Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-24
The March to fredericksburg.

FALMOUTH, VA, Nov. 1S.-The federal
| army, under the immediate command of Gen.
Simmer, arrived within mile of this place
about noon yesterday, having made the march
from Warrenton, some forty miles, in two
days and half. Shortly after the army got
In motion yesterday morning, cannonading
was heard some four miles in our advance.
No one seemed to understand it, as we had no
forces in the direction of the sound. Parties
were sent ahead to ascertain what it meant,
when it was ascertained that a body of the
enemy had crossed the Rappahannock as
accommodating party, and while marching
down towards Falmouth, the rebels opened
on them, causing some considerable conster-
nation in their ranks. About a dozen round
were fired before it was ascertained that they
were firing son our troops"
The fact Of the rebels firing on their own
troops proved to us that they had one or more
batteries planted on the opposite shore, for
the purpose Of sweeping the road as we adj
vanced. Generals Sumner and Couch soon
came to a conclusion that these batteries
must be at once silenced, so that we might
have free access along the road. The fifty
seventh New York, lieutenant colonel Chap
man commanding, and the fifty third Penn
sylvania, Col. Brooks, advanced as skirmiShers
L
Of the town. These two regiments were fol-
lowed by the remainder of the brigade to
which they belong, consisting of the second
Delaware, Col. Bailey; sixty -sixth New ork
Col. Pinkney, and the brigade commanded by
Colonel Took, of the fifty-seventh New York
Capt. Pettits battery, the first New York ar
tillery, and Owens and Tompkin's two Rhode
Island batteries followed.
Instead of taking the main road, as the enc
my thought the federals would, that they
might have chance to pepper them, the com
manding officer ordered them to make de-
tour around some high wooded hills into
valley, where a branch runs into the river;
across tins, and up on very high and com
handing elevation, directly In the rear OF Fal-
mouth. Captain Petitt's battery was at once
placed in position at the brow Of this hill, with
looks brigade directly in the rear, complete
ly secured by the natural position of the hill.
At half-past three the first gun was sighted
and brought to bear upon the enemy, which
at once brought on rejoinder. The first
shot from the rebels burst directly over our
battery. The firing from our battery became
very rapid and precise, which had the effect
of driving the rebels from their guns, thus
completely silencing them. Once in a while
one more bold than the rest would attempt to
drag gun away, when a shot from our guns
would drive him away. What firing the enc
my did was first class-eyery shot being
line shot-yet too high to do the slightest
damage, and not man was injured on our
part. Owens battery also opened and fired a
few rounds.
Our cannonading was immense; the enc
my could not stand its precision. Every
shot fired went directly over the houses Of
this town, frightening the residents very
much, as it came so unexpectedly. They
had no idea Of a yankee" army ever COM
ing down here again. They presumed that
If we attempted to go to Richmond it would
be by the way of Gordonsville. This move
ment of Gen. Burnside has completely taken
them by surprise.