Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-12-22
Ths Bettle of Fredericksburg Another
Confederate Victory.
HAMLroE's CROSSING, T
Daeamhpr 18th 1862
December 14th, 1862.

/
OF the battle of Yesterday you have
from other sources learned the main re-
suit, the driving in Of the enemy's light
i batteries, aud the repalse or his infantry.
will supply such particulars as came
under hy observation. But before doing
SO, | must endeavour to give you an idea
of the positions occupied by the hostile
forces at the beginning of tie action.
From Fredericksburg thd Rappananock
flows nearly due east. The valley Of the
river, lying mostly on tle south side,
IS mile In width near thetown and wi
daning as you go down stream. At Ham
lton's crossing on she railroad the valley
Is three miles across. From Hamilton's
crossing 80 Fredericksburg the railroad aud
the old Richmond Stage road, both run
ming parallel with the river, sknt this val
fey. Soush Of the 9aiIroad, beginning
near the town and running 10 APPOINT at
Hamilton's CROSSING and also parallel with
the river. is a range of hills covered with
dense oak forest fringed Oh its northern
| border by pine thickets. Our forces oeeu-
pied the whole length of this. forest. Long
streets corps occupied the highlands
above, opposite, and for a mile below the
town. Jackson's corps rested on Long
streets rights and extended away to the
eastward, the extreme right under A. z.
Hill crossing the railroad al Hamilton's s
crossing, and stretching into the valley to-
wards the river. Our front was about six
miles IN length. Most of the batteries Of
| soth corps were posted in the skirts of the
forest, along the line of the railroad, the
seven batteries III Colonel Lindley Walk
ers regiment and Steuart's horse artillery.
beng stationed in the valley, between the
railroad at Hamilton's crossing and the
river The enemy's forces occupied the
valley north of the railroad from Freder
lcksbarg to- within half l4egSv4e pos
ted over the southern extremity of the
valley, at from quarter of mile to a
mile from the railroad, while the bills on
the northern banks of the river from Fal
mouth to Fitzhugh's farm, five miles be-
low Fredericksburg, were studded at in
terva.s of half mile with his batteries of
heavy guns. .....
The opinion had prevailed on the night
before that the enemy was to attack our
lines on yesterday morning, but when the
day broke without the sound Of gun be-
ing heard in front, it began to be Thought
that he had deferred his advance uuel this
morning.
The SUN rose cleas, but dina fog shrou>
dad the valley, limiting The vision to a
short half-rnlle, The enemy was supposed
to be within miEc of the railFOad at Ham
llton's crossing, hns shere wee no fndica-
tions OF his presence.
At half-east eight, A. NJ General Lee,
attended by his staff, rode slotly along the
front Of our lines, FROM west , the east. of
Hamuton's crossing, and halfl mile IN the
rear of our batteries on the eitreme right.
At nine o'clock column Of our troops.
which proved TO be Eweli's division. Gen.
Early commanding, advanced up the val
ley from the direction of Pot Royal, and
defled into the woods to the at of Hamil-
toms crossing The men wet marching
at q very leIsurely pace, witt a careless
swinging gait but there was sfhat 10 the
quiet dignity Of their demeabur, which
told that each, though undpnted, was
conscious that the next hour 4ght be one
of stern battle and death. Scaiely had the
rear of this division disappeted in the
woods, when directly in their bnt the ar
tillery of the Old Stonewall briAde, Wood
is', Braxton's and three oshk batteries
opened a brisk fire on the eneay's bate
ries north of the railroad, Il this time,
owing to the fog, few of the erany's i1fan-
try were visible After evsntfroyed that
they were lying close TO the sGith bank of
the river. The cannonadfng Spn became
general along the font of botl armies
ln ten minutes from the time Z firing their
first gun, the Danville battes, Captain
Woods, had lost fifteen men killed and
j. wounded, number of horses, I'D had two
guns disabled.
The enemy's battery, eigh hundred
yards distant, had the exact ranA from the
first hre. In the beginning of the action
the loss of the other batteries of fIaliafero's
division were also quite heavy. Our men
fred with great precision, their shells burs-
ting IN front or directly above the opposing
batteries. In the course OF an hour the
artillery, fight had become so general that
it was almost impossible for IN observer to
distinguish what particular battery of the
enemy was engaging the attention of any
given battery of ours, and vice versa
Scarcely battery that had been unmask-
ed On either side but was exposed to di-
rect and enflading fire. The roar of can
non along q line of six miles was tremen-
dous. The air was resonant with the say.