Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[120] Mahone's left, and my left upon General Wilcox's right. In this position we remained until the morning of the sixteenth, when, the enemy having retired across the river, I fell back to my former and present camp.

On the morning of the eleventh, when the enemy opened his batteries upon the town, preparatory to crossing the river, the Third Georgia regiment was on picket duty on the river, at the upper edge of the town. This regiment retained its position during the whole day, subjected to a most galling fire from the enemy's batteries. At five o'clock, in the evening of that day, I received a communication from Colonel E. J. Walker, commanding the regiment, informing me that the enemy had effected the building of one or more bridges, and had crossed a considerable force into the town on his right, compelling the Eighth Florida regiment, which was on picket duty immediately on his right, to fall back, and that, from the sound of musketry, he was led to believe that General Barksdale's brigade, also on picket duty in the town, had retired to our line of battle, and inquiring what he (Colonel Walker) should do. I immediately sent him orders to hold his position at all hazards until morning, and if then he should become satisfied that General Barksdale's brigade had retired, and the enemy should show an imposing force on this side of the river, to fall back in order to my line, destroying the bridges over the canal. At eight o'clock next morning Colonel Walker fell back to my line, having accomplished the complete destruction of the canal bridges--General Barksdale having, as he supposed the night before, previously fallen back to our line of batteries. Colonel Walker's loss, during the day's bombardment, was one man killed and one slightly wounded. On Friday evening, the twelfth instant, the Second Georgia battalion, of my brigade, under the command of Captain C. J. Moffat, was ordered on picket duty in front of the Stansbury house, where it remained until Saturday evening, when it was relieved by the Forty-eighth Georgia regiment, Captain Hall commanding. During the fight of Saturday, Captain Moffat lost one man killed and one wounded. No other casualties occurred in my command during the action.

While the officers and men of my brigade had no opportunity to display the courage and gallantry which have heretofore marked their conduct in all the battles in which they have been engaged, their patient and protracted “lying in wait” during the six days they were under arms, exposed to the rigors of the severe cold weather and the fire of the enemy's batteries, has given me increased confidence in their character as veteran soldiers, who are alike equal to the trials of actual battle and of waiting under the enemy's guns for any emergency which might require their services.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Major: In response to the call from division headquarters, I beg to present the following statement of the operations of this brigade in the late bombardment and battle of Fredericksburg:

Promptly after the signal of alarm, Thursday, the eleventh instant, the brigade was placed in the position assigned it by the division commander, immediately in rear of the line of battle selected in the event of any attack upon our own front.

For the most part, the brigade continued under arms in this position during the period of the fight, and, in fact, until Tuesday, the sixteenth instant, when the enemy evacuated Fredericksburg, and recrossed the Rappahannock. In the mean time, however, it always had a regiment, and sometimes two, in advance of the batteries on the front, which were exposed to the enemy's artillery fire, and which, though active, and especially on Saturday and Sunday, occasioned but eight casualties in the brigade. It may not be amiss to add, that much work, in the erection of batteries and rifle-pits, was performed by the troops of the brigade during the four days of the battle; among these works may be mentioned the one, as of special advantage, in dislodging the enemy from behind the hills on the right of the plank road.

I am, Major, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

I have the honor to report to you the part taken by this brigade in the battle of Fredericksburg:

On the morning of the eleventh instant, at five o'clock, the brigade was put under arms and in position, and so remained until seven o'clock P. M., when the Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth Georgia regiments and Phillips's legion were marched into Fredericksburg by General Cobb, to relieve General Barksdale, and took position in our line of battle in the road along the foot of Marye's Hill, crossing the Telegraph road, by which the enemy advanced; the legion on the left, Twenty-fourth Georgia in the centre, and Eighteenth on the right. The men lay on their arms during the night. Our pickets and scouts took fifteen prisoners. Close and heavy skirmishing was kept up during Friday, the twelfth, and on that night we again rested on our arms.

At daybreak on the thirteenth, skirmishing again commenced, accompanied by the enemy's