Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-12-24
Incidents of the Battle, and Thurs
day and Fridays Operations.

A Washington correspondent of ia,
New York Times Sass:
Accounts received here of yesterday ,
battle at Fredericksburg leave no ques
ton that il was the most terrific artiller,
combat ever fought in the world. Al
officer of high rank, who Was witness q
the spectacle, states that the number o
pieces of ordnance employed on botl
sides amounted TO several hundred, anC
under such circumstances it cannot be
denied that the list of casualties is very
large But little of the battle was actu
ally seen. by reason of the dense smoke
I that enveloped the whole field. 1t Is
only known, in general, that the Union
forces fought with all the odds immensely
! against them, and that, crowded into a
narrow space which gave the enemy 5
guns most deadly effect, with deep river
on one side and the hostile Notifications
on the other, they maintained the une-
quail fight with unfiinching heroism, till
night closed upon the scene and termi-
mated the terrible combat At this point
ths advantage on the whole rested with
our army.
SCENES IN FREDERICKSBURG.
A correspondent of the New York Tri-
bune says:
| have spent the day in this city. |
have several times described what Fred
ericksburg was; what Fredericksburg IS,
YOU have also learned by telegraph i'm
advance of the mail. The city has not
only been in part burned but ruined be-
yond almost all hope of recovery. All
who passed through the village OF Sharps-
burg two days after the battle OF Antie-
tam, though il would be almost impossi-
bic to make town look more desolate
and forsaken, but the appearance of
Sharpsburg as compared with that of
fredericksburg, is comely and pleasant.
After the severe cannonading of yes
terday, it seems to have been generally
understood that the city would have been
given up to pillage upon the occupation
of our troops. The leading citizens have
long been known as the most bitter and
malignant rebels in the State, and to have
had much to do in carrying Virginia out
of the Union, in spite of an honest and
Overwhelming vote to the contrary. The
ladies of Fredericksburg, especially. were
spiteful and venomous to such degree
that one almost forgot to recognize them
as women. thur soldiers last spring were
subjected to considerable insult. In sew
eral instances they were poisoned, or at
least made dangerously sick by the water
they drank and the food they obtained of
the citizens. They were called hirelings,
thieves, State Prison birds, and low-bred
Yankees, to their faces In no city in
Virginia were our soldiers so treated with
such indignit;es. 1t is not strange, there
fore, that there was disposition on the
part of our soldiers to treat the city some
what more harshly than had been their
wont in occupying the tows of Virginia.
Ii is well known, too, that upon the ap-
proach of Burnside at the head of the
army of the Potomac. the leading ladies
besought Gen. Lee on their kness not to
surrender the city to the low-lived Yam
KEGS, and preferred that it should be
tall into our hands.
But notwithstanding all their insults
our Generals, simply for the preservation
of discipline among the troops, would not
have countenanced pillage had not the
leading mansions been occupied by rebel
who shot down our soldiers
without giving them an opportunity to
fairly return the fire.
1t is but the truth to say that the veal
thy citizens of fredericksburg possessed
more than wealth, and of much
greater value-culturer. ! doubt if there
is village in New England that possesses
more choice private libraries than did
Fredericksburg the day before the bonn
bardment. You can see that the ortho-
dox religious element enters into nearly
every one of them. Said a soldier to me
to-day, raking among a magnificent pri- |
vate library, half covered with mud in |
the streets, "How intensely religious these |
rebels are" Not only solid works upon
religion and philosophy are found among
the libraries, but books in nearly all the |
modern languages. which looked as if
they had been well read and appreciated.
In the street fighting Of last night our
oss viii probably amount to 1870 killed
md wounded. Col. Halls brigade of
Gen. Howard's division are the principal
The Massachusetts regiments
suffered more severely than the 7th Mich
gan, although the latter had the advance.
jen. Howard speaks in the highest terms
of Col. Halls brigade, and has compli-
nented the officers in person for their
,allantry, and also that of the troops un-
Ter their command.
The British consul was arrested last
hight upon suspicion of being a rebel
py, but was in "a short time released.-i
This morning, at the request of Gen.
Howard, he was again arrested, it being
low positively known that he has secre-
ed and entertained armed rebels in his
house, and then aided them in their
,scape.
Only one citizen out of the many fami-
les who took refuge in cellars from bonn
,ardment was killed, though the houses
lbove were often shattered by shot and
hell.
'HE soRTIE BY WHICH FREDERICKSBURG WAS
CAPTURED.
A Washington dispatch of the l4th to
he Herald says:
The sortie by which Fredericksburg was
,aptured on Thursday WAS memorable
flair. The column was led by General
lana's old brigade, nov commanded by
Jolonel Hall. Finding that the sharp
hooters, who were preventing the con-
truction of the pontoon bridge, could
lot be dislodged by the shot and shell of
he artillery, a proposition to cross IN
,oats was responded to with alacrity by
he brigade. The 7th Michigan led the
Fay, followed by the 10Th and Goth Mas
achusetts regiments. The Michigan
,oys, assisted by the 10Th Massachusetts,
Iisoldged the sharp-shooters from the
Iouses commanding the bridge, while the
9th Massachusetts marched up from the
ank through short street, and deploy-
d into the main street running parallel
nth the river. The streets were desert
d, but they received murderous fire
rom the houses, losing seventeen killed
nd eighty-one wounded, out of the three
undred men. The 7th Michigan and
9th Massachusetts also lost heavily.
The Seventh Michigan lost one officer
illed and four wounded, eighteen men :
illed and eighty-one wounded. :
the GENERALS KILLED AND woFNpED. '
The death of the gallant Gen. George /
}. Bayard in the battle at Fredericksburg, I