Waitt, Ernest Linden, History of the Nineteenth regiment, Massachusetts volunteer infantry , 1861-1865

The heavy columns of the Ninth Corps swept rapidly to the front. French moved his division to the heights of Stafford, Hancock followed close and just at dawn the gallant division of Howard moved up.

Word that the Engineers had succeeded in laying the bridges below the city and that Franklin and Hooker were crossing was received, but the bridge over which the Third Brigade was to cross could not be laid in time. About two hours before daylight the brigade marched down to the river bank, and found but a small section of the bridge laid. There was about an inch of snow on the ground and the fog was so dense that it was impossible to see across the river. The Nineteenth Massachusetts regiment was deployed as a skirmish line along the river bank at the west side of the bridge, with the Seventh Michigan doing the same service on the east side, while the 179 guns on the hills behind them kept throwing shells over into the city. The men could feel the hot air from these shells as they flew overhead. Later, the regiment was ordered to the rear of the batteries so that they could depress their pieces.

After the fruitless attempt to dislodge the enemy by artillery and a waste of many hours of valuable time, the brigade commander sent for the regimental commanders late in the afternoon and informed them that it was proposed, after shelling the banks, to make a crossing in pontoon boats by volunteers, as the nature of the work was to be hazardous. The commanders of the Nineteenth Massachusetts and the Seventh Michigan, who were the only ones that had arrived at this time, tendered their services and were immediately ordered to conform as nearly as possible to the orders of the night before.

During the day the heavy mist over the river had been dissipated by the sun and the city was clearly visible. The houses seemed to be untenanted and nothing appeared to have life but one poor, lonely cow which wandered up and down the river bank. But once in a while there would be a flash, a puff of smoke, followed by a report, denoting the spot where some rebel sharpshooter was concealed. To step upon the bridge meant instant death.