Numbers 228. Report of Colonel Thomas O. Seaver, Third Vermont Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD VERMONT VOLUNTEERS,
May 9, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the part taken by my regiment in the battle near Banks' Ford, fought May 4:

In the morning the regiment was placed to the right and rear of Captain Rigby's battery as a support, and remained in that position until the commencement of the attack, about 5 p. m., when it was marched by the flank to the left of the Sixth Vermont Infantry, filling a gap between that and the Second Vermont, and here met and repulsed the attack of the enemy and took a number of prisoners.

The regiment was afterward ordered still farther to the left, and, by the direction of General Howe, was placed to the right of butler's battery, and remained in that position until it was ordered to withdraw to the road running nearly at right angles with our first line of battle. It was then marched in the rear of the brigade, to point near Banks' Ford, and occupied ground to the left of the approach to the ford, and was one of the three regiments to cover the retreat and the last to cross the river.

During the retirement of the Sixth Corps, the regiment was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pingree, while I was acting as division officer of the day, and covered the retirement of the division with the Second, Third, and Sixth Vermont Regiments.

During the action both officers and men behaved well. All cheerfully did their duty.

I feel that I should be doing injustice did I fail to make mention of the gallant services of Lieutenant-Colonel Pingree and Major Nelson during the engagement.

I append a list of the killed and wounded.*

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. O. SEAVER,

Colonel Third Regiment Vermont Volunteers.

PETER T. WASHBURN,

Adjutant-General, Woodstock, Vt.

Numbers 229. Report of Colonel Elisha L. Barney, Sixth Vermont Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTH VERMONT VOLUNTEERS,
Camp in the Field, May 5, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report:

On Sunday, the 3rd instant, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, I was ordered to support with my regiment the Thirty-third New York in an assault that was about to be made on the heights of Fredericksburg. I did so, and the Sixth Regiment was the second one that gamed the crest from the east side, passing by two other regiments in the charge.

On the next day, I was ordered to support a battery, my regiment forming part of the second line of battle. After some severe fighting,

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 190.

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