In spite of the murderous results of the first charges, the Federal commander determined on a third.  General Hooker’s reserve was ordered to make it, and, although that officer protested against it, General Burnside was immovable, and repeated his order.  General Hooker sullenly obeyed, and opened with artillery upon the stone wall at the foot of the hill, in order to make a breach in it.  This fire continued until nearly sunset, when Humphrey’s division was formed for the charge.  The men were ordered to throw aside their knapsacks, and not to load their guns, “for there was no time there to load and fire,” says General Hooker.  The word was given about sunset, and the division charged headlong over the ground already covered with dead.  A few words will convey the result.  Of four thousand men who charged, seventeen hundred and sixty were left dead or wounded on the field.  The rest retreated, pursued by the fire of the batteries and infantry; and night fell on the battle-field.

This charge was the real termination of the bloody battle of Fredericksburg, but, on the Confederate right, Jackson had planned and begun to execute a decisive advance on the force in his front.  This he designed to undertake “precisely at sunset,” and his intention was to depend on the bayonet, his military judgment or instinct having satisfied him that the morale of the Federal army was destroyed.  The advance was discontinued, however, in consequence of the lateness of the hour and the sudden artillery-fire which saluted him as he began to move.  A striking feature of this intended advance is the fact that Jackson had placed his artillery in front of his line of battle, intending to attack in that manner.

As darkness settled down, the last guns of Stuart, who had defended the Confederate right flank with about thirty pieces of artillery, were heard far in advance, and apparently advancing still.  The Federal lines had fallen back, wellnigh to the banks of the river, and there seems little room to doubt that the morale of the men was seriously impaired.  “From what I knew of our want of success upon the right,” says General Franklin, when interrogated on this point, “and the demoralized condition of the troops upon the right and centre, as represented to me by their commanders, I confess I believe the order to recross was a very proper one.”

General Burnside refused to give the order; and, nearly overwhelmed, apparently, by the fatal result of the attack, determined to form the ninth corps in column of regiments, and lead it in person against Marye’s Hill, on the next morning.  Such a design, in a soldier of ability, indicates desperation.  To charge Marye’s Hill with a corps in column of regiments, was to devote the force to destruction.  It was nearly certain that the whole command would be torn to pieces by the Southern artillery, but General Burnside seems to have regarded the possession of the hill as worth any amount of blood; and, in face of the urgent appeals of his officers, gave orders for the movement.  At the last moment, however, he yielded to the entreaties of General Sumner, and abandoned his bloody design.