Jackson’s line was two thousand six hundred yards in length, and his infantry 30,000 strong, giving eleven rifles to the yard; but nearly three-fourths of the army corps, the divisions of Early, Taliaferro, and D.H.  Hill, were in third line and reserve.  Of his one hundred and twenty-three guns only forty-seven were in position, but the wooded and broken character of the ground forbade a further deployment of his favourite arm.  His left, near Deep Run, was in close touch with Hood’s division of Longstreet’s army corps; and in advance of his right, already protected by the Massaponax, was Stuart with two brigades and his horse-artillery.  One Whitworth gun, a piece of great range and large calibre, was posted on the wooded heights beyond the Massaponax, north-east of Yerby’s House.

Jackson’s dispositions were almost identical with those which he had adopted at the Second Manassas.  His whole force was hidden in the woods; every gun that could find room was ready for action, and the batteries were deployed in two masses.  Instead, however, of giving each division a definite section of the line, he had handed over the whole front to A.P.  Hill.  This arrangement, however, had been made before D.H.  Hill and Early came up, and with the battle imminent a change was hazardous.  In many respects, moreover, the ground he now occupied resembled that which he had so successfully defended on August 29 and 30.  There was the wood opposite the centre, affording the enemy a covered line of approach; the open fields, pasture and stubble, on either hand; the stream, hidden by timber and difficult of passage, on the one flank, and Longstreet on the other.  But the position at Fredericksburg was less strong for defence than that at the Second Manassas, for not only was Jackson’s line within three thousand yards—­a long range but not ineffective—­of the heavy guns on the Stafford Heights, but on the bare plain between the railway and the river there was ample room for the deployment of the Federal field-batteries.  At the Second Manassas, on the other hand, the advantages of the artillery position had been on the side of the Confederates.

Nevertheless, with the soldiers of Sharpsburg, ragged indeed and under-fed, but eager for battle and strong in numbers, there was no reason to dread the powerful artillery of the foe; and Jackson’s confidence was never higher than when, accompanied by his staff, he rode along his line of battle.  He was not, however, received by his soldiers with their usual demonstrations of enthusiastic devotion.  In honour of the day he had put on the uniform with which Stuart had presented him; the old cadet cap, which had so often waved his men to victory, was replaced by a head-dress resplendent with gold lace; “Little Sorrel” had been deposed in favour of a more imposing charger; and the veterans failed to recognise their commander until he had galloped past them.  A Confederate artillery-man has given a graphic picture of his appearance when the fight was at its hottest:—­