The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-12-23
reappeared in explosive flame on the
other side of the river.

mist and smoke not only did not Tighten,
but grew more Opaque and heavy, hugg,
ing the ground closely. Our gunners,
however, still continued to launch their
missiles at venture. The rebel batter
les hardly returned our fire, and this
chariness Of their ammunition they pre-
served all day-not dozen rounds be-
ing fired during the whole forenoon.
Toward 8 o'clock large party of
General Officers. among them Gen.
Burnside, the Corps Commanders, and
many others of high rank, had congre-
gated in front of and on the balcony OF
Gen. Summers headquarters, Phillips
House, situated about mile directly
back of the Lacy House. The perform
ance could be heard, but not seen-ths
stage was obstinately hidden from view,
and all were impatient that the curtain
should rise. Aids and couriers came
and went with messages TO and frora the
batteries and bridges.
AT 81 o'clock official notification was
received that the two bridges on the ex-
treme left were completed, and Gen.
Franklin sent TO Gen. Burnside TO know
if he should cross his force at once.
The reply was that he should wait until
the upper bridges also were complet-
ed
Meantime, with the latter but little
progress was made. During the next
couple of hours half dozen attempts
were made to complete the bridges, but
each time the party was repulsed with
severe loss. On the occasion Of one
essay, Capt. Brainerd, of the 50th New
York Volunteer Engineers, went out on
the bridge with eleven men. Capt
Perkins led another party, and was shot
through the neck, and the Sixty sixth
and Fifty seventh New York regiments,
which were supporting the Filtieth and
Fifteenth New York Volunteer Engi-
neers-G Gen. Woodbury's brigade-suff
cred severely. 1t was a hopeless task,
and we made little or no progress. The
rebel sharpshooters, posted in the cellars
of the houses of the front street, not fifty
yards from the river. behind stone walls
and rifle pits, We're able TO pick off with
damnable accuracy any party OF engi-
neers venturing on the half completed
bridges.
They case was perfectly clear. Moth
ing can be done ill they are disloged
from their lurking places. There is but
one way of doing this etfectualIy-shell
the town. At 10 o'clock Gen. Burnside
gives the ORDER Concentrate the fire
of all your guns on the city, and batter
it down! !" You may believe they were
not 10th to obey. The artillery of the
right-eight batteries-was commanded
by Col. Hays Col. Tompkins, right
cenlre--eleyen batteries-Col. Tyler,
left cenre-seven bstteries-Capt De-
Russy, le't-nine batteries. La few
moments these thirty FIVE batteries,
forming a total of l79 guns, ranging
from ten FOUNDER PARROTS to four and u
half inch siege guns, posted along the
convex side of the arc of the circle, form
ed by the bend Of the river and land OPP
posile fredericksburg, opened on the
| doomed city. The effect was. OF course,
terrific, and, regarded merely as phe-
nomenon, was among the most awiully
grand conceivable. Perhaps what will
give you the liveliest idea of its effect is
a succession. absolutely without inter
mission, of the very loudest thunder
peals. Ii lasted thus for upward of an
hour, Fifty rounds being fired from each
gun. and | know not how many tons oil
iron We're thrown into the town.
The congregated Generals were trans
fixed. Mingled satisfaction and awe
WAS upon every face. But what was
tanlalzing. was that though great dss
could be heard, nothing could be seen,
the city still enveloped in fog and mist
Only denser pillar of smoke defining
itself on the back ground OF the fog. in,
dicated where the town had been fired
by our shells. Another and another col
umn showed itself, and we presently saw
that al least dozen houses must be ol
fire.
j Toward noon the curtain rolled up
and we saw that il was indeed SO. Fred
ericksburg was in contlagration. Ire
mendous though this firing had been
and terrific though its effect obviously
was on the town, it had not accomplish
ed the object intended. 1t was found by
our gunners almost impossible 10 obtain
a sufficient depression of their pieces tC
shell the front part Of the city, and III,
rebel sharpshooters were still compare
lively safe behind the thick stone walls
of the houses.
During the thiekest OF the lombard
ment, fresh attempt had been made /,
complete the bridge Ii failed. and eyi
IDENTITY nothing could be done ill party
could be thrown over to clean out th,
rebels and cover the bridge head. Fol
this mission Gen Burnside called TO
volunteers, and Col. Hall, of Fort Sum
ter fame, Immediately responded that h,
had brigade that would do the busi
ness Accordingly. the 9TH Michigan
and l9th Massachusetts,, two small regi
ments. numbering in all about four hun
dred men, were selected for the pur
pose.
The plan was that they should take tn
pontoon boats of the first bridge. OF whicl
, there were ten lying on the bank OF th
, river. waiting 10 be added to the halt
Enieh.l h.;lr,a crlas nra. ,lar, ~.