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Chapter 20: battle of Chancellorsville.
Before light on the morning of the 29th of April, the enemy, having moved three corps of his army up during the night, by taking advantage of a heavy fog that overhung the river, threw a brigade across in boats, just below the mouth of
Deep Run, and the 54th North Carolina Regiment on picket at that point, being unable to cope with the force brought against it, was forced to retire, which it did without loss.
The movement had been conducted with so much secrecy, the boats being brought to the river by hand, that the first intimation of it, to the regiment on picket, was the landing of the force.
Bridges were then rapidly laid down at the same crossing used by
Burnside at this point and a division of infantry with some artillery was crossed over.
About a mile lower down below the house of
Mr. Pratt, a similar crossing was attempted, but that was discovered, and resisted by the 13th Georgia Regiment under
Colonel Smith until after sunrise, when that regiment was relieved by the 6th Louisiana under
Colonel Monaghan going on picket in its regular time.
The latter regiment continued to resist the crossing successfully until the fog had risen, when the enemy's guns were brought to bear, and by a concentrated fire that regiment was compelled to retire, not, however, without sustaining a considerable loss in killed and wounded as well as prisoners, the latter being captured in rifle pits at points below the crossing, which was effected by the enemy's coming up in their rear before they had received notice of his being across.
The 13th Georgia had also sustained some loss in killed and wounded, and prisoners captured in the same way, who had not been relieved.
The resistance made at this point delayed the enemy so that the bridges there were not laid until after 10 o'clock A. M.
