The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-25
oT,he nat,le. OF Ercderiek"'"'rE
.tiiiorfespopdence Of the n 9psfI o.vo.,rs
speciN L. On. noss OF 6 81 SrAsEE' 0F Yitt
Fs.E'.DoSSss,TcnE iMSiidfiig Dec, 10, 1852.

~ Of
Inc oa'tio N o'clock this morning witho"S a
raging sliU o,se was closed by darkness lo-.lRL,
momensSd Rnratjon5its intensit, nos a,eo III 'hJ
IN 10 5os accustomed, il caps the china
ho, series of the battles OF inc ,9.r;bia
m 1me ,at;ou viii stand Rghast at .ne - 81
80 ,ybich has been paid lor us
PaaIi,;as of the battle HELD OF "a
are spread before it. -. -. .o,,,.o,,e,,arfs
I Irvii1o TO illustrate the splendid va ior
tnoug ,rooos, Ii has failed to accomplish the op
~ sonoht. The sequel alone can tell Whe'iiei
,ba work Of to-day is to be the prelude 70 T,ut
.ions victory or an ignOminlous aeieat' fror,
tba yesrlt thus far leaves us with io77 .,,,hinC
M 600 to 1900 men, and absoiu'syt boId
gained. Along the whole lihe 90 80 hnrla5
their own. Again and ag aga ,oo;t;on Al each
SEWARD our masses on their PoSlu9t ~ ;,1 Sn =
toi IL ~. ha,'r,er was broken on the anVii PEI
dIIe , tne M heart, in the mood which the
na - today have inspired, to write other
90, baid record of facts. Whatever there
'laa in the battle scene OF picturesque ana
',,bIima-and viewed merely as spectacle,
great battle displays these qualties IN a way
that no manifestation Of natural forces or oil nu-
man energy ever can-muet shrink aud shriVei
before the awful earnestness Of the issue. W
course at this moment IL is impossible to give
more than the most general impressIons,-
phenomena of battle are too multlfarIous anu
complicated for the resources CT any one ooseTV-
or and the man does not live who can repro
dnca with life and truth the reality Of even the
smallest engagement
The theatre of operations to-day extended
from Fredericksburg on the right,aud down the
south side of the Rappahannock for two miles
The accompanying diagram, together WIN
brief description, may serve TO make the Ac~
count a little clearer
Immediately behind the town OF fr@derlckse
burg the land forms plateau or smooth field,
running back for about third Of a mile. It
then rises for forty or fifty yards forming ridge
of ground, which runs along to the left for
about quarter of a mile, where it abutsla Ha-
eel Dell, q ravine formed by the Hazel River,
which empties in the Rapahannock west Of the
town. At the foot of the ridge runs the tele~
graph road, fanked by stone wall. This Elm
inence was studded with rebel batteries. To
the right, along up the river, the ridge prolongs
itself to opposite falmouth and beyond and
here, too, batteries were planted on every ad-
vsntareous position. Back of the first ridge is
another plateau, and then q second terrace of
wooded hills, where a second line of fortificar
lions were placed Between the rear of the town
and the first ridge a canal runs right and left,
and empties into the river some distance above
Falmouth.
This plain, Of a third of mile deep between
the suburbs of Fredericksburg and the first ridge
right grand division of the army, under MAJ.
Gen. Sumner. On this narrow theatre our brave
troops surged and swept, forward and backward,
in the tide of battle for ten long honrs.
word now on the scene Of operations Of the
left grand division.
From the lower part OF the town the ridge on
which it is built slopes abruptly down to a com
parativey level or undulating country, which
stretches for miles down the Rappahannoek.-
About a couple of miles down the river, it rises
into wooded slope. Al point mile and
half below Fredericksburg, two poutOons had
been thrown across on Thursday morning, and
on Friday the whole of the left grand division,
under the command Of Maj. Gen Franklin, fad
marched over the river. Daylight of Saturday
found the force darwin up il battle array on
this broad plain skirling the RappahannOck
The battle ground, though very marshy in
some places, presented fine field for military
evoIutions. The turnpike leading to Feeder
lcksburg runs about one>half mile from and
nearly parallel to the river. Beyond is the rail-
road and still further beyond the woody range
of hills in which the enemy were strongly en-
treuched. About a mile and half from Fred
ericksburg, nearly on tho river edge, is situa>
ted A n. Blrnord's stone mansion, after the
English style.
