agreeable spot than that which we had hitherto occupied. The day closed as brightly as it opened. Having arranged our new camp, the regiment resumed daily drills, and the usual routine of camp duty. On Friday, November 28th, we had our first dress-parade since leaving Waterford.

November 30th, which was Sunday, special religious services were held, by request of President Lincoln. In our brigade the services were conducted by Chaplain Canfield and the chaplain of the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania. At night Companies E and H went out on fatigue duty, and worked on fortifications near the Lacy House. Private Sager, of Company B, died in the regimental hospital this morning.

December 1st, S. Alonzo Ranlett, orderly sergeant of Company B, was commissioned first lieutenant, and subsequently was appointed adjutant of the regiment.

Meanwhile General Lee was fortifying the heights back of Fredericksburg; and on the part of our soldiers there was not a little of impatience expressed at General Burnside's delay in advancing upon the enemy. This delay, however, could not be avoided, on account of the necessity of opening communications with Aquia Creek, and also of procuring pontoons with which to cross the river. Indeed, the preparations for the movement upon the enemy, urgent as General Burnside was, were not completed until December 10th. On that day the Thirty-sixth received orders to be ready to At night, the Stafford Heights, and the left bank of the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg, were occupied by one hundred and forty-seven pieces of artillery; and before dawn our pontoniers were busily employed in preparations for laying five bridges, upon which the troops were to cross.

move.

The Thirty-sixth was early in line on the morning of the 11th, and, with the brigade, moved down toward the river, and there remained during the rest of the day, while the attempt was made to lay the bridges under cover of our artillery. But the workmen near the Lacy House were greatly hindered in their efforts by sharp-shooters advanta

geously posted on the opposite bank of the river; and a terrific shelling of the city did not succeed in dislodging them. At length, from the regiments near at hand, volunteers were summoned to cross the river in boats, and drive the rebel sharpshooters from their position. Men from the Seventh Michigan, Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, answered the summons; and with men from the Fiftieth New York, as boatmen, crossed the river.. Then, darting up the bank, in a few minutes they compelled the enemy to withdraw. The work of laying the pontoons was soon pushed rapidly forward, and late in the afternoon the bridges were completed. The army then began to cross, Lee being unable to oppose its advance on account of the commanding position afforded our batteries by the Stafford Heights. Franklin's grand division crossed below the city, and formed the left wing of the army. Sumner's crossed at the upper bridges, and formed the right wing. Hooker's grand division was held in reserve on the northern bank of the river, ready to reinforce either Sumner or Franklin. Most of the troops crossed on the 12th. That morning the several divisions of the Ninth Corps were early in line; and, as they reached the Fredericksburg side of the river, they were placed in position on the left of Sumner's grand division, and just below the city. In the crossing, a few men were killed or wounded by the enemy's shells that fell short of our batteries, at which they were aimed. Two men of the Thirty-sixth were in this way slightly wounded.

That night we moved up into the city, and, stacking arms in the street, spent the night on the sidewalk and in the deserted houses in rear of the guns. Early in the morning of December 13th preparations were made for the approaching battle. Burns' division of the Ninth Corps, to which our brigade belonged, was assigned to a position below the city. There, across Hazel Run, behind a rise of ground, we remained under arms in reserve, listening to the roar of artillery and musketry as the battle raged along the line from left to

right, expecting every minute to be called to participate in the terrible conflict; but no orders came until afternoon, when we moved further down the river, crossed Deep Run, and were placed in position in front of the Barnard House, covering the lower pontoon bridge. At dark the Thirty-sixth moved forward, and supported a battery in front of the Sligo House.

