Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-12-25
sisssry y.nturins on tn. half-oompletsd

finesfp vsntui"B v" s"'
TIE case was perfectly clear. Nothing
san Be done ill they are dislodsed from
their Iurkipg places There Il but one way
Of doing this efisctually the town.
At 10 d clock Gen. Burnside gives the or
der, Concentrate the FIRE of al your gnns
on the city, and batter it down." You
may believe they we're not 10th to obey
The artillery OF the right---eight batteries
was commanded by Col Hays Colonel
right centsr--slcvsn bstteries-l
Colonel Tyler left csnter--seven batteries;
Capt DsRussy, left-niDs batteries. ln aI
few moments these thirty,Hve batteries,
forming total ofons hundred and seventy
nine gDns, ranging from ten-pounder Par
fottS 70 four and half inch siege guns,
pes II along the eod56x side ~ fhs sro Of
the cifole, formed by the bend Of the rivsrl
and land Opposite fredericksburg, opened on
the doomed city. The effect was, Of course,
terrific, and, regarded merely as a phsnom.
enon, was among the most awfully grand
conceivable. Perhaps what will give you
the liveliest idea Of its effect is q succession,
absolutely without intermission, Of the very
loudest thunder peals. 1t lasted thus Tor
upward ofan hour, fifty rounds being fred
from each gun, and know not how many
tons Of iron were thrown into the town.
The congrcgated Generals we're trsnsfixed.
Mingled satisfaction and awe was upon every
face. But what was tantalizing was, that,
though a great deal could ue heard, nothing
could be seen, the city being still envsloped
in fog and mist Only' denser pillar Of
smoke, defining itself on the background Of
the fog, indicated whore the town had been
fred by our shells. Another and another
column showed itself, and we presently saw
that at least dozen houses must be on fire.
Toward noon the curtain roIlsd up, and
we saw that it was indeed 30. Fredericks-
burg was ID confaxrstion. Tremendous
though this firing had beon, and terrific as
| its effect obviously was on the town, il had
not accomplish led. the object intended. 1t
was found by eur gunners almost impossible
to obtain = sufficient depression OF their pei
ces to shell the front part of the city, and
the rebel sharpshootsrs were still compara.
| lively safe behind the thick stone walls Of
the houses.
During the thick Of the bombardment a
fresh attempt had been made to complete
the bridge. Il failed, and evidently nothing
could DO done tiIla party could be thrown
over to clean out the rebels and cover the
bridge head. For this mission Genera
Burnside called for voluptsers, and Colons
Hall, of Fort Sumter fame, Immediately re
sponded that he had brigade that woult
Do the business Accordingly, the Seventh
| Michigan and Nineteenth Massachusetts,
two small regiments, numbering in all abou
four hundred men, were selected for th,
purpose. 81 - u
The plsu mas that they should take tn
4 fn6Stb6ff h0StBuftiIs first bridge. Of which
d .|there were ton lying on the bank Of the riv
er. waiting to Be added to the half finishe,
bridge, cross over in them, and landing
drive out the rebels.
i NothiuRVoul be more admirable or NOR
ssllant thai the execution of this DARN
feat, Rushing down the steep banks Oft
river, the party found Temporary shelts
behind the pontoon boats lying scattered O
the bank, and behind the piles of plankin
destined for the covering of the bridge, be
find rocks, &c. In this situation they acte,
/ some fifteen or twenty minutes as SHARP
,. shooters, they and the rebels observing eac
: other. In the meantime new and vigorou
artillery firing was commenced on our par
and lust as soon as this was fairly developed
, the 7th Michigan rose from their crouchin
( places, rushed for the pontoon boats, an
! pushing them into the water, rapidly file
! them, with twenty. five or thirty each. h'a
= The first boat pushes off. Now, If eve
ia the rebels opportunity. Crack! CracI
!. Crack from fiity lurking places, go 'reb
! rifles At the Gallant fellows, who, stoopir
! law In the boat, sok to avoid the fire. I'll
/ lmurderous work was well done. Lustil
! bovever null the oarspaen, and present.
l. having passed the middle ofthe stream, Il
), boat and its gallant freight come under CO