and, crossing the pontoon bridge, entered Fredericksburg and formed my brigade on Sophia street; my right at Hanover street, and my left on Princess Anne Street.

At 11 o'clock, I moved forward and formed on Caroline street, opposite my first position, where I remained during the afternoon and night, the troops sleeping on their arms.

At 10 o'clock on the morning of the 13th, I received the order to lead the advance in an attack on the enemy's works in rear of the city. The First Regiment Delaware Volunteers having been ordered to report to me, I placed then on the center, the Eighth Ohio on the right, and the Fourth Ohio on the left, the whole under the command of Colonel John S. Mason, of the Fourth Ohio, and sent them forward as skirmishers. The Eighth Ohio passed out Hanover street until it connected with the Fourth Ohio and First Delaware, which passed out Princes Anne street; crossed the canal near the depot buildings, and deployed to the right. This movement commenced at 11.30 o'clock.

At a few minutes before 12 o'clock, I moved my brigade, which had already been formed on Caroline street, with the Seventh [West] Virginia on the right, the Fourteenth Indiana on the left, and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth New Jersey in the center, by the right flank, out Princess Anne street; crossed the open space near the depot buildings and the canal bridge near there; filed to the right, and formed line of battle under cover of the low bluff, on which my skirmishers had deployed, my right resting on Hanover street, and my left on the so-called Telegraph road.

From the time my column came in sight at the depot buildings all these movements were executed under a most murderous fire from the enemy's artillery, several shells bursting in the ranks and destroying a company at a time. Yet all the regiments, without an exception, moved steadily forward without confusion, those in the rear quickly closing up the gaps left by their fallen comrades.

My skirmishers having already driven the enemy's pickets from the plain in front of their position, I moved rapidly forward in line of battle. As soon as my line came in sight on the top of the small hill, under cover of which it was formed, it was met by a deadly fire from the enemy's batteries in front and on each flank, but in the face of this it moved steadily forward with fixed bayonets, and without firing a gun, over rough and muddy ground, through fences and all other obstacles, until, reaching the enemy's rifle-pits, it was met by his infantry, posted behind stone walls and earthworks, and in cover of a small ravine, in superior numbers, and by a fire so fierce as to compel it to halt and open fire upon him.

The right of my line then occupied a small village at the forks of the Hanover road, and my left rested at the Telegraph road. A fourth of my command had fallen while crossing the plain, and those left with me were exhausted by the fatigue of clearing away fences and marching so far at double-quick over rough and muddy ground; and they were exposed to a most murderous fire of grape and musketry. The support had not then come up from under cover of the bluff. My command held its ground, but could advance no farther.

At this moment, I was severely wounded in the thigh, and was soon after carried from the field, after sending orders to Colonel Mason to take command of the brigade. I respectfully refer you to the report of this officer for the subsequent action of my brigade, and for lists of killed and wounded.