The line of battle, as it appeared in the morn
ing was as follows: The 9th army corps uu.
der Gen. Smith (Flanklin's old iorcel. on the
right, composed of three divisions namely Gen.
Newton on the extreme right and rear Gen.
Burke on the centre, and Gen. Howe on the
lett.
The first army corps, Gen. Reynolds, extern
ding still further to the left, drawn up in the
following order: Gen. Gibbons division on the
right connecting with Gen. Howe's Gen. Meadas
centre, and Gen. Doubleday's, left, fronting to
the southwark and resting hearty on the river.
This constituted the order in which our forces
l. IL
of battle.
Opposed to our right, under Gen Sumner.
was the rebel LETT, under command of General
Longstreet Opposed to our left under Gen.
franklin was the rebel right, under Gen. Jack
SON Gen Lee, Generalissimo of the Southern
army was in person in command of the Confed-
crate forces during the whole day.
The plan of Gen. Burnside, agreed Vi on il
council Of war, was to endeayer to pierce the
rebel centre. Early on the morning of Satur>
day, the order was given that Summers LETT,
composed of the 9th army corps, under com
mand of Gen. Wilcox, should be extended un~
ii it reached Franklin's rght-thus forming a
continuous line of battle along the river for two
miles, the lett resting on the river at the point
where tn lower pontoOns cross, and the right
on Fredericksburg. The left wing, comprising
the whole Of Franklin's command (50,O 900 men,
should then be swung round,as Oh pivot form
ed by Summers extreme right resting Oh Fred
erieksburg. If successful III this maneuvtc,
Franklin would divide the rebel line. take pos
session of the railroad, (tbe line of retreat) and
come in on the flank of the rebel works back of
Fredericksburg. While this movement was be-
ing Geveloped,a division was to be sent up from
Gen Summers command by the plank road to
storm the ridge. If there should be any fall
ure III this, il was hoped the CO. opeI alton of
Franklin would presently make success certain.
Hooker's corps was destined to act as re>
serve.
The dawn of Saturday found the forces dis
tributed as thus indicated. 1t was fine Nir-
ginia morning mild and balmy September
day, though the mist and fog of late Indian
summer hung over the field of battle. About
8 o'clock, the Phillips House CHE headquar-
ters of Gen. Sumner, about q mile from the Iiv-
or on the north sde.and where by the kind hos
pitality Of the large>hearted old soldier | had
been staying for some time during spell of
camp fever was the scene of numerous as
semblage of officers. General Burnside and
Gen. Hooker joined General Sumner here and
the b vOny and grounds in front were filled
with officers and aids.
1t was with alarm and pain found gene
raj want OF confidence and gloomy forebodings
among some men whose sound Judgment had
learned to trust The plan of attacking the reb-
el stronghold directly in front would, it was
f aYed, prove a most hazardous enterprise, and
one OF which there IL no successful example in
military history. 1t was doubted that the co..
operation Of the right aud left, according to the
programme W oud admit Of practical executions.
and things were generally at lose ends The
chess>board," said Napolo8 at Wagram, "is
dreadfuily confused; there is but / that see
through IL" We all sec that the first part Of
the remark was applicable 10 our own case. Blu,
did we all feel equally confident that there was
il our case an II" that saw through 1t r.
~. I fyo
mock on the upper pontoOn bridge, and passed
through the town of Fredericksburg along the
main street. At this time brisk skirmshing
was going on in the outskirts of the town. the
rebel sharp shooters stubbornly contesting every
inch OF the ground as our skrmishets advance
ed. Caroline, or Main street, was occupied by
Gen. Kimbsl's, Gen Ferreros Acting Gen