The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-19

also suffered, though much less, and the
surgeons soon had work enough.
About eight o'clock the artillery Gre
ceased. The fog was so dense that OBJ
jects were Invisible one hundred yards
from the guns. fredericksburg was as
silent as before. Again the engineers
advance, and again the enemy driva them |
back; orderlies gallop TO the different |
batteries with Instructions; a message |
orders from Aquia special train with |
solid shot; and again the thunder breaks
out anew. For time the roar is inde-
scribably awful. The city from its walls
or brick hurls back a thousand echoes, |
which beat up against The Falmouth bluff, |
roll back again beyond the town, and
then from the distant bills once more
swell over to us, as though the heavens
were rent asunder. AtGeneral Summers
headquarters, half mile distant it be-
comes difficult to converse in low tone,
while at the batteries orders must be
signaled. By and by the firing ceases, and
one is almost awe stricken with the pro-
found silence. The mist still clings TO
the river, the sun struggles up red and
fiery, and the air is. suffocating with the
odor of gunpowder. Presently the bank
of fog begins TO lift a little, and the
glistening roofs CLEAN family through
the veil. then sunbeams scatter
the clouds that intervene, and Fred
ericksburg, utterly desoiate, stands
out before. A huge column of dense
black smoke towers like monu-
ment above the livid flames, that leap,
and hiss and crackle, licking up the snow
upon the roofs with lambent tongues,
and stretching like giant. The guns
renew their roar, and we see the solid
shot plunge through the masonry as
though it We're pastboard; other build
ings are fired, and before sundown a
score of fhouses,a in ashes, while not one
seems to have escaped the pitiless storm
Of iron. A less number have been fred
than was anticipated; but the damage
done by solid shot is terrible, and will
require years to repair. Among the suf-
ferers is Mr.. Garland, loyal refugee, who
witnessed the bombardment from the
headquarters Of Gen. Sumner, of whose
staff his son is member. The residence
of Mr.. Slaughter, father of the Mayor,
DR.. Wallace's, Mrs. Hayes, and Tim
berlake's auction and commission store,
are among the buildings burned. An
English ensignshung conspicuously from
one of the houses, which, fortunately for
the inmates, was less exposed to our fire.
Females could be seen darting through
the streets, negroes carrying furniture
from burning houses, and now and then
a rebel gliding from one hiding place to
another. Our artillery would drive the
enemy from their cover upon the bank OF
the river; but when compelled to cease
in order not TO endanger the lives Of the
regiments, the rebels would Immediately
steal back and pick off our men with the
rifle.
In the meantime our own troops lined
the hills upon this side as far as the eye
could reach; all intensely watching the
operations. Artillery, cavalry and in
fantry, in solid columns, covered every
plateau, and every camp in the vicinity
was we'll nigh abandoned in the desire
TO witness the bombardment. A number
of females appeared at the windows in
the city from time to time, waving white
flags and shouting to US that they wished
TO come over. As we were in the same
predicament, the disappointment was mu.
tual, and the affrighted females were lef
TO the undisturbed enjoyment of our sym.
pathy. Whenever such signals wer,
| displayed, however, the buildings wer'
7 spared by our artillerists, so that the in.
mates were but little less safe than they
would have been upon this side.
. As night approached it was found tina
f. the enemy had no idea OF yielding TO Vi
4 free passage across the river Witt
8 their facilities for shielding themselves
e our artillery could not permanently dis
> lodge them, and Companies and G, o
; the Seventh Michigan regiment, gallantll
volunteered to cross In boats and driv
/; them out of town. Receiving assent t
J, their proposition, they sprung into
9 couple Of pOntoon boats, rowed briskli
: across, dashed up into the city at doubl
3 quick, broke open the houses, and cap
: tured thirty-six prisoners, including
: staff officer. This gallant act secured {
J us the opposite side until the bridge coul
: be completed, and our troops are now j
) possession of the city
: Immediately after taking possessio
! Of the place, the enemy opened upon
7 with artillery from the hills beyond, bu
I without effect, and at this hour (nin
! o'clock p. NJ everything is perfectl
= quiet. Nosa shot was fired by the ret
y els from their batteries during the en- lii
day, with the exception Of the few sho
r just 81 night. Some Of our men suiiei
n ed from our guns, however few shell
) having exploded this side Of the river
9, Oar loss in killed and wounded is n,
ie large. The rebels, owing 20 their she
= tered positions, have probably suaess
10 less than we, though at times our shell
10 seemed 10 burst among them with cor
/ siderable effect.
nt General Burnside remaioed AZ Gei
eral srmuef's headquarters during Il
y sombardment, ia plain view Of the who
lo scano