Monday Morning, May 4, 1 o’clock. 

Yesterday was a proud day for the Union arms. The boasted heights of Fredericksburgh were stormed by our brave boys, and the Stars and Stripes now wave triumphantly over this Gibraltar of America. Whatever may have been the result of the fighting on the right, that on the left has crowned our arms with imperishable renown. This crest of hills, wrote the London Times’ correspondent, after the battle in December, constitute one of the strongest positions in the world -impregnable to any attack from the front. Yesterday’s achievements have again demonstrated, for the twentieth time, that what is impossible with John Bull becomes possible with Jonathan.

The going down of the sun on Saturday found our troops of the left scattering out on both sides of the river, some two miles below the city. The Flying division had advanced to the old Richmond road. Gen. BURK’s command lay back, nearer to the river. Gen. HOWE’S and Gen. NEWTON’S forces were on the plain opposite. To mention where the other troops were would not be prudent.

Under cover of night Gens. HOWE and NEWTON crossed over the river. (Gen. NEWTON’s division is now temporarily commanded by Gen. WHEATON, he having assumed command of Gen. SEDGWICK’s corps.) About 2 o’clock in the morning orders came to move at once on the enemy. The greater portion of the forces moved quietly up the Richmond road and winding down through the gully just below the city reached the outskirts of Fredericksburgh, between 4 and 5 o’clock. Gens. HOWE and NEWTON’s divisions were in the advance, then followed the “flying division,” or “light brigade,” and Gen. BROOKS’ forces were extended on the extreme left. Meantime companies of the Fiftieth New- York engineers had constructed pontoon bridges directly across to the city, both above and below the Lacey House, and the Forty-second New-York, Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, Fifty-ninth, New-York and the One- Hundred and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania, constituting HALL’S— DAMA’S old brigade, Second corps— together with three other regiments, including the Second New-York and Fifteenth Massachusetts, crossed on the upper bridge and deployed out along the bank above the city. Batteries were also brought up and planted close to the city ; among them HARNE’S, MARTIN’S, Battery B, Second Rhode Island, Lieut. BROWN ; . Battery G, Eighth Rhode Island, Capt. ADAMS, and Battery D, Second artillery. The First Maryland and “HEXAMERS” Pennsylvania Battery were posted on the plain further below, where they could deliver a fire either up or down the range of hllls. The object of this movement to the city was to storm the first line of rebel earthworks above, which Gen. SUMNER attempted in vain to take, last December, losing 7,000 men in the effort. Nor did the idea of again charging against those formidable intrenchments appear so insane to the troops as one might think, So buoyant and hopeful were the boys that they felt as if they could go anywhere and surmount any and every obstacle. The reader will remember that this line of earthworks is about one-third of a mile from the city, extending close along the monument erected to MARY, the mother of WASHINGTON, which is erected on a sort of natural bluff. Beneath runs the famous stone wall and a road leading off in the direction of Richmond. Between this road and the city is an open plain commanded by the rebel works. Across this plain and over the stone wall the charging column had to advance before reaching the fortified bluff. About 5 1/2 o’clock in the morning COCHRANE’S old brigade, (NEWTON’S division,) now commanded by Col. SHALER, and led by him in person, charged over the plain, and succeeded in nearly reaching the stone wall, but were obliged to fall back. The Sixty-second New-York, it is said, endeavored to storm the works before this hour of the morning. The rebels kept up a constant fire of mutsetry from behind earthworks, buildings and rifle pits, while the guns from above rained down a perfect storm of grape and canister on the troops. Gen. BROOKS’ division, which was on (he extreme left, suffered least, though fired at the most, owing to the fact of most of the enemy’s missiles passing over the heads of the troops. It was now 11 o’clock, continuous fighting had been going on for full six hours, and the rebels still held their works... 

New-York Times, Wednesday, May 6, 1863, p.1.