Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/223

Rh my request, says that it became evident that the attack would not be renewed by Burnside, and that Gen. Lee himself then considered the question of making an assault.

The attack was not made and the entire army, so far as I am advised, at the time endorsed General Lee's action. After the enemy had retired from our front and sheltered themselves at the river an attack on our part would have renewed the fight of the 13th with the positions of the two armies reversed, and the chances greatly in favor of the Federals. General Jackson, as shown by the above mentioned, order determined on the evening of the 13th to make a forward movement, and to make it at a late hour, so that if it failed, he should be able, under cover of the night, to withdraw his troops. This movement was attempted on a part of his line, and was placed in charge of General Early; but as Jackson says himself in his report, the first gun had hardly moved forward from the woods a hundred yards, when the enemy's artillery reopened and "so completely swept our front as to satisfy me that the proposed movement should be abandoned."

This should settle, and forever, the question as to Jackson's opinion and action in regard to attacking and "pushing the enemy into the river."

The troops engaged and the losses by States at Fredericksburg, were as follows: