At 3 a. m. the Third Division was formed and started toward the river, but was soon ordered to return to the wood. The regiment remained there until afternoon, when it moved to the bank of the river, sheltered under the bank of the creek near its mouth.

April 30, the regiment was mustered, and toward noon was moved across the creek and on the top of the farther (west) bank, where it remained until the enemy opened a battery having it in direct range. The regiment was then moved under shelter of the bank, where it remained the night of the 30th and all of May 1.

During the morning of May 2, the enemy again opened, and the regiment was withdrawn, together with the Third Division, to the Fredericksburg road, under fire. Passing the Sixth Corps, which was lying at the roadside, the regiment marched to the United States Ford, crossed the pontoon bridge, and arrived at the Ely's Ford road at 1 a. m. of May 3, where it rested on arms all night.

May 3,4, and 5 were passed in entrenching and strengthening the line of defense, remaining under arms all the time.

At 9 p. m. of the 5th, the regiment was formed on the road, and so remained until about 11 p. m., when it re-occupied the entrenchments until 1 a. m. of the 6th, when it again formed and marched to the United States Ford, which it recrossed, and continued the march to near the old headquarters of General Hooker, where it passed the night.

April 7, moved to Fitzhugh's woods, near Pollock's Mill, where it encamped and now remains.

A list of the casualties has already been furnished, to which I respectfully refer.*

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAPMAN BIDDLE,

Colonel 121st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Lieutenant WILLIAM L. WILSON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 52. Report of Colonel James R. Porter, One hundred and thirty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry.

CAMP ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK, May 9, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report that, in compliance with orders, my regiment was detached from the First Brigade, Third Division, First Army Corps, at 8 p. m. on April 28, and marched to the banks of the Rappahannock River, and halted on the farm of Mrs. Gray, 5 miles below Fredericksburg, at 11 p. m. the same night, when two companies were posted along the river bank as sharpshooters. The remainder of the regiment lay down to rest for the night.

On the morning of the 29th, three batteries of artillery were placed in position to the right and rear of Mrs. Gray's farm, facing the batteries and rifle-pits of the enemy on the opposite side of the river. Firing commenced briskly by the enemy from their rifle-pits on my sharpshooters, with a loss [to them] of some 10 or 12 killed and a number wounded, without any loss on my part, except 1 man wounded slightly.

On the afternoon of the 30th, one company was posted 1 1/2 miles down

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 175.

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