The Union army had fought in detachments, with no connection of its corps or divisions. Grant said that he had never seen such hard fighting, but prepared to renew it next day. and Hancock, Warren and Sedgwick were or dered to attack at 5 o'clock next morning, and Burnside was ordered to have two divisions in position between Warren and Hancock so as to advance with them. Each corps commander was advised of the instructions given to the others. To note briefly the action of the cavalry on the 5th: Wilson's division, after leaving 500 men at Parker's Store, had proceeded toward Craig's Meeting House on the Catharpin road, and was driven back on that road as far as Todd's Tavern. General Gregg had found nothing at Fredericksburg, but had discovered two brigades of cavalry falling back from Ham ilton's Crossing to Lee's right flank, and fell back to Todd's Tavern before 3 P.M. to check the enemy pursuing Wilson and drove them back beyond Corbin 's Bridge.
During the night of the 5th Ewell's and Hill's corps strengthened their intrendiments and put artillery in position, and a few minutes before 5 A.M. of the 6th opened the second day's fight by an attack upon the Union right, which was promptly met by the advance of Wright's division of the Sixth corps, which made two vigorous assaults against the Confederate left. which were repulsed with severe loss. Warren made several attacks on Ewell's right which were repulsed. These persistent and unsuccess ful attacks were continued until after 10 o'clock, when Sedgwick and Warren were directed to suspend them, to strengthen their intrenchments and throw up new works, in order that a part of their troops might be available for an attack ing force to move from the vicinity of Han cock's right, which had been desperately en gaged. Hancock had disposed Gibbon's and Bar low's divisions, both under command of CM1T eral Gibbon, to defend his left flank against an apprehended attack by Longstreet, and at S A st. launched Birney's, Mott's and Getty's & visions, all tinder General Birney, along the Orange plankroad, Wadsworth's division of Warren's corps at the same time advancing on Birney's right. They fell upon Hetb's and Vkl'il cox's divisions of Hill's corps with great fury and after a desperate contest broke them and drove them a mile and a half, through the dense woods, under heavy loss, and back oo the trains and artillery, and General Lee's headrters. Just before Hill's troops gave way the d of Longstreft's corps, which had marched nearly all night, came upon the field at Parker's Store and was hastened along the plankroad to relieve the divisions of Heth and Wilcox. Kershaw's division was in the lead and began to form on the right of the road.
Humphreys says: •The advance through the forest, underbrush, and swamps more than a mile, in a hot contest, had separated and dis ordered Hancock's corps, and Birney's left, met in this condition by Kershaw's division, was not only brought to a standstill, but at some points swayed back and forward, until at length Kershaw, himself leading his di vision. forced Birney's left hack as far as his
center. Wadsworth's advance had crowded many of Birney's troops to the south side of the plankroad, so that the greater part of his, Barney's cc mmand was on the left of that road. Field's &swan of Longstreet's corps following close on Kershaw's division, some of it coming on the ground at double-quick, was formed on the Confederate left of the plankrond, and, advancing, at once became hotly engaged with Birney's right and Wadsworth's troops, Gregg's Texans and Benning's Georgians in the lead, bearing the brunt of the fight and losing heavily in killed and wounded. R. H. Anderson's di vision of Hill's corps, following Field's divi sion, formed on the same tort of the line, one portion uniting with Field s troops in the at tack the other portions supporting. It was when Hancodc's troops were partially checked by the fresh troops of Longstreet that the neces sity of readjusting his formation became im Regiments were separated from their brigades and mixed with others, and the fine of battle was very irregular, and commanders were in this way losing the control of their troops. This was about half past six o'clock.* At 9 A.M. Hancock again attacked with the disisions of Birney, Mott, Wadsworth, Steven son's of Burnside's corps, and three brigades of Gibbon's division and though fighting furi ously made no headway, and at 11 o'clock the firing on his front died away. Meanwhile Long street had discovered that Hancock's left ex tended hut a short distance from the plankroad and he moved aof his command to the right to attack left and rear, the flank incasement to be followed by a general advance of his entire corps. The attack first fell on the kit of the advanced line held by Frank's brigade, partly across the Brock was fairly overrun and brushed away; it then struck the left of Mott's division, which m turn was driven back in confusion to the Brock road, and the confusion spread to the troops on the right, and Hancock was corn mlled to withdraw his entire corps to the Brock road, from which they had advanced in the morning, where they were reformed in two hoes behind their intrenchments. Wadsworth, on the right of Hancock, made heroic efforts, bat his troops broke, and while striving to rally them he was mortally wounded and died within the Confederate lines next day. When this movement had succeeded Longstreet order( d a general advance, and while riding at the head or column, moving by the flank down the plank mad, when opposite the force that had made the dank movement, which were drawn up parallel with the road, about 60 yards from it, a volley was fired which killed General Jen kins, commanding the leading brigade of Field's division, and severely wounded General Long street. Lee soon came up, postponed the at tack to a later hour and extended his line so that its right rested on the unfinished Orange Railroad.