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1863
May
5th.   
Went this morning to the News Boys Home A flag was floating from one of the windows in honour of our victories. are they such I wonder: Mrs. Bliss our Treasurer is in trouble her husband surgeon of Armory Square Hospital has been arrested on charge of having accepted a bribe. Miss Ripley came in, her manners are graceful & gentle. 

The town is filled with rumours. Gen Couch as well & Gens. Sickles & Sykes is said to be killed. I am afraid our troops have suffered terribly. A relative of one of the employees of the Institution returned to day from the scene of action says his company was entirely [[cut?]] pieces.

Wed. 6th.  The "Times" gives a full account of the late military operations in the vacinity of Fredericksburg. A week from last Monday the army commenced to move crossing the river at three places. A few companies were sent over 2 miles below Fredericksburg to [[arrouse?]] the enemy & withdraw their attention from the main body of the army which [[crossed?]] at Kelly's & United States Fords about 8 & 11 miles above the city. Those two detachments uniting, formed a line of battle stretching some distance beyond chancellor (which is about 25 miles from Fred.) & towards the river The most important position was of course
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1863
May   on the extreme right as the enemy would of course attack that in order to bend our lines back & open the route to Richmond. This was given to Karl Schurtz who upon the charge of the Southerners fled ingloriously with his German troops. Gen. Berry a favorite officer of Gen. Hooker was sent to the rescue & acquitted himself well preventing the further advance of the enemy.  Karl Schurtz in spite of his disgraceful retreat was again intrusted with an important post again was obliged to quit the field. Gen Berry crossing as before to the rescue. This gallant officer [[on/in?]] a third brave charge was killed. After hard fighting the Southerners succeeded in getting in our rear so our lines were changed forming a triangle. Chancellorsville forming the apex. which is the present position of our forces. Chancellor consisting of only one house was destroyed. The losses on both sides has been terrible in the extreme. if many more such encounters take place there will be no men left on either side to fight. All that I have been [[writing?]] occupied the week but the worse fighting was on Sunday. We are said to be victorious but I do not see but I do not see what the Southerners have gained all they desired driving us back while the passage of Richmond is open. Our position now is said to be very strong & the men are in good spirits.
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