The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-01-03
IN. BATH. Of FREDERICKSBURG :

| IuO DASAO OI Efe0eI1eASU0SBs
! 1.-THE following was prepafed fdr the i
side Of our last weeks issue, but was q
eluded BY. q pressure Of other matter ] !,
| Never, perhaps, did man sit down TO
more ungrateful tssk than thxt Of aesorit
! ing this awful battle. The reason will b,
found in the description. We might hav,
Transferred 70 cur columns some able de
acriptions, psnued on the spot BY CORES.
Pondents of Eastern papers. but then
length, and some interminglisg of csanr
msnts, renders it preferable that W
should lay before our readers . brief de-
scription Of our own. -
Fredericksburg is . city Of seme Z ,00C
Inhabitants, situated on tho south bank d
the Rsppshannock river. (which At that
point flows south east,) midway between
Washington and Richmond. Burnsids's
army occupied the north side, the rebsl
army tho south side Of the stream. Each
had occupied these positions, observing
the other, for several weeks. Each was
acquainted with the amount and disposi.
tion Of the forces of his enemy, except his
reserves. Their Notifications, upon either
side Of the river. were in plai. view Of
each other, and, on General Burnside 8
part, he had further reconnoitered those
Of his enemy by means of balloons. The
river is about 900 feet wide. and fifteen
feet deep. The crossing was by means Of
pontoon bridges, with which, for some
unexplained reason, Gen. Burnside was
not furnished until a few days before the
LATHE. The ground On the north bank,
occupied by the federal army, is q sloping,
wooded bank, and their batteries, planted
there, command the town on the opposite
side, and are sufficiently elevated TO fire
over the heads Of the troops in crossing.
and ye. subject to the disadvantage Of
striking the town . little above the edge
Of the water, leaving q narrow margin of
houses close by the stream that afforded
. shelter to the enemy's sharpshooters,
who had to be dislodged by an infantry
charge in order to effect the crossing.
The town of Fredericksburg is built
upon gentle slope. rising from the river
for about half a mile. After traversing
the town, you come to a naked plain, or
plateau, one-third Of mile in extent, and
then you reach the foot of a wooded bill
or ridge, parallel to the river, except that
towards the west and east, it rather bends
towards the river, SO that i: is like cre.-
eat, or bow, with the coacave side towards
the river. This ridge, for the length Of .
mile or more, was fortified by two tiers or
ranges Of batteries and entrenchments-
completely sweeping the plain below.
The FIRE Of these batteries would pass
mostly above the town and the river, which,
however, could be reached by mortar firing
from the batteries, if It were desirable.
But it may already begin to bs seen that
Mst was not desirable. The enemy's engi-
ueers who constructed these batteries,
availed themselves Of the structure of the
ground to arrangs them i, such mnnnev
that they shorld sweep the plain below
with concentric FIRE. The suemy's forces
we're drawn up in the rear, aud on the
right and left TANKS Of these batteries.
Upon the enemys right flank were
some batteries, whose Gre was at right
angles with those already described They
formed Q considerable defence to that
flank, but might, with an adequate force,
probably be carried We have seen no
particular description Of the dsfenees on
the enemy's left flank II will readily be
perceived from this description, that the
enemy were totally unassailable on their
front, towards the town and the river.
The Rappahanneck, however. is passable
beth above and below Fredericksburg, SO
that the nature of the position presented
NO insuperabls obstacles to reaching the
enemy's hanks asd rear, and forcing him
from hi. position in that method.
The forces at the disposal Of the enemy,
at the time Of the battle. were probably
something upwards Of one hundred theu-
sand, Burnside's nearly double that mum
Der. The number of ccmbatan,s actually
engaged in the battle, was probably from
forty to fifty thousand on each side
Burnside's left wing, commanded by
Franklin, 10000 or $4,000 stroRs were
posted some two and half miles below
Fredericksburg opposite the enemy S right
wing, and too low down the stream to be
reached by the enfladiag FIRE Of the cres.
ent batteries before referred to; but the
right Of Franklin's forces. upon advancing.
would soon be exposed to the fire OF the
right angle batteries just described. From
this description it is seen that it was the
eusmys interest to dispute franklin 5
crossing, as much A. might be, without
discouraging the crossing of tho centre.
under Sumner. At Fredericksburg, it being
evidently the policy Of the enemy to lure
sumner across, aud allow him with only .
show of resistance, to mass his forcs .
upon the plateau behind Fredericksburg,
where they could be annihilsted with per
feet ease by the moving FIRE Of the con-
centric batteries.
Another circumstance, not neglected by
the enemy, secured these batteries, be-
sides their own insuproitable fire, from
being stormed by tho assailants.
Along the foot of the ridge on which
the batteries were, runs low stone wall
and behind this, and in front Of the bate
ries, but below their FIRE. were posted q
strong body of rifemen. to whose FIRE also
the assailants would be exposed.
The right wing Of Burnsides army, iti
position and duty, as also his reserve VA
der Sigel, do not seem tohave been as yet
| described Ho