During the day General Meade, with his division, won a temporary success on the left, but was at length compelled to fall back, for the want of adequate support. In rear of the city the divisions of French, Hancock, and Humphrey successively endeavored to carry Marye's Heights, but were repulsed with great loss. General Burnside was greatly disappointed at the result of the day's fighting. It seemed to him that there was lack of spirited leadership, and he accordingly determined to renew the battle early in the morning, and lead his old corps, the Ninth, in person, in an assault on Marye's Heights, with the right and left vigorously supporting. In reference to this proposed attack, Colonel Leasure of the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, who commanded 'our brigade, says: "I received an order, through General Burns, from General Willcox, stating that the Ninth Corps would assault the enemy's works on the next day, and that my brigade, the Third, would lead the attack; and I was requested to submit a plan of attack, subject to the approval of the commanding general. Consequently, I submitted the following: I would advance my own regiment, the One Hundreth Pennsylvania, or Roundheads, in the darkness of night, as close as possible to the enemy's works, as skirmishers and sharpshooters, supporting them as nearly as possible with the remainder of my brigade, the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania and Thirty-sixth Massachusetts, which, in turn, were to be supported by the remainder of the division and the other divisions of the corps. In the gray of the morning the One Hundredth should advance suddenly, driving in the enemy's pickets, or capturing them, and as much as possible pick off their gun

ners, then charge their works in the confusion, throwing in brigade after brigade. This plan was sent to General Burns as the one most feasible; but with it went my most solemn protest against the inevitable destruction of my brigade if it should be adopted, and it was sent to General Burnside with the protest endorsed on it by the commanding officer of the corps and also by General Sumner. But, notwithstanding, it was early morning before the assault was abandoned." In fact, the Third Brigade took position at the front in accordance with the above plan, the Thirty-sixth, with the Forty-fifth on its right, being in line of battle behind a steep, wooded bank, above which, in the early dawn, the outlines of the enemy's works were plainly visible. The One Hundredth was well up toward the enemy's lines, lying low. And here we remained on our arms, expecting every moment to charge the rebel works on the left of the open field, where so many of our brave comrades had fallen the day before, when, unexpectedly to all, we were ordered back to our old position below the city. At daylight, after rations were issued, our whole division moved up to the city, where the Ninth Corps was massed in five lines, near the river. No further advance was made, and there we remained throughout the day. At night we moved back again to our old position below the city, where we remained during the night and all the next day.

It is easy to criticise General Burnside's plan of battle. It is plain, however, that, if our soldiers had carried Marye's Heights, Burnside could not have occupied them, as they are commanded by still higher ground in their rear. But it should be remembered that General Burnside designed that the weight of his assault, December 13th, should fall upon General Lee's right, and his mistake seems to have been that his force at that point was not greatly increased, and placed under the command of an officer from whom he could expect the most hearty support.

About dark on the 15th we were again in line. The One

Hundredth Pennsylvania and the Second Michigan, old and tried regiments, were ordered out, while the Forty-fifth) Pennsylvania and the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts remained under arms awaiting orders. To secure strict silence, the men were not to speak, and to avoid coughing as much as possible. This, together with the ominous injunction of Colonel Leasure to his old regiment, as they joined him: "Now do your duty, Roundheads," was interpreted as meaning serious work near at hand. About ten o'clock in the evening the rest of our brigade moved up into the city quietly, where, to our surprise, we found the place was nearly deserted, there being in the streets, at this point, only one regiment, the Eighty-ninth New York, and that had just been withdrawn from the picket-line. Several batteries were near the river, limbered up and all ready to move. The Thirty-sixth relieved the Eighty-ninth New York, and waited for the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, which was on the extreme front of the picket-line. So we were among the last troops to leave the city. We crossed unharmed, and returned to our old camp, back of the Phillips House, on the morning of December 16, sharing, with the rest of the army, the disappointment that was felt on account of the repulse and the serious losses sustained by many of our regiments, yet feeling that, while the fruitless task that was assigned to others had not fallen to our lot, we had done all that was required of us as faithful soldiers.

On the 17th general inspection was ordered. The Thirtysixth mustered about six hundred and fifty guns. Of the remaining three hundred and fifty of our comrades who left Massachusetts with us, quite a large number were detailed on special duty, many were on the sick-list, and ten had died.

As soon as the men had arranged their quarters, and with as much comfort as they were able, the usual round of camp and picket duty was resumed. The pickets of both armies. had hitherto been very friendly, and they now became more