The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 9: Poetry and Eloquence.
Francis Trevelyan Miller, Ed.

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Illustrations of Thompson's poem: taken during the battle of May 3, 1863.

These two views, the lower being the right half of the panorama, are a truly remarkable illustration of Thompson's lines. ‘Taken during the battle of May 3, 1863’ is the legend written on the print by the Government photographer, Captain A. J. Russell. In the early morning of that day, Gibbon had encrimsoned the stream at this point in crossing the river to cooperate with Sedgwick to attack the Confederate positions on the heights of Fredericksburg. When this picture was taken, Sedgwick was some nine miles away, fighting desperately along a crest near Salem Chapel, from which he was at length driven slowly back through the woods. Sedgwick held his ground through the next day; but on the night of May 4th he recrossed the Rappahannock, this time above Fredericksburg, while the Confederate batteries shelled the bridges over which his troops were marching. The waters were indeed ‘crimsoned by battle's recent slaughters.’ To the right in the lower half of the panorama are the stone piers of the bridge in the telephoto picture on the next page.

‘Where Rappahannock's waters ran deeply crimsoned’

Panorama (with picture above) of Fredericksburg from lacy house