"General Patrick will meet a committee or representative from your town to-morrow morning, at nine o'clock, at the Lacy House.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "E. V. SUMNER, "_Brevet Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding Division_."
As the inference from the correspondence was that the shelling was only postponed, the people were advised to move with their valuables to some place of safety as soon as possible. Without complaint, those who could, packed their precious effects and moved beyond reach of the threatened storm, but many preferred to remain and encounter the dangers rather than to leave their homes and valuables. The fortitude with which they bore their trials quickened the minds of the soldiers who were there to defend them. One train leaving with women and children was fired upon, making some confusion and dismay among them, but the two or three shells did no other mischief, and the firing ceased.
Description of the Field--Marye's Heights--Position of the Troops of Longstreet's Command--General Jackson called down from Orange Court-House, and Preparations made for a Determined Stand--Signal Guns at Three o'Clock in the Morning announce the Long-Expected Battle--Burnside's Bridge-Builders thrice driven back from their Work--The Crossing finally made by Boats--Federals under Hot Fire enter Fredericksburg--How they obtained their Foothold on the West Bank of the Rappahannock--Gallant Officers and Men--Ninety-seven killed or wounded in the Space of Fifty Yards--General Burnside's Plan of Battle--Strength of the Contending Forces.
McLaws's division of my corps was posted on the heights in rear of the city, one brigade in the sunken road in front of the Marye mansion, the others extending across the Telegraph road through the wood of Lee's Hill. As the other divisions of the corps came up they were posted, R. H. Anderson on Taylor's Hill; Ransom in reserve, near corps head-quarters; Pickett in the wood, in rear of McLaws's right; Hood at Hamilton's Crossing.
The Federal Grand Divisions under Franklin and Hooker marched on the 18th of November, and on the 19th pitched their camps, the former at Stafford Court-House, and the latter at Hartwood, each about ten miles from Falmouth. A mile and a half above Fredericksburg the Rappahannock cuts through a range of hills, which courses on the north side in a southeasterly direction, nearly parallel, and close to its margin. This range (Stafford Heights) was occupied by the enemy for his batteries of position, one hundred and forty-seven siege guns and long-range field batteries. These heights not only command those of the west, but the entire field and flats opened by the spreading out of the range on the west side. At points, however, they stand so close beside the river that the guns on their crest could not be so depressed as to plunge their fire to the water. The heights are cut at points by streamlets and ravines leading into the river, and level up gradually as they approach nearer to the Potomac on its west slope, and towards the sea on the south. The city of Fredericksburg nestles under those heights on the opposite bank. McLaws had a brigade on picket service, extending its guard up and down the banks of the river, in connection with details from R. H. Anderson's division above and Hood's below, the latter meeting Stuart's cavalry vedettes lower down.