Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-12-20

tcries on the right, above Falmouth, follow
ed by all our artillery down the line of the
river One hundred and forty-fve guns
belched forth shot and shell on the Rebel |
earthworks. Such thunder is rarely heard,
it was really terrific.
While this was going on the engineer /
corps were at work getting out our pontoon |
bridges, directly opposite Fredericksburg. /
A Rebel regiment, the Thirteenth Mississip- !
pi, being concealed in the dwellings and .
warehouses of the city, opened Il sharp and |
destructive fire upon us, killing many of our |
men, and driving the engineer corps from
further work upon the bridges. Command
was now given to the adjacent batteries to
shell the city, in orler to drive out the
! Rebel infantry. \ sheet of flame tringcd
the river bank as the shells plunged through
roof and wall Of the devoted city. This
continued for hours, a lull now and then,
| followed by more rapid and terrific firing.
| Several buildings were in flames by eight
o'clock and by noon some fifteen Or twenty.
! The air being still, a dense smoke envcloped
the town, and for a while nothing but the
stecplcs and Chimncys could be distinguish
| cd
During this period the Confederate bate
rics from their carhworks, to The right,
| became silent. From view through a fine
signal-glass Nhanlis to Captain J. S. Hall, Of
General Summers Signal Corps, the burning
city looked lurid, smouldcring and tenant
less. Not living soul could be seen yet
from numbercss loop-holes and windows
flash, flash, pop, pop, went the Rebel mus
kerry at our pickcts and engineer corps.
Up to this time some twenty to thirty Of our
men only were killed.
Another silence, and the bland air and
the wGrm sunshine smiled upon us Groups
of Generals, including Burnside Sumner,
Hooker, and others Of less fame, smoked and
chattcd on the lawn fronting the "Phillips
Mansion" Presently that bob-tailcd war
horse, "Old Colonel was brought to the
piazza, and Burnside with only an orderly
and staff officer, gallopcd off to the river,
near which were large numbers Of infantry,
cavalry and artillery. 4 tremendous shout
from below informed us that the General
had reached the front.
Five minutes clapsc, and again all our
batteries opcn and immense clouds of smoke
, cover the front. 1t was at this moment that
volunteers from the Seventh Michigan rcgi-
mcnt, General Sykes Division, crossed over
the river in some half dozen pontoon boats
gained the opposite shore drew the Rebel
! sharpshooters from their hiding places, and
captured twcnty-sCvcn Of them, besides two
flags-Onc. by the way. Il British Consular
flag! Why it was in the unimportant and
uncOmmcrcial city of Frcricksburg, cannot
say. This act of the Michigan Seventh was
the brayest thing Of the day. Every man
was hero, add "laccd the music gal
lantly.
| Having once gained foothold on the
south side Of the Rappahannock, other forces
soon crossed on the pontoon bridges, and
routed the Mississippi regiment that held our
= entire army at bay for more than ten hours,
and that regiment had less than three hun
a dred men. Such courage and desperation
by Colonel Miles army, ut lIarpcrs Ferry,
/ would have held that stragCtiC stronghold
=. for untold centuries
simultaneously with the completion OF
, our pontoon bridges, n division (said to bc
, General Sykes crossed the river at the ford
p below Falmouth, but met with a tornado OF
bullets fired from Rebel force stationed in
q a brick mill opposite, or rather below the
said Ford. Such infantry rattling, never
y heard before and ii was continuous for
V some time-in fact until darkness closed the
G scene.
The Rebel earthworlis, back some two or
three thousand yards from the river and
IS which seemed unoccupied throughout the
day, ynw Vpvncu Zpon our devoted s"l
d heroic column, and continued to pour a
az, tyuctive fire on their dccimatcd ranks
II undl sometime after nightiuIl. Muskctry
h also, roarcd and ratified at intervals until
/ near midnight
| cannot estimate our losses, as it is utter
a " impossible to find out anything reliable
probably not over two or throo hundred III
i all. Tomorrow, we anticipate Il great battle
" and a victory tor the noble army Of the
70 North. unless thc ConicdCratCs run away
5 FREpERcrsBURo AFTER TUE lombard.
&c MENT.
" FREDERICKSBURG, Dec 49,
=" Our troops now throng the city, though
. our outpoSts do not extend beyond the
Il limits Of the place. Rebel sharp-shootcrs
are posted at points WnuIr thor hnrrass our
> nicLte,s and ha,.. lIlVcn back such cavalry
=, 'U,ucs ms lave attempted to rcconnoitre the
Y outskirts of the town.
Our troops have been under arms cOntin.
c ually since crossing the river on Thursday
night, and yesterday and during last night
# the scene in the streets was a complete pic
turc Of the deSolation Of war The house,
"a for the most part Of have been sacked with
the exception Of those of Union people, and
it the troops have destroyed many Of Tho
d houses in order to supply themselves With
fuel for their camp fires.
.e The shclling Of this city SO far as I have
n learned, has not resulted with loss Of lie tC
rt any Of the citizens who remained They
took shelter in their cellars, and in sOmI
o. ihetiueas the houses We're riddled over thCi
hcaus. Near! dozen families took shcltc
IN the large basement VI the house of Mrs
of Saliygcr, on Commerce street, ~pl all cs
lg capped harm, though one shot pierced In
upper part Of the house.
H. The citizens III the town are still appre
ye hending severe results of the impendin.
battle, but probably the danger Of furthc
Is shelling is passed.
FREDERICKSBURG, Dee r.
y The lady residents of the city, with thci
IL children, who have been removed from it
tor immediate vicinity, are out in the fields an,
18th ping in tents, fully expecting that tn
retaiSe held out hy the Rebel leaders t.
mel Their fredericksburg will be carried out
'gi- must have mgs in this inccment weathe
dly In one housintcnsc,
ne son, an Aid on clonging TO Mr.. Roy Ma
Ter A., and occupied Ual Fields staff, c. ;
the were stationed compbrothcr, DR., Mason
ard During the afternoon a9f sharp shooter,
chimney topped it over all struck tn
r. brought down with it the roG falling
killing every man but three Of tRstantl
mortaily wounding the latter. an