The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-12-13
BY TELE CRAP H.
FROM FREDERICKSBURG.
the CITY IN FLAMES.
The Federal forces succeed In
Crossing the River.
THE CARNAGE FEARFUL.
Herald's Special
Headquarters, Opposite
EradArick hnru- Dec IL 2pM

| command Of zen. w ebber, proceeded TO
the river bank, where, with infantry sup
port, the attempt was made to throw
three bridges across the river. A dull
/ haze SO obscured the movement that for
time..it was not visible by the pickets.
The pontooners had succeeded in parti-
ally constructing the bridges, when the
rebels suddenly opened brisk and dead.
ly fire of musketry from along the bank
| of the river and windows of houses, CON-
polling them TO seek the cover of the sur
rounding hills
The men again formed at about six
O'Clock, and the attempt was renewed,
but the rebels had now been thoroughly
aroused, and with reiniorcements of
sharpshooters. swarmed to the opposite
b ~ and houses, nothing daunted by
tle hot bre which then poured in at the
reappeara nee OF orr troops. The pontoon-
ers went calamity to work. but in vain.
A storm Of bullets clve.oped them.
Planks and boats were riddled by every
| volley. Once more they were compelled
to withdraw, and fell back to the cover of
the bills running parallel with the river
1t was evident that the rebels had de-
termined to use the houses of the city for
defense, contrary to an implied agree
| ment in a correspondence which recently
passed by flag of truce. Orders were
given to our forces TO open FIRE upon the
city. Accordingly Benjamin's Edwards
Mullenbery's and other batteries Of the
9th corps, together with the batteries o.
the corps TO the right and left of the city,
commenced almost simultaneous bonn
bardment, the smoke being SO dense that
it was impossible to see but a short dis
lance beyond the edge of the river. The
houses, however, IN which the rebel
sharpshooters had secretcd themselves
were plainly visible, and to them the FIRE
was for time particularly directed.
The effect was their partial demolition,
and in short time after the frs, FIRE
they became untenable by rebel rifiemen,
who retreated to the rear of the town,
where they took shelter behind the,
as yet, unframed buildings.
By o'clock the bombardment became
general, and from then until one o'clock
the roar of artillery was incessant. The
battery Of the 9.h rsked shots, shrapnel,
and grape, though tho fog still continued
1, obscure In measure Tie suits of the
discharges.
The rebels with the greatest stubborn
ness still kept within the city and at
times parties of them could be seen go
ing from one point to another Oh double
quick. The carnage canno; but be fear
| full Lit was somewhat singular that the
rebel batteries did not return the fire of
our guns. Up to the present time they
have not opened.
About ten o'clock the engineers formed
for third attempt to construct bridges
liter previous Intellectual attempts ON the
part OF the engineers TO cross, a party of
~ men of the Sth Coma under Capt.
Marsh. volunteered 10 ASSIST in the new
endeavor to finish bridge and once more
the column with this reinforcement
| started under the direction of General
Woodbury.. They seized the planks and
carried out some dozen to the end of the
string of boats. placed part of them,
and were then compelled to return under
very CALLING fire from the rebel sharp.
shooters. who were ensconced securely
in pits below the range of artillery and
within fifteen or twenty feet of the rivers
edge. The engineers suffered severely.
The movement having thus been inter-
rupted the whole party we're ordered back
to their original position.
At IL o'clock it was discovered that
one of the houses was on FIRE. The
flames which commenced in a western
part of the city, soon spread and Freder-
icksburg is now enveloped in fire and
smoke.
An cnflsding FIRE has been opened on
the rebel rifle pits up the river. 1t has
been successful so far in driving the
sharpshooters from the vicinity OF the
X. K. depot.
The engineers are now constructing
bridges across the river, the rebels still
maintaining their ground opposite the
upper bridge. Cavalry are now passing
Summers headquarters to make charge
across the river At one of the fords.
Acquia Greek, Dec. II.
1uteiiiBeuce from the front lo-nlgnt
states that our forces have crossed the
river and are now in possession of Fred
ericksburg.
The FIRE from our battery on the right
succeeded in driving the rebels from
their rifle pits on the rivers edge, thus
permitting an easy and rapid construc-
ton of pontoon bridges.
Il
| New York, Dec. lie.
/ A special Washington dispatch to the
Philadelphia Press, dated yesterday. states
ihAt private dispatches were received last
night from Fredericksburg, which say
that the greatest part Of Franklin's d.
4 vision crossed safely, throwing out pickets