The Portland daily press., 1862-12-23
Tuesday Morning, December %, 1862.

0GSu0y -AVSMhMSs AcCSmOcT lSOxs
THE CLOSE OF SATURDAYS BATTLE
What the Generals said and did.-The cor
respondent of the New York Tribune, who
was with Gen. Sumner during the afternoon,
and up to the close of the terrible engagement
at Fredericksburg, and who had ample oppor-
tuni.y OF hearing and seeing what was going
on, thus describes what he saw, and what he
heard from the constantly arriving aids and
couriers to "the old war-dog,' who looked as
ifhe was in the leash striving to get loose at
the throat of the enemy:
The old man looked anxious and fearful.
Things were not going well with his command.
For three hours his men had been fighting at
fearful odds. They were much exhausted,
Their loss was excessive, and nothing had been
accomplished. Indeed, to the test of the ear,
at the point where we were located, it seemed
as though they were being badly pressed. The
batteries had been brought down and planted
at the head Of the streets. The troops were
hugging the city closely to escape the fearful
fire. where Is Franklin ?" was the eager in
quiry. Everything depends on Frankln's
coming up on the flank"
Frankn's position was plainly observable
by the line of smoke and fire a couple of miles
u 0uE itit OeioW. he was making no nearer.
At O'Clock an aid arrives from Gen. Couch
TO say that his tCoucii's) troops were advanc-
ing finely; but that Wilcox was not keeping
up. "Tell Gen. Wilcox" replies Gen. Sumner,
"tell him he must make the Ninth Army Corps
keep pace with the Second, if he can"
AT 8 l-2 O'Clock, Sturgis, who has been
clinging to the valley amid showers of fire,is so
hotly pressed that '.he hardly thinks he can
hold his own till Griffin comes up.'
At p'ctoek Eraurh raporfe that his ri 0hf ie
held by a brigade tMason) which is without
ammunition!
Sumner sends message begging Burnside
that Franklin be directed to advance. But
Franklin cannot advance. He has enough to
do at this moment to hold his own, for Jack
son has Just thrown In reinforcements, and is
pushing hard to turn his left.
Meantime the reserves have not been touch
ed. Hooker's Central Grand-Division, fifty.
thousand fresh men-have not yet been en-
gagged; indeed, are yet mainly on this side Of
the river.
@Tell Gen. Burnside that he had better, by
all means, throw some of Hooker's in"
Burnside replied that he has directly or
dered Hooker to 60 in, and that every man on
this side of the river shall cross.
Promptly the column is pushed down to the
pontoon, Humphreys Division of Butter
fields corps leading. The wary rebels, sharp
ly on the alert for the movement of troops,
and having battery or two admirably raised
on the bridge, pour in the shells, and some
what delay operations. Happily, though they
fall all around the bridge, and kill some men
on the banks, they do the structure no harm.
Incase they do,however, a corps of pontooniers
stand ready to repair any damage.
At 4 o'clock Gen. Hooker, who had not yet
been across the river, proceeded over, remark
ing to a friend that he was @going to put this
thing through"
In half an hour prodigious volleys of mus
kerry announce chat Hooker, with the re-
serves, is engaged. This last assaulting col
umn consisted of the divisions of Humphrey,
Monk, Howard, Getty and Sykes. They had,
however, hardly got fairly engaged before the
sun went down, and night closed around the
clamorons wrath of the combatants.
At this time Gen. Burnside, who had re-
mained all day at the Phillips House, came
down to the Lacy House; and, in the garden
facing the city, followed the progress of the
fight. Externally calm, the leading player in
this tremendous game was agitated by sech in
tensity of feeling as one can conceive, and he
paced the garden gloomy as night.
"The crest" he exclaimed passionately,
"must be carried tonight"
The brevity of time into which the stipend
Gus issue of the day had to be crowded SEEM
ed TO add redoubled energy to the fury of the
combatants.
MOI might or blucnef, as Wellington eX-
claimed at Waterloo, but rather Ajax's prayer
for @more light" was the prompting of every
heart
Creeping up on the flank by the left, Getty's
troops succeeded in gaining the stone wall
which we had been unable all day 10 wrench
from the rebels. The other forces rushed for
the crest. Our field batteries, which, owing
TO the restricted space, had been of but little
use all day, were brought vigorously into play.
Itwas the fierce passionate climax the battle.
From both sides two miles of batteries belched
forth treir fiery missiles athwart the daIk
background of the night. Volleys of musket-
ry were poured forth such as we have no par
allel Of in all our experience of the war, andf
which seemed as though all the demons o
earth and air were contending together. Rush
ing up the crest our troops had got within
stones throw of the batteries, when the hilltop
swarmed forth in new reinforcements of rebel
infantry, who, rushing upon our mem drove
them back. The turn of a die decides such
situations. The day was lost! Our men re-
tired Immediately cannon and musketry
ceased their roar, and in moment the 81
tence OF death succeeded the stormy fury of
ten houss battle.
As Gen. Burnside, turning, walked off
through the garden, and mounting his horse
galoped Daek to the headquarters, what
Thoughts ana feelings passed through his