The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-25
at,u.ting sturgis division Of Wilcox 2

I1orpnino his men under cover OF SlnaIi nv, NJ,
i, the rear of the town, skirmlshers Weto eoPloy
cd TO the left toward Hazel DELI olulg's,sups
nortlng at the same time now" uP''''t- 'os7'sN
on point on the rallroau.
nc forth bursted the deadly hail. From
.ne ID Its came the murderously >aimed mis-
from the batteries, tier above tier, on the
Sizes shot planes of fire A; from the enflad>
20. cannon, distributed on the arc Of circle
, % miles 10 extern, came cross showers of shot
and she'll
Imagine, If you can, for my resources are nns
equal to the task Of telling you, the situation
Of that gaIIaat but doomed division. i.
Across the plain tor while they sweep un,
der this fatal fire. They were literally moved
down. The bursting shells make great gaps III
their ranks but these are presently hIled by
the "closing up of the line. For fifteen inn
mortal minutes at least they remain under TINS
fary surge. Onward ther press, though their
ranks grow fearfully thin. They have passed
nver q greater part Of the interval and have al
most reached the base of the Hill, when brigade
after brigade of rebels rise mp on the crest ana
nour in fresh volleys of musketry at short range
To those who, through the glass, looked on, II
was q paralyzing sIght indeed. Flesh. ana
blood could not endure it. They fell back shat
tarad and htoken ,amidshouts aud yells from the
enemy.
Cen. French's division went into the fight
6 600 strong late at night ne told me ne could
count but ] $50. .g.t !. -
The old man looked anxious aud fearful
Things were not going well with his command
For three hours his men had been lighting al
fearful odds. They were much exhausted, their
loss was excessive and nothing had been ac'
c0nplished. Indeed, to the test OF The ear al
the point where We located, it seemed IS though
they were being badly pressed. The batteries
had been brought down and planted at the headi
of The streets. The troops were hngging the
city closely to escape the fearful, fire. IVY here
lie Franklin Z" was the eager Inquiry. 'E%ey
thing depends on Franklin's coming up on the
flank" 4u
Franklin's position was plainly observable
by the line of smoke and fire couple OF miles
e. our left below he was making no nearer.
Al 8 o'clock an aid arrives from Gen. Couch
to say that his Couch 81 troops were adVanc'
ing finely but that Wilcox Was not keeping
up. Tell Gen. Wilcox" replies Gen. Sum
ner, ''tell him he must make the 9th army corps
keep pace with the Sd, if he can. a
At3l2 o'clock, Sturgis, who has been cling
inc to the valley amid showers OF fire. is so hot
iy pressed that she hardly thinks he can hold
his own till Griffin comes up --.
At o'clock, French reports that his right is
held by brigade (Masons) aohich as 'o'htOut
ammunition 81. ..... ....- .
Sumner sends message begging Burnside
that Franklin be directed to advance. But
FRANKLIN cannot advance. He has enough to
do at this moment to hold his own. for Jackson
has iusa thrown in reinfurcements, and is push
ing hard TO turn his left.
Meantime the reserves have not been touch
ed Hooker's Central Grand Division--50, 600
fresh nen-have not yet been engaged; in
deed are vet mainly on THIS side of the river
''re Gen. Burnside that he had better, by
all means, throw come of Hooker's i'm
Burnside replies that he has directly order
ed Hooker to 60 in, and that every man on this
side of he river shall cross.
Promptly the column is pushed down to the
pontoons, Humphreys division of Butterheld S
corps, esding. The wary rebels, are sharply on
the aler. for the movement of troops and hay~
ing ba terry or two admirably trained on the
bridge, pour in the shells, and somewhat delay
operations. Happily, though they fall all round
the bridge, and kill ssome men on the banks,
they do the structure no harm. In case they
do, however, corps of pontoniers stand ready
to repair any damage.
At o clock. Gen. Hooker, who had not yet
been ac.'ss the river, proceeded over remark
ing to friend that he was going to put this
thing I'll ough."
La halt an hour prodlgi0us vOlleys Of musket.
ry announce that Hooker, with The reserves,
il engaged. This last assaulting column con-
sisted # the division of Humphrey, Monk,
Howard Getty and Sykes. They had, hardly,
howeyer, got fairly engaged before the sun
went DOM, and night closed around the clans
orous VIA of the combatants
At THE Sime. Gen. Burnside, who had rem ain
ed eli cay at the Phillips House, came down to
b.oT nd -. e. Al
city followed the progress of the fight Ex-
ternaily calm, the leading player in this tre-
mendous game, was agitated by such intensity
of feeling as one can conceive, and he paced
the garden gloomy at night
"rha. CREST" he exclaimed passion ately
must b. carried tonight
The evity of time into which the stupen,
dous is4ne of the day had to be crowded seem
ed to adj redoubled energy TO the fury of the
combatsnts.
No: Night or Butcher" as Wellington ex.
claimed at Waterloo, but rather Ajax's prayer
'more light" was the prompting of every
heart
Creeping upon the flank by the left, GETTY
troops succeeded in gaining the stone wal
which we had been unable all day TO wrench
from the ebels. The other forces rushed for the
crest. Our field batteries, which, owing to the
restricted space, had been of but little use all
day, weie brought vigorously into play. 1T
was The fierce passionate climax OF the battle.
From both sides two miles Of batteries belchN
ed forth their frery missiles athwart the dark
backg. ound of the uight. Folleys of musket>
~ wcl poured forth such as we have 10 par
allei ii in our experiences of the war, and which
seemed as though all the demons of earth and
air were contendipg together. Rushing up the
crest our troops had got within Il stones throw
of the batteries, when the Hill top swarmed
forth III new reinforcements Of rebel infantry,
whC, rushing upon our meu drove them back.
The turn Of die decides such situations. The
day wac lost Our men retired. Immediate
~ cannon and musketry ceased Iheir roar, and
in moment the silence of death succeeded the
stormy fury of ten hours battle.
AS Gen. Burnside turning walked off through
the garden, and mounting his horse galloped
back to his headquarters, what thoughts and
feelings passed through his mind No illusions
could make him believe that victory had been
achieved.
Shall we say, then, it was defeat? Ger
tainly, if to have started out to accomplish a
certain object, and 10 have failed in doing 80
b. defeat, you can apply no other term TO the
upshot of t0-days battle.
In spite of all the CLOSES of official kilograms
which you may receive, it seems here to. night
that We have suffered defeat. Let us hope
shot, "bou luily P'epHIeui tue assault may DC
renewed with new tactical combination, the po-
sition carried and the day retrieved fit be
not 50, Saturday, The 18th day of December,
must be accounted black day in the calendar
Of The Republic.
If you are disposed to indulge in criticism
on the plan OF the battle of Fredericksburg, it
will not be difficult TO point out its great and
radical defects. 10 have hurled forward masses
Of men against the fortified works of terraces
was certainly manifestation of daring untem-
pered by the slightest prudence Was it not,
also, fatal error, to have risked tho whole
succ' IS of the plan on the accomplishment of a
certain manenuver Franklins ability 10 swing
round the rebel flank, namely, where all the
elements of the problem were completely want
ing? What fearful fatality too, that cur &C
emulation OF artillery was all bus entirely use
less TO US, owing 10 the distance of the range
and the exposure of our own troops And what
a misfortune, equally lamentable, that the an
preach 20 the rebel position back of Fredericks.
burg was an area so restricted that our fed
oltLeries were almost equally useless, owing to
tho IuiDOS sihi iitV pf nnSrauvar;,,c.