Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1862-12-20

woundiug eight men. Our batterirs opened
from hill TO hill--the 'livs thunder" leaped
forth, and ''every mountain found q
tongue" AZ in Byron's Thunderstorm on the
Alps. II may not DO improper TO mention
that l did not croes Into the city Just at that
time, bat slightly changed my baseof operations
| was impressed that the cannon shots then
heard we're the Opening Of the ball,P aud
that the rebels would try the experiment Of
bombarding the town while it swarmed with
our troops, This, however. was a mistake, as
the firing soon subsidized, and night anne on,
the day having been spent in the passage Of
the river by our troops, and, doubtless, the
massing Of the enemy TO meet them.
At night | crossed into the town to make a
call upon General Burns, who commands q
division Of fifteen regiments In the Army OF
the Potomac. The narrow and seemingly
frail boat bridges were crowded with wagons
going over with subsistence for the troops.
We found General Burns, as he is said to be
usually found in such cases, well toward the
front His pickets were placed about two
hundred and fifty yards beyond his headguart-
ers. He occupied the large and recently snowy
residence of the Mayor Of Fredericksburg. 1t
had been riddled during our bombardment Of
the place, and the enemy had put q shell into
| " mt hhtCA upOhs LNOiJ hOOh Wbo HSt
by shot and had been shattered by shells. The
| plastering, pulverized by the shock Of the ex-
plosions, was thick upon the floors, whichin turn
were ripped as il pillow shares had been driven
through them, The mantel pieces we're knock
ed from the walls. The partitions we're mere
rags of lath. In the midst Of the ruins the
General and his aids enjoyed their coffee, NUT
ton-chops, hard bread, and thei- pipes, and
wrote letters to their wives, giving them the
pleasing intelligence that they we're TO march
upon the enemy in the morning. The house
occupied by General Burns was a fair sample
Of the rest Many of them we're pierced by
twenty shells each, and some of those lear
the river, in which the sharpshoolers hid
themselves, were literally knocked in pieces.
The furniture and movable property Of what
ever kind which the bombs had spared, the
soldiers speedily possessed" Some of them
took intense satisfaction in Juggling mattress
es before their bivouac fires to sleep upon,
and showed their taste for handsomely bound
books, and articles of ladies wearing apparel.
The streets we're full OF soldiers lounging and
smoking about their fires, or wrapped in their
blankets and sleeping, their muskets stacked,
in numbers that indicated the immense mass
of troops that occupied the place. The sky
was clear, and thickly as the stars sparkled
overhead the camp fres blazed along the Rap.
pahannock, lighting up the front of the shat.
tered city, and cleaning far and wide to the
north. Behind the dark and gloomy hills
comprising the town on the enemy's side,
there was a wide glare of many fires, like an
aurora borealis, marking the presence of the
rebel Army of Virginia Returning to the
north side of the river, the roads were choked
with batteries of field artillery, and ammuni-
ton and supply trains, rumbling and creak.
ing forward.
Saturday morning was foggy. We had I'M
derstood that the attack was to be made al
daylight and to consist of q movement by
Franklin's grand division on our left. Frank.
lin had thrown three bridges across the river,
and passed it in force, three or four miles be,
low (past Of fredericksburg. He was to turn
the enemy's right The attack in the center,
as it was called, or from Fredericksburg, was
to consist first, of an advance upon the tanks
to feel the enemy, and If they we're found
strong there for a dash to be made, in heavy
force, from the eastern portion Of the town
or the left of our center, General Burns di.
vision was deployed further to the let, to sup
port Franklin's right. The main column Of
attack on the center, was formed OF Couch't
corps.
ihlhANAAhNHly nv AANNGliGhobuAk lUO ANhDDh
hammock Valley proper is narrow. Thu
ground rises on either side in terraces, or al
We would say out West, in successive "bot
toms" There are three terraces or steps be
fore the crest is reached, these on the south
ern side being from a quarter to a half q mile
wide. The first is that upon which the towr
is situated, and has a steep slope to the river
The second formed the principal battle ground
The third swells into the crest, so diligently
and efficiently fortified by the enemy. The
conformation of the ground on the north sid,
Of the river, is very like that on the south
but the steps are narrower. There are a mum
Der Of little crooked valleys on this side con
%venient for hiding troops from shells an
many %ravines 80 deep and rugged, that the,
resemble assures caused by an earthquake.
Below fredericksburg about three miles
the hills press close to the river, from tn
north, and on the south there is a wide oper
plain wholly without the incumbrance o
) fences, grain, woods or bushes. This plaii
! is fringed at the distance Of a mile and a hal
! or two miles from the river, by a continuou
wood, which commences with the rise Of th
r ground and thickens toward the crest of tn
d ridge, In this wood, Saturday morning las
was StoneWall jackson, In the plain wa
k General Franklin, who had crossed the rive
n at the point where il is approached by hill
on the north side, on the most advanced on
Of which was planted a battery of siege CUR
e to protect the bridges, and il need be, shelf,
q retreat
o The Rappahannock below Fredericksbur
makes a turn to the right; so that, when a
vancing upon the enemy directly from Il
q river, Franklip's lines were nearly at risl
angles with those of Sumner, pushing out
a the city, the two pressing the enemy in Il
angle. Three or four hills on the north sC
Of the RappahannOck, and below Frederick