In Richmond the news from Fredericksburg was only a day late 150 years ago. By April 29th Federal forces had crossed the Rappahannock in the same vicinity that General Franklin’s Grand Division had crossed back in December, as part of General Burnside’s failed attempt to drive the rebels out of Fredricksburg.
Based on the following account, the plan of current Union commander, Joe Hooker, seemed to be working. He wanted to use part of his army to “hold those Confederates in place” in Fredericksburg while the rest of his army flanked the rebels by crossing the river northwest of town. The reporter in Fredericksburg seems to be only aware of the crossing to the south.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch April 30, 1863:
Important from the Rappahannock.
the enemy Crossing in force!
fight at Deep Run.
The advices from the Rappahannock, received yesterday, leave no doubt as to the fact that the Yankee army has at last commenced a movement in the neighborhood of Fredericksburg. A gentlemen who left Hamilton’s Crossing yesterday morning. Informs us that the enemy, on Tuesday night, under cover of a dance [dense] fog, succeeded in laying down two of their p[o]nt[o]on bridges, over which they crossed a force, variously estimated at from 5,000 to 10.000. At the time of the crossing the 18th Georgia regiment were on picket at the mouth of Deep Run, and a brisk fight ensued, which lasted from daylight until 10 o’clock, at which time the Georgians were relieved by the 6th Louisiana regiment. Our picket force had fallen back from the river to the road running parallel with the Rappahannock.
A general fight is anticipated within the next few days, as it is believed that the movement is a general one.
In the fight yesterday morning, it is reported that there were two killed and some half drown wounded.
The mouth of Deep Run, at which this morning was effected, is about one and a half miles below Fredericksburg, and is the same point at which that portion of the enemy’s forces crossed that engaged the right wing of our army in the battle of the 13th of December. The land on this side in the immediate vicinity of the river is a level plain of nearly two miles in width, across which the enemy must advance to attack our position on the hills in the neighborhood of Hamilton’s Crossing. It was as they advanced over this plain in December that they suffered such terrible loss. On the opposites or Stafford side of the river the country is hilly, and affords admirable positions for the batteries of the enemy, under cover of which they have successfully thrown their forces over the river.
The VI corps under John Sedgwick was one the three corps operating below town in the vicinity of Hamilton’s Crossing. Part of the VI corps was the 33rd New York Infantry Regiment, whose two-year enlistment was scheduled to end on May 22nd.
According to The story of the Thirty-third N.Y.S. vols.; or, two years campaigning in Virginia and Maryland (by David W. Judd (page 280 and following)) the 33rd was called off picket duty on the afternoon of April 28th to join the rest of the corps down by the river:
The 33rd, as part of Howe’s Division crossed the Rappahannock on Saturday, May 2nd.
pontoon bridges for General Sedgwick’s corps
Image by Alfred R. Waud in the May 16, 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly at Son of the South
