The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-12-24
The Battle Of Freder-
f. ioksburg. .
Casualties to Officers.
Great Advantage Of the
Rebel Position.

- -
Great Advantage Of the
Rebel Position.
From the various sources ut our hands, W
coudense the following descriptive events il
che great battle Of Fredericksburg, memorable
for its great losses Of life, and repulse Of the
Union arms. We draw rather literally upor
our columns in the assurance that the readers
Of the TiAEs will not be disappointed.
We commence our condensation by present
ing the first grand charge Of the second corps,
~ narrated By the New York Tmes:
Look ut the position to be stormcd.
There % u bare plateau Of third Of mile,
whica the storming party will have to cross. Ia
doing - they will be exposed to the fire, first
stone wall running along the base Of the ridge
of double row 81. riae.pits on the rise VI
the crest-Of the heavy batteries behind strong
neid'w0rks that stud the top Of the hill-of a
powerful infantry force now lying concealed
oeh''d ttlese-Of plunging fire from the bat
eer1es on the lower range-Of double enfad
ing lire from "cann0n 70 right Ot them, cannon
to lett Vt them." Seb..stopol was not halt a.
strong.
The momentthey exposed themselves on the
railroad. forth burst the deadly hail. FROM the
ride.pits came the murierousiy aimed missiles
from the batteries, tier ab we tier, OH the ter.
races, shot planes OF Ere from the entiladinx
cannon, distributed on the arc Ut circle tw.,
miles in extent, came crvss showers OF shot and
shell.
Imagine, If you can, for my resources are
unequal to the task vi telling you, the situation
Of q .s gallant but doomed division.
Across the plain Tor while they swept under
this fatal fire. They were literally moved
d'wn. Tue bursting shells made great gaps il
their ranks but these are presently filled by
the 'ciosng up" Vt the liue. For fifteen i'm
mortal minutes at least they remain under this
merry surge. Onward they press. though their
ranks grow feariuily thin Taey have passed
over a greater part Of the interval aud I'VE
almost reached the base vi the bill, wheu
brigade after brig .de Of rebels rise up on the
crest aud pour in fresh volleys ot mu-ketrv ut
short ranSe. To til So who, through the glass,
looked Oti, It WAS ptrlous slight indeed. Flesh
ami blood could not endure. They fell tack
shattered ami broken, amid shouts aud yeis
from tue enemy.
Gen. French division went into the 6yht
ok th'ussnd strong late at night he told me
he could count 0ut fifteen hanired!
Tue hre Of the rebel batteries was not the
only thing from which our inen hal to suffer-
Thinking to silence the enemy's guns, our
batteries painted On the bluff, On the north side
Of the river, embr.cin, the 4 10 siege guns,
some stteries OF 2J.pouuder Parrots. aud the
q Il lery OF ths lett aud lett centre opened fire.
'Cae intervening space is between 2,5DJ and
3,OOO yards tOO great a dist,uce t. calculate
on the prJectiles Carrying with accurAcy-p,r.
t'cularly contrIctu $ ammunition. Ii saeil
SHOULD fail short. or take an Oblique direction
and explode among our troops, it would be
difficult 10 ~. how panic could be prevented,
Promptly seeing this danger. Gen Hunt. chief
Of artillery. instantly dispatched orders 10 cease
firing. II was well he did 50, for i'm ne,ii. tely
afterwards AN Ali came & .llnping from Gen
ging that our batteries shout cease. ~ they
were actually firing into his command
AT GENERAL suNSEs's HEA oouAsrxas.
The same correspondent gives an account Of
event. transpiriny at General Summers he ad.
quarters
Returning to the right, found Gen. Sumner
seated Oh the front seat OF an unyOksd ambu.
Lance, 1t the Lacey House, directly opposite
Fredericksburg, ut the point where the first
pOntoOn bridge spans the stream. The veteran
soldier had been extremely DESTROYS Of cross
ing over, and directn, in person the IN I'VE.
ments Ut his Grand Division, but the Com.
manding General would not permit it, and ~
= compromise he had come down from the
Phillips House (Which Glen. Burnsi'e had M abe
has headquarters tor the iay), mile from the
river, and established it here at its brink.
could not help feeling reg ct that the leashed
old war-d0g was not let Loose ut the : rOat OF
the enemy Meanwhile. As Fredericksburg
had become entirely too hot to visit with u
decent respect for ones safety, remained
with the General in the ambulance, to follow
the tide Of battle rs reported 0y constantly ar.
irving aids and couricrs
The old man looked anxious and fearful
Things were not going well with his command
For three hours his men had been lighting Vi
fearful odds They were much exhausted. their
loss was excessive, and nothing h ID been &C.
c0mplished. Indeed, 10 the test Of the ear, at
the puut where We were located, it seemed ~
though they were being badly pressed, Tn.
batteries had been brought down and planted at
the heads Of the streets. The troops were
hugginy the city closely to escape the fearful
fire. "Where is Franklin I" was the eager
inquiry Everything depends On Franklin
coming up on the flank"
FrAnklins position was plainly observable by
the line OF smoke and fire couple OF miles to
our left below. He was making no nearer.
At 5 O'Clock an aid arrived from Gen Couch
70 say shat his Couch 81 troops we're advancing
finely but that Wilcox was not keep ping up
"rcil Geu.: Wilcox replies Gen. sumner,
"tcll him he must make the Ninth Army Corps
keep pace with tho SECOND. If he cam
At O'Clock. >turgis. who had been
einyinS to the valley amid showers u 6'e, is
80 holly pressed that 'he hardly thinks I've can
hold his own till Griffin Games up
At O'Clock, French reports that his right 10
held BY = brigade Mason 81. ,ohieA is 'sit1oat
ammmniiox!
Sumner sends a.essage begging Burnside
that Franklin be directed 10 advance. But
Frank. in cannot ADVANCE. He has enough 70
do Ut this moment 70 hold his one. for Jackson
has just thrown in reiniOrcements, and il push.
ing hard to turn his left.
Meantime the reserves have not been touch.
ed. Hooker's Central Grand Division-fity
thousand fresh mcn-have not yet been cnsag.
ed. Indeed are yet mainly on this side Of the
river.
"Tell Gen. Burnside that he hsi better. BY
al means, throw seine vi Hooker's in.'
Burnside replies thst he has directly ordered
Hooker to 50 in, aud th.t every man On this
side Vi the river sInll cross
Promptly the column ia peshed down to the
pantoons, Humphreys division OF Bulterfied's
corpsleading. The wary rebels; sharply on the
alurt for the movement Oi troops. anl having u
battery or two admiral trained on the bridge,
pour in the shells, aud s0mewhat delay opera.
tons. Happily though they fall all AROUND tie
bridge. aud kill some men ON the hanks. they
do the st uctu.e no harme. In Case they do,
however. corps Vi pontoneers Stand ready to
reyair any dam ige,
At 4c'clock Gen. Hooker. Who had not yet
been across the river. proceslcd oyer. rempk.
ing 70 TREND that he WAS going to put this
thiny through"
In half All hour pro lsiors volleys ofmusket
~ announced that Hooker. with the reserves.
is engaged. This last assaulting column cou.
sisted Ut the divisions Ut Humphrey, Monk,
Howard. Getty, and Sykes. They had, how
ever, hardly got fairly engaged b.tore the sun
went down, aud night closed around the clam-
yorous wrath of the comb t,its,
At this time Gen Burnside, who had remain.