HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Near Fredericksburg, January 21, 1863.

Major-General McLAWS:

GENERAL: Information recently received leads to the conclusion that the enemy will soon make another effort to advance on this line. You must be prepared to prevent any landing by him in your front. This can be done by a small force well protected by rifle-pits. If your men are not comfortably fixed for a successful resistance, they must be made so at once. Our latest advise indicate that the crossing will be attempted at Falmouth and Port Royal, but we must be prepared at all other points as well as these. If the enemy should succeed in effecting a longment at any point in your front, I may wish to drive him into the river under cover of night. I desire, therefore, that you will make yourself familiar with the ground along the river bank, with that view. Give orders to your pickets, however, that they are to prevent any landing. This is confidently excepted of them. It would be well to have pits made for single pieces of artillery, to cut the other end of the bridges wherever it is likely that they may be thrown across. Complete arragements should also be made to prevent any landing by using boats.

Most respectfully,

JAMES LONGSTREET,

Major-General, Commanding.

(Similar letters to Major-Generals Pickett and Hood.)

[21.]

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Near Fredericksburg, Janaury 21, 1863

Lieutenant Colonel E. P. ALEXANDER,

Commanding Aritllery, First Army Corps:

COLONEL: General Longstreet desires you to have your batteries assigned to all the available positions in our front. It is meant that these positions shall be indicated to the several battery commanders, that, at the alarm, they may promptly occupy them. It will be necessary, before you make these assignments, to learn where the batteries that the been left with General McLaws, Anderson, and Hood are excepted to be planted, in order no confusion or misunderstanding may arise. When the alarm is given, the batteries thus assigned will at once assume their positions, and the general wishes you to cause the remaining ones to be posted near here in some convenient position, ready to be massed or directed at any point where they may be wanted.

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

G. M. SORREL,

[21.] Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Near Fredericksburg, January 21, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel E. P. ALEXADER,

Commanding Artillery:

COLONEL: The general commanding desires that you will order such batteries as you will assign to positions on the line to select and occupy to-morrow morning suitable camps within two miles of their expected