate Government had not dared to let him occupy the far better position on the line of the North Anna； from which a vigorous counterstroke might have almost annihilated a beaten attacker； who would have been exposed on both flanks； beyond the sure protection of the sea。 Thus fear of an outcry against 〃abandoning〃 the country between Fredericksburg and the North Anna caused the Southern politicians to lose their chance at home。 But without a decisive victory they could not hope for foreign intervention。 So losing their chance at home made them lose it abroad as well。
Burnside was dazed by his defeat and the appalling loss of life in vain。 But after five weeks of most discouraging inaction he tried to surprise Lee by crossing the Rappahannock several miles higher up。 On the twentieth and twenty…first of that miserable January the Federal army ploughed its dreary way through sloughs of gluey mud under torrents of chilling rain。 Then； when the pace had slackened to a funereal crawl； and the absurdly little chance of surprising Lee had vanished altogether； this despairing 〃Mud March〃 came to its wretched end。 Four days later Burnside was superseded by one of his own subordinates； General Joseph Hooker； known to all ranks as 〃Fighting Joe Hooker。〃
Fredericksburg； the spell of relaxing winter quarters beside the fatal Rappahannock； and then the fatal 〃Mud March；〃 combined to lower Federal morale。 Yet the mass of the men； being composed of fine human material； quickly recovered under 〃Fighting Joe Hooker；〃 who knew what discipline meant。 Numbers and discipline tell。 But disciplined numbers were not the only or even the greatest menace to the South。 For here； as farther west； the Confederate Government was beginning to be foolish just as the Federal Government showed signs of growing wise。 Lincoln and Stanton were giving Joe Hooker a fairly free hand just when Davis and Seddon （his makeshift minister of war） were using Confederate forces as puppets to be pulled about by Cabinet strings from Richmond。 Here again （as later on at Chattanooga） Longstreet was sent away on a useless errand just when he was needed most by Lee。 Good soldier though he was in many ways he was no such man as Stonewall Jackson； and； in this one year； he failed his seniors thrice。
It is true enough that the April situation of 1863 might well shake governmental nerves； for Richmond was being menaced from three points north； southeast； and south： Fredericksburg due north； Suffolk southeast； Newbern south。 Newbern in North Carolina was a long way off。 But its possession by an active enemy threatened the rail connection from Richmond south to Wilmington； Charleston； and Savannah； the only three Atlantic ports through which the South could get supplies from overseas。 Suffolk was nearer。 It covered the landward side of Norfolk； which； with Fortress Monroe； might become the base of a new Peninsula Campaign。 But Fredericksburg was nearest； nearest to Richmond； nearest to Washington； nearest to the main Southern force； and not only nearest but strongest； in every way strongest and most to be feared。 〃Fighting Joe Hooker〃 was there； with a hundred and thirty thousand men； already stirring for the spring campaign that was to wipe out memories of Fredericksburg； make short work of Lee； and end the war at Richmond。
Yet Longstreet cheerfully marched off； pleased with his new command； to see what he could do to soothe the Government by winning laurels for himself at Suffolk。 On the seventeenth； just two weeks before the supreme test came on Lee's weakened army at Chancellorsville； Longstreet reported to Seddon that Suffolk would cost three thousand men； if taken by assault； or three days' heavy firing if subdued by bombardment。 Shrinking from such expenditure of life or ammunition； Davis； Seddon； and Longstreet fell back on a siege； which； preventing all junction with Lee； might well have cost the ruin of their cause。
Lee and Jackson then prepared to make the best of a bad business along the Rappahannock； and to snatch victory once more； if possible； from the very jaws of death。 The prospect was grimmer than before。 Hooker was a better fighter than McClellan and wiser than Burnside or Pope。 Moreover； after two years of war； the Union Government had at last found out that civilian detectives knew less about armies than expert staff officers know； and that cavalry which was something more than mere men on horses could collect a little information too。 Hooker knew Lee's strength as well as his own。 So he decided to hold Lee fast with one part of the big Federal army； turn his flank with another； and cut his line of supply and retreat with Stoneman's ten thousand sabers as well。 The respective grand totals were 130；000 Federals against 62；000 Confederates。
So far； so good； so very good indeed that Hooker and his staff were as nearly free from care on May Day as headquarter men can ever be in the midst of vital operations。 Hooker had just reason to be proud of the Army of the Potomac and of his own work in reviving it。 He had； indeed； issued one bombastic order of the day in which he called it 〃the finest on the planet。〃 But even this might be excused in view of the popular call for encouraging words。 What was more to the point was the reestablishment of Federal morale； which had been terribly shaken after the great Mud March。 Hooker's sworn evidence （as given in the official 〃Report of Committee on the Conduct of the War〃） speaks for itself： 〃The moment I was placed in command I caused a return to be made of the absentees of the army； and found the number to be 2922 commissioned officers and 81；964 non…commissioned office