on the evening of the 2d, after its long and continuous march of the previous day and night, and the handsome manner in which it bore itself during the engagement, were worthy of its former reputation. A list of the casualties of the division has been forwarded. *

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. P. HOWE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

Lieutenant Colonel M. T. McMAHON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Sixth Corps.

Numbers 230. Reports of Colonel Lewis A. Grant, Fifth Vermont Infantry, commanding

Second Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST VERMONT BRIGADE,
South side of the Rappahannock, Va.,

June 6, 1863.

SIR: The Vermont Brigade has again crossed the Rappahannock at the old point, about 1 1/2 miles below Fredericksburg. It is the first brigade across, and, so far as my knowledge extends, it is the only one yet over. We left camp yesterday soon after noon, and marched to the river, a distance of about 5 miles. The pontoons were on the ground, ready to be taken down the bank and thrown across the river. The rebels had constructed rifle-pits in front of and commanding the point where the bridges were to be placed. These rifle-pits were occupied by rebel infantry. As soon as the artillery could be gotten into position, it opened a terrible fire upon the rifle-pits. It had but little effect, however, excepting to keep back re-enforcements that were coming to the assistance of those already in the rifle-pits. But very few of those in the rifle-pits were injured by the artillery fire. They managed to keep up a galling musketry fire upon the engineers that attempted to construct the bridges. It was determined to drive the rebels from the rifle-pits. The Fifth Vermont, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, and Twenty-sixth New Jersey, Lieutenant-Colonel Martindale, were ordered forward for that purpose. They rushed gallantly down the bank, and, with the assistance of the engineers, and under a galling fire from the rifle-pits, they launched the pontoon boats into the stream, jumped into them, rowed across, and landed upon the south bank. But a few companies of the Fifth had crossed when they sprang up the bank, and with shouts charged the rifle-pits, driving the enemy from them in great confusion, taking many of them prisoners. The twenty-sixth New Jersey came gallantly to the support of the Fifth, and did well, but it is believed the Fifth cleared the rifle-pits. The Third Vermont, Colonel Seaver; the Fourth Vermont, Colonel Stoughton; the Second Vermont, Colonel Walbridge, also crossed in boats, and gallantly supported the regiments already across. The rebels were driven across the plain into the woods. One bridge was soon completed, and the Sixth Vermont, Colonel Barney, also crossed. Our positions were taken and are still held. It is impossible at this time to give particular

instances of dashing

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 181.

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