advance.

At four o'clock in the morning we did advance. Straight across the plain
we went, until we came nearly to the base of the heights, where the
hosts of the enemy awaited us, then taking the Bowling Green road, filed
to the right and proceeded to the rear of Fredericksburgh; the
Seventy-seventh in front, the Twenty-first New Jersey, the Forty-ninth
New York, Twentieth New York, Seventh Maine and Thirty-third New York,
constituting the Third brigade, under command of General Neill,
following in the order mentioned. Then came the Vermont brigade, Colonel
L. A. Grant commanding; these two brigades forming the whole of Howe's
(Second) division of the Sixth corps since the First brigade was
detached.

As we gained the rear of the eastern part of the town, the batteries of
the enemy opened upon us, and swarms of infantry rose up in our front
and poured volleys of bullets into our ranks. The "Light division" and
Newton's Third division of our corps had passed through the streets of
the town, and were now on our right. The skirmishers from Wheaton's and
Shaler's brigades had struck those of the enemy near a large mansion,
where, each party dodging behind the garden fence, the cherry trees and
the outhouses, they kept up a lively engagement for several minutes, but
Newton's advance was forced to yield the ground.

In the meantime, the long line of rifled cannon which surmounted
Stafford Heights, on the north side of the river, as at the first battle
of Fredericksburgh, were throwing huge shells across the wide valley and
stream into the works of the enemy. One or two field batteries near the
head of our own column, and some attached to the other divisions, got
into position and opened a fierce cannonade.

General Howe quickly formed his troops in line, as did the other
division commanders.

The line of battle of the corps extended from the pontoon bridge at
Franklin's Crossing to the right of the town of Fredericksburgh. First,
on the left, Brooks' division held the plain in front of the crossing.
Next, on the right, in front of Marye's Heights, was Howe's Second
division; then the "Light division," Colonel Burnham; and on the extreme
right was Newton's Third division. Gibbon's division of the Second
corps, which, because its encampment was in plain view of the enemy, had
been left behind, also crossed into the town by a bridge which it threw
over, and took position on the right of the corps.

General Sedgwick, fin