Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-02-06
THEBATTL e OF FREDERIcHSRURG,
THE LONDON "TIMEs'" SPRCuAL ar
PORT OF THE ACTION.
Especial Correspondence Of the Londcn Tues.]
HEADauARrERs OF GEN. LxE,
NEAR FarpERIcEsBURe,
December 12, 1862

position OF the ensmy is contemplated, CONT
IDENTIFY looked for The 1nomentous collision
between the Oorfsderats snd the Federal
armies this morning st day-break; but, rs
was anticipated by more experienced heads,
the day wore away without developing q
Federal onslaught upon the Southern lines
| The preceding night was employed husly in
throwing denss masscs of Northern troops
across the pontoons at fredericksburg and
Deep Pun, and ona or two other bridges
thrown across at othsr poina SO numeroua
wera these bridges alleged to be- that busy
s$rumor, hardly lses imaginative aud SsgSaativs
among the Oonfederstes than among their
opponents, estimated than vsri5usly at from
f1ftean to thirty. ] believe thnt in reality they
did not exceed three or four. Butas The
bfight,and warm aun broke cheerfnlly from
the Heavens aud dispelled the thick mist
which for many hours broodsd aver the plain
snd intercepted the view Of objects distant
| not naIo than three or four hundred yarda,
! it became more and more obvious, even to
the least experience,l owe. what q magnificent
position was occupied by ths Confederate
army, and how wisely and sagaciously the
ground had bean chosen by Gen. Lev.. II
must have. been moment Of Proud gratifics-
ton TO Gen. Lee, and tEoae Captains who
under him have gained ever increasing dis
tinction, when they realized beyond all qucs-
ton that the enemy was about to forcs sn
attack under circumstances 1rhich 1pould haze
insured defeat had the onslaught des,s made dp
| the brarest disciplined troops Of Europe, and
which reduced the rout of the dishesrtened
aud loosely coupled troops of Gen. Burnside
| TO sn sbsolute certainty. AS the observer
stood on the range If hiua which im2and
over fredericksburg on the South, and
glanced his eye down upon the town, and,
right and left, along the low swelling ridges
which extend from the river on bis left, and,
| forming the a,c Of seu,i-circle, strike the
rivsr again about tiS miles below on his
right, 10 might have challenged tho most
deeply road student Of military history 10
odnrs auy precedent in which battle has
eyor been delivered under circumstances mora
unisYorsbls to the s9sailing party, or u1on
ground from y Thich any great naster OF
| ths art Of war would more naturally have
rscoiled, had the initiative remained within
lis own option.
POSITION CT The EtIGL ABLY.
| Tba' Parpaknnaock, in ita course from wcat
To EAST, 10 skiIted, just at the point where
| fredericksburg stands or ito southern bank,
by low crssts Of hills, W hich on tho northern
bank run parallel and close to the river, and
on ths southern bank trend backward from
the stream, and lesvo semi-circular plain
six miles in length and two or three in depth,
enclosed within their circumference h5fora
| they sgsin spprosch tho river in the neigh
borhood of Msssaponsx creek. immediately
above the town, and ON the left of tho Con-
federsts position, the bluffs aro bold aud tsra
Of trees; but as the hills in their eastward
course rcceds from the river they become
lower and are denssly wooded, while low
spurs, covered with copsswood, run down at
right anglss to the range Of lall5 into this
plain, behind and between which spurs, the
| centre and right Of the Confederate army was
poeted, stretching for q distance OF sir miles
| from tile extreme LETT, and ending in tha i'm
mediate ncighborhcod of Masssponax creek,
which joins the Rappahaunock some five
miles below fredericksburg. II will be ap-
parent to the reader that the LETT Of the Con-
federate Army-a portion of it stationed not
more than four hundred yards from Freder-
icksburg-occupied much stronger position
than the centre and right. Thers was not
sufficient roem for the Federal troops destined
for the attack Of the nearest Confede-
rate batteries to deploy and form, except
under . deadly Confederate FIRE, whereas
the Federal troops who attacked the Con-
federats centre and right had q Large plain
on which to deploy, and had much feTEsr dis
advantages Of gfcund to contend with, mas
much as they advanced sgsinst lower hills and
had the long spurs OF copse to assist them as
points Of attack, calculated to protect and
serve as points d'dppai to the Federal troops
if thsy could once have succeeded in carrying
and holding them. But even in its weakest
points the Confederate line possessed grea
Sdvsntag=s of position; and il il no woniol
that every Soulherner, from the Commander
in-uhief down to the youngest drummer-boy
understood and appreciated the strength G
the eround, and contemplated the coming
shock of battle with serene confidence anG
composurc. In describing the ground upon
which the battle subsequently, took place,
should not omit to add that the railroad track
from fredericksburg to Richmond runs dis
gouaily through the semi-circular plain de-
acribed above, and croages the Confederate
{ line of battle three and . half miles from
Fredericksburg, at point cslled Hamilton
Crossing. This point was strongly held by {
part Of the Confederate right, aud it is mani
fest thrt against this point and along the rail
road track it would have been wise if thu
. weight of the Federal attack had been directed
It will be understood, i'll conclusion, that ths
heights on the northern or Stafford side OF tht
Rappahannock, which for miles touch AMI
impend over the stream, wore surnluuntsd bJ
long line Of heavy Federal riflsd cannon
Similarly, alcng the whole Contedsrats lint
of battle, nearly three hundred pieces OF ar
tillery wsra In position or in reserve. TheT.
is no recorded battle of hissory III which any
thing like So, many pieces of artillery tool
psrt (of course 10 this assertion do not in
clude seigesf, ard the reader will at once res
lie how inadequate language is to describ'
tho thunder of 20 vast number Of cannon
or the deadly pelting h.il Of such an sggre
! gate of the prolsctilss which modern ingenui
ty has succeeded in devising.
TILE GENERALS IN COMMAND AND DIVISIONS OF
THEIR TROOPS.
i 1t remains briefly to notice tue disposition
OF troops along thu CohieaeFsse limo L rnsy
be menticned summsriiy that the Confederate
n are divided into two large corps daT7nes, ant
1 that ON this occasion General Longstreet :
corns was on the left and General "Stone
! wail", jackson g on the right. Bat, rs th'
hottest work of the battle fell upon particular
divisions and brigsdos, It should bo furthe
stated, (although the position Of esch brigade
cannot, for want Of time, be givsn,) that tn,
Confederate divisions, starting from the lef
of ths limo and proceeding towards the righ
were posted as follows On the extreme lsf
tho division of General Anderson; nexe to i
the division of General Ransom; next to i
4 that of General McCswe; next to it that o
General Pickett, and next to it tho division
i General Hood. Proceeding now to Genera
Jsckson's corps, the ground between Genera
! Hoods right and the railroad at Hsmiltont
Crossing was mostly held by the large div
sion commanded by that excellent oideer
. General a. P. Hill Behind tho line Of Gen
o II;ll ths Ii;uia;nr nf GanarsI q "a Hi