``The President, commander in chief, returns his thanks to the generals, the officers, and the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac for the skill, discipline, valor, and devotion displayed in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
``An army of citizen soldiers largely composed of volunteers fresh from the peaceful occupations which have been heretofore the privilege and the duty of American citizens, you have bridged and crossed a deep and wide river in the face of a powerful foe, have arrayed yourselves with the regularity and order of veterans, have attacked with heroic valor an army in positions fortified with time and skill, and unsuccessful in the assault through the unexpected strength of the position and the number and desperate courage of the foe---misguided children of the same soil and the same race as yourselves, you continued the bloody conflict until night put an end to the unequal struggle.
``Resting on your arms upon the ensanguined field, the dawning day saw you still in firm and regular order offer battle to the enemy.
``Through a whole day the gage was declined.
``The foe had learned the strength of an army of citizen soldiers striking for their country, for the cause of orderly government and human rights. He declined to quit his vantage ground and accept the contest on an equal field.
``During a dark and stormy night you recrossed on narrow bridges the river in your rear, without haste, in close and regular order, without the loss of a color, a gun, and, save in battle, of a man.
``An army which has done this, has answered all the objections heretofore made against the discipline, the steadiness, or the skill of volunteers.
``It has shown that it confides in its leaders; that it can obey orders, and that for every evolution of war, this army of the people is competent as the trained troops of mercenaries on which rulers of other lands rely for defense and for aggression.
``The land mourns the loss of many gallant dead. They are heroes, dead for Liberty.
``Their names will live in the memory of the people from whom they came and whose cause they died to defend. And while it will be a sad page which records the story of the Battle of Fredericksburg, still, it will be blazoned with the names of patriots and gilded with the fires of heroism and of self devotion.
``We fight the battle of Liberty, not in this land only, but throughout the world.
``All lands have looked to America as the home of freedom, as the refuge of the oppressed.
``Upon the courage of her sons now depend the hopes of the world, and wherever the story of Fredericksburg is read, will the lovers of Liberty take courage.
``Soldiers of freedom, again your country thanks you.
``This order will be read at the head of every regiment of the Army of the United States.
``Given at the Executive Mansion, in the City of Washington, this 21st day of December, in the year of our Lord 1862, and of the Independence of the United States the 87th.''