Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-15

fred from each gun, and know not how |
many hundred tons Of iron were thrown |
into the town.
a The coDgregated Generals we're trans
fixed. Mingled satisfaction and awe was
upon every face. But what was tantali-
zing, was that though q great deal could
be heard nothing could be seen, the city
being still enveloped in fog and mist. Only
A denser pillar Of smoke, defining itself
on the back ground of the fog, indicated
where the town had been fired by our
shells. Another and another column
showed ITSELF and we presently saw that
at least a dozen houses must be on IRE.
"Toward noon the curtain rolled up and
we saw that it was indeed so. Fredericks-
burg was in eonfagration. Tremendous
though this firing had been, and terrific
| though its effect obviously was on the
town, it had not accomplished the object
! intended. 1t was found by our gunners
almost impossible to obtain sufficient de-
pression Of their pieces to shell the front
/ mart of the city, and the rebel sharpshoot-
ers were still comparatively safe behind
the thick stone walls of the houses.
HDuring the thick of the bombardment
q fresh attempt had been made to complete
The bridge. IL failed, and evidently moth
inc could be done until party could be
thrown over to clean out the rebels and
cover the bridge head. For this mission
! Gen. Burnside called for volunteers, and
! Col Hall of Fort Sumter fame immediate
lv responded that he had 8 brigade that
| would do the business. Accordingly, the
| seventh Michigan and Nineteenth Massa-
ebusetts. two small regiments, numbering
in all about four hundred men, were Sc
lected for the purpose.
mTbe plan was that they should take the
ponteon boats of the first bridge, Of which
there were ten lying on the bank of the
river. waiting to be added to the half-tin-
ished bridge, cross over IN them, and land
ing, drive out the rebels.
Nothing could be more admirable or
more gallant than the execution Of this
daring feat Rushing down the steep banks
of the river the party found temporary
shelter behind the pOntoon boats lying
scattered on the bank, and behind the piles
of planking destined for the covering of
the bridge, behind rocks, sc. In this sit
nation they acted some fifteen or twenty
minutes as sharpshooters, they and the re-
bells observing each other. In the mean
time new and vigorous artillery firing was
commenced on our part and just as soon
as this was fairly developed, the Seventh
Michigan rose from their crouching places,
rushed for the pontoOn boats, and pushing
them into the water, rapidly filled them
with twenty-five or thirty each.
The first boat pushes off. Now, if ever,
is the rebels opportunity. Crack Crack!
Crack from fifty lurking places, go rebel
rifles at the gallant fellows, who, STOPPING
low in the boat seek to avoid the fire. The
murderous work was well done. Lustily,
however, pull the oarsmen, and presently,
having passed the middle of the stream,
the boat and its gallant freight come un-
der cover of the opposite bluffs.
SAnother and another boat follows.
Now is their opportunity. Nothing could
he more amusing, in its way, than its re-
suit. Instantly they see a new turn of
affairs. The rebels pop up by the hun
dred, like as many rats, from every cellar
riAe-pit and stonewall, and scamfer on
nm the streets of the town. With all their
deetuess. however, many of them were too
slow. With incredibleTapidity, the Mich
loan and Massachusetts boys swept up the
hin makinga rush for the lurking-places
occupied by the rebels, and gaining them,
eooh man capturing his two or three pris-
oners. The pontOon boats on their return
trim. took over more than q hundred of
these fellows.
UYou can imagine with what intense
interest the crossing of the first bOat-lOad
of our men was watched by the numerous
sneetators on the shore, and with what en-
tbusiastic shouts their landing on the OPP
; posite side was greeted. 1t was an au-
tbentio piece of heroism, which moves
J men as nothing else can. The problem
was solved. This flash of bravery had
done what scores of batteries and tons OF
metal had failed to accomplish. The cOun-
) trv will not forget that little band.
tTbe party once across, and the rebels
cleaned ont, it took the engineers but a
, brief period to complete the bridge. They
laid hold with will, plunging waist deep
= into the water, and working as men work
, who are under inspiration. In less than
8 half an hour the bridge was completed, and
the head of the column Of the grand di-
= vision. consisting of Gen. HOwards CON-
. mand. was moving upon it over the Rap
e pabannock A feeble attempt from the
D rebel batteries was made to shell the troops
in crossing, but it failed completely.
t @Your correspondent found an opportu'
e nitv to cross the river along with the party
, who first went over, in boat, having been
: curious 10 take closer view of the city
: which we have for near a month been OBJ
: serving over the river, not three hundred
8 wards wide, without the power of vista
: ton. AS the rebels were in considerable
1 force on the heights back of the city, ont
could not extend his perambulations beyond
the street fronting on the river. Every
] Sa1 /
= dozen or more, is torn to pieces by shot an'
y shell. and the fire still holly RACES in
q dozen parts of the city. few citizens
j n score or two, perhaps-male and female
:, nresentIv made their appearance, emerg
e ing out of the cellars, whittier they ha'
e taken refuge during the bombardmeni
i Three women-white-wh we found Il
+ cellar, told us that they, with a maJorit.
IS of the inhabitants, had moved out Of Fred
8 erieksburg a fortnight or so previously
hut that growing reassured by our lon
a. delay they. with . good many others, ha
IS come back the evening before The rurn'e
d inhabitants they report as now living L
o various parts of the environs, some l
e. negro huts, and others in tents made wit
il bedclOthes, Sc.
uDuring the afternoon of the lombard
lie ment we observed couple of white hand
zt kerchiefs waved out of the windows OF
re house in the city. This was taken by SON
h for flag of truce, and the Chief OF Artll
re cry was on the point Of causing the shel
It. ing to cease. General burnside, howeye
j. decided that it was probably merely onl
ge the wonted rebel ruse, and ordered oper'
III tons to be continued. We found out tbs
g. the demonstrations were made by two
as the women referred to- with the desi
tn that we should send over boat and col
Is, yev them away from fredericksburg.