Summary:
Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson commanded the Second Army Corps of the Army of
Northern Virginia, which included the Staunton Artillery. Jackson notes the
specific positions of the guns.
Brig. Gen. R. H. CHILTON, Asst. Adjt.and Insp. Gen., Army of Northern Virginia.
January 31, 1863
GEN:
I have the honor herewith to submit to you a report of the operations of my corps in the battle of Fredericksburg on Saturday, December 13, last.
On the morning of that day the troops were arranged as follows: Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill occupied the front line, formed of two regiments of Field's brigade, commanded by Col. [J. M.] Brockenbrough, and the brigades of Archer, Lane, and Pender [posted from right to left in the order named], his right resting on the road leading from Hamilton's Crossing to the Port Royal road, and his left extending to within a short distance of Deep Run. These troops were partially concealed by the wood, near the edge of which they were posted. The remainder of Brockenbrough's command, consisting of the Fortieth and Fifty-fifth Virginia, was immediately in rear of Walker's batteries, and acting as a support to them. Of the other two brigades, Gregg's and Thomas', of the same division, the first was in rear of the interval between Archer and Lane, and the second in rear of the interval between Lane and Pender. The divisions under Gen.'s Early and Taliaferro formed the second line, Early being on the right. The division of Maj. Gen. D. H. Hill, which was still farther in rear, constituted the reserve. Upon the eminence immediately to the right, Lieut.-Col. [R. L.] Walker, [Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill's chief of artillery] had in position fourteen guns, composed of the batteries of Pegram and McIntosh, with sections from the batteries of Crenshaw, Latham, and Johnson, commanded, respectively, by Lieut.'s [J.] Ellett, [J. R.] Potts, and [Valentine J.] Clutter. On the left of the line, and near the Bernard cabins, were posted twenty-one guns, of the batteries of Capt.'s Davidson, Raine, Caskie, and Braxton, all under the immediate direction of Capt. Davidson. To the right and some 200 yards in front of these, and beyond the railroad, were posted twelve guns, from the batteries of Capt.'s Carpenter, Wooding, and Braxton, under the direction of Capt. Brockenbrough, Gen. Taliaferro's chief of artillery; Carpenter's battery commanded by Lieut. [George] McKendree, and Braxton's by Lieut. [Edward A.] Marye. On my left was Maj.-Gen. [John B.] Hood, of Longstreet's corps, and on my right and front the cavalry, under command of Maj.-Gen. [J. E. B.] Stuart, with a battery near the Port Royal road, under the direction of Maj. [John] Pelham, of the Stuart Horse Artillery, aided in the course of the day by sections from the batteries of Capt. [William T.] Poague, Lieut. [Archibald] Graham commanding; Capts. David Watson, B. H. Smith, jr., [A. W.] Garber, [Willis J.] Dance, and the Louisiana Guards, of my corps, thrown into position so as to cross their fire with the guns of Lieut.-Col. Walker, and designed to check the advance of the enemy in that direction.
I trust that the victory of Fredericksburg, with which god had blessed our cause, will continue to be gratefully remembered.
I am, general, your obedient servant,
T. J. JACKSON,
Lieut.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I. Vol. 21. Serial No. 31, Page 630, Broadfoot Publishing Company, , .
