No event transpired to interrupt the usual round of daily duty until Thursday, April 30, 1868, when the booming of cannon called the army to Fredericksburg the second time, and the Confederates re-occupied the lines so successfully defended the previous December. A large body of Federal troops under General Sedgwick occupied the town, but made no effort to advance.
  

    Early the following morning, May 1, Lane's Brigade moved up the Orange plank-road and formed in line of battle near Chancellorsville late in the evening. The heavy skirmishing near night indicated an enemy in force, and we quietly awaited the developments of another day. Early next morning, Saturday, May 2d, Jackson's troops were in motion—the column turned off from the plank-road at the Catharine Iron Furnace, and marched rapidly past the front of the Federal army, and late in the afternoon it reached the old turnpike road, to the right and rear of Hooker's army. It was near sunset when the advance began. Rode's' Division surprised the Eleventh Corps on the Federal right, which, after a feeble resistance, fled in the wildest confusion. Other lines, doubtless affected by their panic-stricken comrades, became demoralized, and no serious opposition was encountered until within three-fourths of a mile of Chancellorsville. At this point the " Light Division " was ordered to the front to take charge of and continue the pursuit. As the leading brigade (Lane's) was nearing the point at which it was to deploy in line of battle, it was exposed to a very heavy artillery fire in column on the plank-road, and to escape its destructive effect the men were ordered to lie down. As soon as the firing was over the Seventh Regiment, followed by the Thirty-seventh, filed to the right of the plank-road and formed parallel to but not in the breastworks, the left of the Thirty-seventh extending to the plank-road. The Twenty-eighth and Eighteenth filed to the left, the right of the latter regiment resting on the road.

   The  Thirty-third, under Colonel C. M. Avery, was thrown forward as skirmishers and covered the front of the brigade. Before preparations were complete for resuming the advance the enemy succeeded in passing a column of infantry behind the skirmishers and in front of the Seventh Regiment. Presently an officer with a white flag came forward and inquired for the commanding officer, and also demanded to know whether the troops in his front were Union or Confederates. General Lane very properly sent him to the rear under guard, as he did not wish to surrender. While awaiting the return of their flag, a shot was fired from the enemy’s line, and in response the Seventh poured a volley into the dark line in its front, and as a result some two hundred and fifty Federal soldiers immediately surrendered.

    Lieutenant-Colonel Hill directed Captain John P. Young, with his company, to conduct them to General Jackson's headquarter guard. The enemy's batteries now opened afresh and his infantry advanced, but did not come within musket range of the Seventh.
  

    Early next morning, Sunday, May 3d, the entire line wheeled somewhat to the left. Then, in obedience to orders, the forward movement began. The Seventh was preceded by one of its companies as skirmishers under Lieutenant John Y. Templeton, and notwithstanding the intervening woods was swept by a withering fire of musketry and artillery, this regiment unhesitatingly pushed forward and drove the enemy out of the first line of works in its front. Unfortunately the expected support failed to "show up," and after a gallant fight against fresh troops it was in turn driven back by the concentrated fire of the enemy's fortified batteries surrounding the Chancellor house and the flank fire of an approaching column on the right. After refilling cartridge-boxes the regiment immediately went into position on the left of the plank-road in support of General Colquitt's Georgia Brigade. It lost heavily in the fight—fifty-three killed, one hundred and twenty-seven wounded and five missing total, one hundred and eighty-five. Colonel Haywood and Major Davidson were wounded early in the morning. Adjutant Ives Medes was killed in the advance and Lieutenant- Colonel Julius L. Hill lost his life while at the enemy's
works.
  

    About the 1st of June, 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia largely disappeared from the Rappahannock, Hill's Corps alone remaining at Fredericksburg to watch Hooker's movements
and protect Richmond. Alarmed by the report of so many Confederates in the Shenandoah Valley, the Federal commander withdrew from Fredericksburg about the middle of June. General Hill also left Fredericksburg on the 15th, and by rapid marches crossed the Potomac at Shepherdstown on the 25th and arrived at Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of the 27th. Longstreet was at Chambersburg and Ewell some miles in advance.

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