“Two pontoon bridges are to be thrown across the river a little north of the Lacy house…,” –Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

December 10, 1862. All doubts as to a movement were set at rest by the receipt this morning, of orders to prepare three days’ cooked rations, and issue ninety rounds of ammunition. The troops are notified to leave their camp equipage and extra clothing behind, and hold themselves in readiness to move at a moment’s notice. As soon as the instructions were given to the regimental commanders, Colonel Zook and I rode over to Hancock’s headquarters to find out more about the matter. Mitchell tells us Burnside has definitely settled upon the plan of a general attack in front, and that arrangements are going on to enable the troops to cross at daybreak tomorrow morning. Two pontoon bridges are to be thrown across the river a little north of the Lacy house, and two more below the railroad bridge, and we are to furnish the infantry to protect the engineers at the two upper bridges; the colonel selected the Fifty-seventh under Chapman, and Sixty-sixth, Lieutenant-Colonel Bull, and all preparations were made for carrying out the instructions we received; spent the rest of the evening chatting together of the task before us, but in view of our early movement in the morning, soon turned in and went to sleep.