May 3 (Saturday), all worked well, General Sedgwick's corps fighting hard in front of his bridges, but gaining no ground and requiring no new stations.

At 12 m., I telegraphed to Captain Cushing that if General Sedgwick went ahead I should require two more officers. He telegraphed me to call in Lieutenants Brooks and Hill and use them. They arrived at 3 p. m. At 4 p. m., General Brooks' division had made some progress, and I therefore sent Lieutenants Brooks and Hill to the other side of the river, to keep him in communication with General Sedgwick, if he moved forward. At 5, Lieutenant Briggs reported to me for duty. I sent him to Tyler's battery, to direct their fire and to observe and report any movement.

At midnight I was notified, from Lieutenant Brooks' station, that General Sedgwick was about to cross his entire force and attack Fredericksburg, and immediately sent Captain Pierce and Lieutenant Clarke over to him, and ordered Lieutenants Brooks and Hill to accompany him; also then notified Captains Hill and Taylor to look for station in Fredericksburg, as General Sedgwick was advancing on it.

May 4, General Sedgwick took Fredericksburg, and the signal officer with him would have been able to keep him in constant communication, but no signal communication was opened, for what cause I am not informed.

May 4, 10 a. m., the storming of heights in rear and flank of Fredericksburg commenced by the Sixth Corps, under General Sedgwick. After they had all been taken, communication was opened from the the principal works to the Phillips house. At 12 ., I received an order from the chief signal officer to join the signal officers on the other side and supervise their operations.

I immediately obeyed this order, and at 6 p. m. went into camp on hill back of Fredericksburg with Captain E. C. Pierce and Lieutenant Clarke, Captain Gloskoski and Lieutenant Marston. Lieutenants Brooks and Hill had not joined the party. At daybreak we prepared to move forward to join General Sedgwick, who was a mile beyond; the signal telegraph having been brought over the river, connecting General Sedgwick with general headquarters, and rendering signal communication unnecessary at this point. At 8.30 a. m. the enemy appeared on crest of hill on which we were encamped, with nothing but a light line of skirmishers between us and them. They were advancing rapidly. I ordered horses saddled, and put everything into my wagon which could be gotten into it, then ordered the driver to get to Fredericksburg with all speed, and report to Captain Wilson at telegraph station. The team started, and were immediately fired on by the enemy and ordered to halt, but the driver refused to obey the summons, and rushed on through the enemy's line, arriving safely at Fredericksburg and reporting as ordered. Accompanying this wagon, I sent my servant on one of my horses and Captain Gloskoski's on one of his; both of the negroes were struck, but only one was injured, a Minie ball striking his arm; none of the horses were injured. In this affair one of the tents belonging to my set was lost out of the wagon and captured by the enemy, also much of my personal baggage. Just before the enemy appeared at our camp, I had sent Captain Pierce and Lieutenant Clark to report to General Sedgwick. Lieutenant Marston had ridden up the hill to reconnoiter, and disappeared. Thinking him captured or killed, I gathered the men, and, with Captain Gloskoski, proceeded to notify General Neill of the position of affairs. We found him approaching the scene, and briefly informed him of the position. Then, seeing that all communication with