Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-12-19
Battle at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
bardment Of the City.


bardment Of the City.
On Saturday last great battle was
fought at and near Fredericksburg. The
work of bridging the river was first COM
menced on Thursday. As soon as the
work was begun the rebel sharpshooters
! fred upon the workmen from the houses in
the city, and with deadly effect. Gen.
Burnside then ordered the artillery TO she'll
the city. which was done with much effect,
but under cover of cellars, walls and other
Buildings, the rebels still continued to an
noy our men, who had nearly completed
one Of the bridges, and were again obliged
| to retire. Again Burnside directed the
whole available force Of the artillery to play
upon the city. 1t was found that force
must be thrown across in some way, and
tina, they must Storm the city. and drive
ont the rebels. Volunteers were called for
10 undertake this "fcrlorn hope,' and i'm
mediately large number, many
thu es more than were wanted, stepped for
ward. They calamity rushed forward,
completed the bridge with considerable loss,
nets into the city, where,,it is said, they
showed but little mercy TO any rebel who
came within their reach. Most Of the city
is in ruins all the business part is burnt.
On Friday the main body of the army
crossed over, and the buildings not destroy
ed were occupied by our soldiers. A cor
respondent of the Tribune thus speaks of
the state Of things in the city,
But notwithstanding all their insults our
generals, simply for the preservation of dis
cipli1e among the troops, would not have
countenanced pillage had not the leading
mansions been occupied by rebel sharp
shooters. who shot down our soldiers with
out giving them an opportunity TO fairly re-
turn the fire.
Strange indeed would il have been if we
had allowed these brick and stone foriresses
to remain standing as monuments over the
graves cf cur brave soldiers. But to-day
these fine mansions are not standing. A
heap of smoldering embers is all that is left
of them. Others, less ostentaiious in their
style OF architecture, are riddled and torn
with shot and shell I; the furniture broken
and defaced the bedding ripped and strip
ped, taken into the streets, and rodden I'M
der foot; elegant chinaware and cutlery,
choice libraries of books. rare works of art,
are all heaped together in the streets. and
are scrambled for as trophies. The old
mansion of Douglas Gordon--perhaps the
wealthiest citizen in the VALLEYS now us
ed as the headquarters of Gen. Howard,
but before he occupied it. every room had
been torn with shot, and then all the ele-
CANT furniture and works of art broken and
smashed by The soldiers, who burst into the
house after having drove the rebel sharp
shooters from behind it. When | entered
it early this morning, before its occupation
by Gen. Howard, found the soldiers Of
his fine division dvertng themselves with
the rich dresses found in the wardrobes
had on bonnrts of the fashion of last year
and were surveying themselves before mir.
rors, which. an hour or two aithrward, were
pitched out of the window and smashed tc
pieces upon the pavements; others had ell
giant scarfs bound around their heads in the
form of turbahs, and shawls around theil
waists, after the fashion of the Turks.
i What | saw in this mansion was repeat.
ed in nearly every one which the flames
had not destroyed.
1t is but the truth TO say that the wealthy
citizens Of Fredericksburg possessed some
thing more than wealth, and of much great
er value-culture. | doubt if there is a
village in New England that possesses more
choice private libraries than did Fredericks-
burg the day before the bombardment.-
You can see that old orthodox religious ell
emeDt enters into nearly every one of them.
Said soldier TO me to-day, raking among
a magnificent private library, half covered
with mud in the streets, How intensely
religious these id rebels are" Not
only solid works upon religion and philoso-
ply are found among the libraries, but books
in nearly all the modern languages, which
looked as if they had been well read and
appreciated
We destroyed by fire yesterday nearly
two whole squares of buildings, chiefly us
ed for business purposes, together with the
fine residences of O. Mcdowell. DIR. Smith,
s. II. Kelley, A. S. Cot, VIM. Slaughter,
and many other smaller dwellings. Every
store, think without an exception, was pill
LACED of every valuable article. A fine
drugstore, which would not have look ed
badly or Broadway, was literally one mass
OF broken glass and jars.
Strange to say, that during all this great
| destruction Of property but one citizen is
known TO have been killed. About $50
rebels were killed by exploding shells, but
the citizens, having hidden themselves in
The cellars, escaped uninjured.
In the street fighting of last night our
loss will probably amount TO 1870 killed and
, wounded. Col Halls brigade of Gen.
Howard's division are the principal suffer-
ers. The Massachusetts regiments suffered
more than the 9TH Michigan, and the latter
had the advance. Gen. Howard speaks in
, the highest terms of Col Halls brigade.
and has complimented the officers in person
for their gallantry, and also that of the
troops under their co nmand
Another correspondent gives this lescrip-
) lion The volley of the sharpshoo,ers
was Tired at precisely half-past Eve. upon
signal from two guns placed upon The hills
below Fredericksburg The instant the
rebels opened This battery and the sharp
shooters fired upon the engineers. n tremen-