Sekcieirigete Pigs S..S. CARROLL to Dalton, December 17, 1862

December 17, 1862. Sir: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by py ieade in the action at Fredericksburg on the 13th and 14th instant : About 11 a. m. on the 13th, I received orders from General Whipple, commanding division, through one of his aides, to go to the middie

Cuay, XXXII.) BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG, VA.

bridge with my brigade, and report to General Willcox, in Fredericks. burg. I did so, and was ordered by General Willcox to cross the brigade and a on the river bank, in rear of a part of General Sturgis’ command.

About 1.30 p. m. I received an order, through an aide, from General Willcox to move up to General Sturgis’ support ; marched to within a short distance of his headquarters, halted, and reported to General Sturgis in person. He ordered me to move out to the left, and, by defiling up some ravines, to approach the enemy’s works on his ibetd left, and attract their attention in that quarter. I immediately moved out to obey the order, but the head of my column came in contact with General Griffin’s division, which seemed to be moving to the support of General Sturgis, and I joined it, moved abreast of one of his brigades into the railroad cut, and, finding I could move no farther without breaking that column, halted there while it filed off to the left. While lying there awaiting directions from General Griffin, I received an order from General Willcox to move forward to the crest, to the support of other troops. I immediately moved forward by a front to the crest of the hill, where I halted, and retained that position until after dark on the 14th instant.

We were exposed to the enemy’s artillery from the time we left town, and to a most galling fire of shell, grape, canister, and musketry after we rose from the railroad cut until after dark. We kept up a brisk interchange of musketry with the enemy until dark, when it died away, and was resumed in about half an hour by the enemy attempting to gain the crest from the other side of the hill, but was driven back. After that, at the suggestion of Lieutenant-Colonel Crowther, of that regiment, I sent the One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers about

M. Jones, One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and Maj. J. J. Byrne, One hundred and sixty-third New York Volunteer Infantry, whose coolness, judgment, and inspiring bravery were conspicuous.

My thanks are also due to Capt. George Zinn, Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, acting assistant adjutant-general, and Lieut. J. F. Vaughn, Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, aide-de-camp, of my staff; Lieut. R. Johnson, Highty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, provost-marshal of the brigade, and Lieut. J. Rogers, One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, chief of pioneers, for their energy and bravery in a very trying position.

Casualties: Killed, 19; wounded, 83; missing, 11; total, 113, out of 850 taken into action.*

* But see revised statement, p. 135.

All my dead and wounded were removed from the field or buried on the night of the 13th. f I transmit herewith the regimental baer ai ates oa ae i h the honor to be,

very respectfully, your obedient ser :