Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1862-12-20

the center, where the headquarters Of the
General were located, near two miles from
the river, sweeping in a heavy gallop to the
right to take position at General Summers
headquarters, The Phillips House, from which
q perfect view Of Fredericksburg, and the
portehtous hills beyond, is obtained. The
cavalcade was q handsome one. What was
surprising, most Of the officers we're good
horsemsn, and being we'll mounted, they moved
in gay and iaunty style. Burnside's big gray
Hoped along in advance, the tall form Of the
rider looming at every stride in the smoke
that still hung low on the hills.
In a few minutes our batteries Of siege guns
began to play with vigor, the enemy answer,
ing with occasional shots, and the scattering
pickering Of muskets was noticeable. But it
was after eleven o'clock before the contest
deepened into earnest desperate battle-
Then our columns we're visible along the slope
leading to the second terrace, and as they ad-
vanced battery after battery Of the rebels,
quiet through all the bombardment, opened.
Il was evident that without artillery TO sup
port them, our troops would be ~oyerpowered
by the whitening cannonAde Of the enemy
| had been told the day before, by an officer
who ought to have been well informed, that
when the battle begun we would open a bat
terry of heavy ri6ed guns upon the rebels, and
make them glad to stop their artillery, and
rely on musket and bayonet and the natural
advantages Of their position. | waited and
watched for the opening Of this battery, which
was to astonish the rebels, with a sharp in
terest and anxiety that it would be impossible
to express. Our long columns of noble fell
lows pushed on, and the weight Of the enemy's
artillery FIRE continued every minute to in
crease.
Our batteries upon the left augmented their
FIRE, and the guns OF which had been led
to hope so much opened. ! saw with horror
that at least half the shells were bursting be.
hind our own men, and that they we're certain
" killing more OF them than the enemy
General Burnside, | have since learned, sent
orders to the battery to cease firing, and it did
so. Then for dreadful hours the rebel artil.
lerists had it all their own way. They had,
at one time, seven batteries in full blast upon
our devoted columns. Several Of their guns
were very heavy ones. One seven-inch rife
was heard loud and often over the roar OF
other arms in the engagement. shall
always have a profound remembrance of the
keen, terrific report of that gun. Every shot
made the hills culver, and the number of times
it spoke during the day was surprising. 1t
seemed that the reports of that piece like
the movement of a pendulum, divieded the
time into periods-that the wicked emphasis
of its utterance must be taken to note the
passage of time and mark the progress Of
the fight. 1t became perfectly apparent to
all observers of any reasonable degree OF
intelligence, as the din of rebel artillery
and the rage of the musketry increased, and
as the big rebel rifle spoke through th.
gloom of the conflict as appeared the very
voice Of doom, that the fortunes of the day
on our side we're desperate. 1t was manifest
ly absolutely impossible for our columns Of
unsupported infantry to carry the terrible
nights. Our only hope then was in Frank
lin. 1t might be possible that he would
do something grand on the left, break the
enemys line, turn his position, and come
sweeping along the crest, from which the
murderous artillery 'volleyed and thun-
dered." But it was drearily evident that
Franklin's progress wes slow. We could
hear the grumbling of his guns, and see, in
the distance, the battle cloud that swelled
from the combat, but alas, that cloud did not
advance by perceptible degrees. The sound
Of the guns came no more distinctly
Clearly enough, there was hard work aud
slow progress on the left
TIT tenacity with which our troops main
tanned their hopeless attitude OF an aggres.
sive movement in the center, in the face oil
FIRE that seemed not only insupportable by
flesh and, blood, but positively an~nihilating,
was worthy the deepest admiration, and Can
never be thought Of by those who witnessed
it, and knew how ~pitiiully the precious lives
and inesiimable valor of our braves wers
squandered, without regrets as passionate al
they are vain,
/ cannot tell what brigades moved first t.
the assault, aud what divisions moved u
their support-whst regiments specially dis
~tinguished themselves, what officers LEI
charges, who deployed as skirmishers, anC
who charged in column, who fell back in or
der, and who in disorder, For any close ap
Proclamation to accuracy in these things WI
must look to the official reports and the lei
i, ters Of the private soldiers. That which
saw was 9 massive line of blue jackets stand
ing forward and swaying backward, only I
{ push on again, under a ire OF artillery an
musketry such that | was amazed it did no
f absolutely sweep them from the face of tn
8 earth aud 30 utterly idle did it seem for GU
q men 10 be wasted 10 endeavoring to breas
such a storm, that il would have been q relic
/ to see them fall back into the town, and Civ
8 up the unfair and horrible contest. Certain
r y nothing in the universe can be more dis
!, tressing than to look upon the hopeless, fruit
e less destruction Of brave men. The dischai
8 ges of musketry at intervals were excessive
y furious, horrid beyond all computation, an
the sound must be remarked as far more tel
3 rible than that of artillery, The clamor {
musketry in Il heavy engagement resemble
that OF firing Chinese crackers by the bunc
in a barrel, TO which il has often been con
pared, much as the squeak Of atoy whistle r,
serhblss the shrek Of a locomotive. Will
our artillery was silent, apd that Of the EN-
a. nv was iarFino tha earth and filling the VA