Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1862-12-25
How the bridge was Laid Before
fredericksburg

The following from the Times CORES
pondent, gives an account of the laying
of the pontoons over which our troops
passed into Fredericksburg on the 11th;
During the thick of the bombardment
a fresh attempt had been made to com
plete the bridge. 1t failed, and evident
ly nothing could be done till 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 Sum
ter fame Immediately responded that he
hada brigade that would do the business.
Accordingly the Seventh Michigan and
Nineteenth Massachusetts, two small
regiments, numbering in all about four
hundred men, were selected for that
purpose.
The plan was that they should take
the pontoon boats of the first bridge, Of
which there were ten lying on the bank
Of the river, waiting to be added to the
half finished bridge, cross over in them,
and landing, 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 tenn
porary shelter behind the pontoon boats
lying scattered on the bank, and behind
the piles Of planking destined for the
covering of the bridges, behind rock, &c.
In this situation they acted some fifteen
minutes as sharpshooters, they and the
rebels observing each other. In the
meantime new and vigorous artillery
firing was commenced on our part, and
lust as soon as this was fully developed
the 9Th Michigan rose from their crouch
ING places, rushed for the pontoon boats,
and 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 oars
men, and presently, having passed the
middle of the stream, the boat and its
gallant freight come under cover Of the
opposite bluffs.
Another and another boat follows.
Now is their opportunity Nothing
could be more amusing, in its way, than
the result. Instantly they saw new
turn Of affairs. The rebels pop up by
the hundred, like so many rats, from
every cellar, rifle pit and stone WALL and
scamper off up the streets of the town.
With incredible rapidity the Michigan
and Massachusett boys sweep up the
hill, making rush for the lurking
places occudied by the rebels, and gain
ing them, each man capturing his two
or three prisoners. the pontoon boats,
on their return trip, take over more than
a hundred Of these fellows.
You can imagine with what interest
the crossing Of the first boat-load of our
men was watched by the numerous spec
tators on the shore, and with what en-
thusiastic shouts their landing on the
opposite shore was witnessed. 1t was
an authentic piece Of human heroism
which moves men as nothing else can
The problem was solved. This dash Of
bravery had done what scores Of batter.
les and tons Of metal had failed to accom-
plish.
The party once across, and the rebel:
cleaned out, it took the engineers but q
brief period to complete the bridge
They laid hold with will, plungin9
waist-deep into the water, and working
as men work who are under inspiration
In less than half an hour the bridge was
completed, and the head Of the column
Of the right grand division, consisting oi
Gen. Howard's command, was moving
upon it over the Rappahannock. A
feeble attempt from the rebel batteries
was made to she'll the troops in crossing
but it failed completely
/