On the 23d Hancock’s corps was moved to the wooden bridge which spans the North Anna River just west of where the Fredericksburg Railroad crosses.  It was near night when the troops arrived.  They found the bridge guarded, with troops intrenched, on the north side.  Hancock sent two brigades, Egan’s and Pierce’s, to the right and left, and when properly disposed they charged simultaneously.  The bridge was carried quickly, the enemy retreating over it so hastily that many were shoved into the river, and some of them were drowned.  Several hundred prisoners were captured.  The hour was so late that Hancock did not cross until next morning.

Burnside’s corps was moved by a middle road running between those described above, and which strikes the North Anna at Ox Ford, midway between Telegraph Road and Jericho Ford.  The hour of its arrival was too late to cross that night.

On the 24th Hancock’s corps crossed to the south side of the river without opposition, and formed line facing nearly west.  The railroad in rear was taken possession of and destroyed as far as possible.  Wright’s corps crossed at Jericho early the same day, and took position to the right of Warren’s corps, extending south of the Virginia Central Railroad.  This road was torn up for a considerable distance to the rear (west), the ties burned, and the rails bent and twisted by heating them over the burning ties.  It was found, however, that Burnside’s corps could not cross at Ox Ford.  Lee had taken a position with his centre on the river at this point, with the two wings thrown back, his line making an acute angle where it overlooked the river.

Before the exact position of the whole of Lee’s line was accurately known, I directed Hancock and Warren each to send a brigade to Ox Ford by the south side of the river.  They found the enemy too strong to justify a serious attack.  A third ford was found between Ox Ford and Jericho.  Burnside was directed to cross a division over this ford, and to send one division to Hancock.  Crittenden was crossed by this newly-discovered ford, and formed up the river to connect with Crawford’s left.  Potter joined Hancock by way of the wooden bridge.  Crittenden had a severe engagement with some of Hill’s corps on his crossing the river, and lost heavily.  When joined to Warren’s corps he was no further molested.  Burnside still guarded Ox Ford from the north side.

Lee now had his entire army south of the North Anna.  Our lines covered his front, with the six miles separating the two wings guarded by but a single division.  To get from one wing to the other the river would have to be crossed twice.  Lee could reinforce any part of his line from all points of it in a very short march; or could concentrate the whole of it wherever he might choose to assault.  We were, for the time, practically two armies besieging.

Lee had been reinforced, and was being reinforced, largely.  About this time the very troops whose coming I had predicted, had arrived or were coming in.  Pickett with a full division from Richmond was up; Hoke from North Carolina had come with a brigade; and Breckinridge was there:  in all probably not less than fifteen thousand men.  But he did not attempt to drive us from the field.