John D. Billings, The history of the Tenth Massachusetts battery of light artillery in the war of the rebellion

[214] preceded, however, by Gregg's division of cavalry, which was thrown out easterly towards Fredericksburg, and southerly towards Todd's Tavern. We reached Chancellorsville about 3 P. M., and placed our guns in earthworks constructed a year previously.

It is a fact by no means insignificant for us to notice, that in the movement making to turn the enemy's right, to Hancock and his corps was given the most responsible place. This was undoubtedly due in large measure to the confidence Gen. Meade put in his many soldierly qualities, conspicuous among which was an implicit obedience of orders. With him to hear was to obey.¹ It might naturally be expected that if the first part of Grant's plan for the campaign succeeded, Lee would fall upon and attempt to overwhelm the left wing of our army, with a view to re-establishing his line of communication southward; and ultimately, this was in substance what he did attempt to do, and that, too, with such spirit and determination that reinforcements were dispatched to Hancock until at one time he was in command of fully one-half of the entire army. While the original plan of the campaign failed of execution, the sequel proved ‘Hancock the Superb’ to be the right man in the right place.

It soon becoming apparent to us that no further movement of the Corps was contemplated this day, we devoted our leisure before sunset, in common with hundreds of others, to inspecting the topography of this most interesting battlefield, together