The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-12-19
The Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg.
From the Lynchburg Republican, Saturday.
From the Examiner of yesterday we
obtain the following epitome of ali the
intelligence received at the War Depart.
ment from Fredericksburg in the shane
of official dispatches up to late bour
Thursday night.
Tie dispatches of Gen. Lee relate that.
the fight began at fredericksburg at
! o'clock in the morning. At that bour
the enemy attempted the passage of the
Rappahannock at three different points
by means of pontoon bridges. At two
points they were repulsed. At the third
1 it is presumed that that they effected q
| passage, as the dispatches stated that thew
had got under cover of their guns and
could not be interrupted in their construc
ton of a bridge. AT last accounts, dated
about noon, the fight was progressing on
the Southern side of the Rappahannoclx
FARTHER PARTICULARS, INCIDENTS, &C.
1t is understood that the point at which
the enemy effected passage of the Ra,-
pahannock Was at Deep Run, about two
miles below Fredericksburg. The Yam.
KEGS are said to have secured a land:no
there on a low cape. and our guns wore
in position to sweep their ranks on their
reaching the table land extending to-
wards Fredericksburg. -
The passenger train which reached
Richmond Thursday evening left its sta.
ton three miles this side of Fre6ericLs
burg, about half past o'clock in the aE
ternoon, end brought a number of per.
sons who profess to have close and minute
observations of the mornings part of the
action. -.s
The descriptions of the carnage which
. we have trofa these. sources are iuh tfu}
AT one point we are said to have cur -, rsse
, line of the enemv's pontoon bridges land
pouring in deadly showers of grape, to
have filled the air withthe legs, arms and
disiointed members of the Yankees.
When the fire was opened on our lines,
e several hundred women and children
were remaining within the limits OF Fred
! ericksburg. and their CONSERVATION is said
to have been most pitiful. We have from
/ different sources. the report that two wo-
Y men were certainly killed by the enemy
: fire. We could not obtain the names OF
the unhappy victims.
From the best information we can OBJ
tain it appears that Longstreet's division
n was the portion of our force actively en-.
S gagged yesterday.
The general conclusions from what we
=, learn up to the hour of writing are. that
II the enemy had effected passage of the
d Rappahannock, probably in considerable
IS force; that the action of Thursday wa;
without any important fruits or predatory
to q more important action now lmpend
l. ing: and that to day Friday will witnes
IS large and important but perhaps indie
n cisive battle on the disputed lines of Fred
ericksburg.
LATER ACCOUNTS.
Through passengers who arrived her
Thursday night from Fredericksburg, w
s. learn that simultaneous with his attemp
f, to throw his pontoon bridges across tn
70 Rappahannock, the enemy bombarde(
the town. The few inhabitants still re
&c naming there began to leave immediate
d ly, and make their way towards Hamilton
Of Station on the railway. A number c
10 houses in the town were struck, and tw
of them, Mr. John G. Kings near the de
"a pot, ard Mr.. Scott's were burned. On
n of the church steeples was also struck
E. and some say knocked down. The nun
d Der of casualties to citizens are variousl
: stated. Some accounts say that only on
- man, Jacob Grotz, was killed, and anotl
e er wounded. But persons who wer
e. among the last to leave the town, repol
that there wefe-Six-citizens killed, anon
= whom were Mr.. j. Croft and his broth,
" George, and a wornass and her infant.l@.
IN Heavy cannonading and the occasion
n fire of skirmishers were heard at the d
d. pot from five o'clock in the morning u
-, til eleven, when perfect silence ensu
all along the lines, and continued unbl
at ken until one clock, P. NJ. the hour
ne departure of the train for Richmond.
le- Persons who came down on the tram S
~, that at 5 o'clock, A. NJ. the enemy
- tempted to throw across pontOon bride
res at three points, the old railroad Bird
he oil tho of tho and ahO
,n and below Deep Run, a stream thu
he miles lower down the Repentance
- that at the first of these two points t
tn bridge builders were driven from tin
ed work by our sharpshooters, but that
it the point below the creek mentioned, I
ground being low and open for a cons
cradle space on this side, his artille
i'e posted on the opposite heights, had d
it'll persed our sharpshooters and enabled
men to perfect the bridge. At last
counts our artillery had him brought
to a position covering and complet,
LED commanding the open space upon whi
urt the enemy's troops would deploy
nst crossing.
- From an officer who reached Richmo
ire Sunday evening, the Enquirer learns
in following:
nd The fighting of Saturday was chiefly
- Longstreet's corps; party of Jackss
'nu corps being in reserve at Hamiltu
ne Crossing. A. P. Hills division was off
ury part which was i'll the battle.
est At the time General T. r. R. Cobb v
slain, his Legion was holding in check
as teen thousand of the enemy. The
fest mains of the gallant and distinguish,
an gentleman were brought to Richmond
,.r Sunday evenings train.
w Letcher's battery repulsed the adyaI
the of two brigades of the enemy. The cd
dge pany lost one man killed and sixt@
# a wounded.
,.r Our loss in the battle of SATURDAY. isl
! riously stated at from six hundred I'd
re- thousand, in killed and wounded. I'D
en- slaughter of the enemy was yerx pa -
the vastly exceeding ours. Our arexzS
ury admirably served, and was very en- y
~ 1t suffered considerably.
Gen. Gregg, of South Carolina 80 y
Key ry severely and it was believed nrS@. n
his wounded. He was shot thro6ds -
use body. -
orb Gen. Fender was slightly woub8ls
eiA the head or arm. We understa1ge =
rate ported for duty again on yesterSas =
and Our informant heard of no 49,