Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-05-08
SECOND BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
Heights Carried at the point
OF the Bayonct.
VERMONT BOYS ENGAGED.


First Third and sixth corps with one division oi the
Second Such tho general distribution NJ our forces
ON Tuesday night April % Two days later The Third
corps moved Join General llookQr's column. and On
Saturday, May 2, the Fr-t corps was also Withdrawn
nom the position IN front ilr the same purpose mus
the whole force left on the enemys font on saturday
noon the sixth corps and one division OF the Second
corps This force covered our communications, and b.
It's pononn bridges threatened the enemy With an al
vance and thus prevented the march NJ bis whole force
against General Hooker, for ia This little army we mag
nifed ourseucs''-we moved continually in all directions
a. az hours, and looked rs much like hundred thou
sand men as possibly could
Meantime the enemy position was thus Threatened
by General Hooker his he had changed his 'front.'
and moved the great bulk Of his army beyond question:
60 haiti faced General Hooker At Charlottesville
Aud This brought The Sixth corps upon his rear ut mat
rear was covered by the inucnchmcnts behind fredet
oksbufg and these ntcnchmeuts were the very works
before which the whole Army Of the Potomac had been
beaten 10 December last Very Justly, the enemy
minoc matters, afraid Of it, Now that these in
ucnchmenis covered Lees rear they n even great
value 20 him than when they covered his 'front.' and
consequently he occupied them with ten thousand Of his
best troops.
Having promised so much that the relative positions
of our own forces and those of the enemy might be
dcfsiood will proceed 20 describe the second battle
of Fredericksburg, aud the storm " Mayes rn which
has finally brought General Scdgwick upon the exposed
rear " the army that faces General Hooker. Commonc
nl, ,S ' Su mud I've NJ on Saturday. Mayz the
ght brigade thrown forward-the Thirty first New
YORK n the first line skirmishes, supported by the
sixth Maine the Fifth Wisconsin and the Sixty. first
pcnnsy vavis Volunteers, drawn up in line Of battle.
This advance directly from the river across the open,
level plain just over The point at which The bridges span
ned the stream, and this little field Of battle was bound
ed on the right by the avue that runs up from one Der
nards house, and the left by the other Beua I'd =
house Actoss The front Of the field ran tho Bowling
Green road aud the possession Of that road was the OBJ
jcct of the present advance
Bhskly received by the euemys pckets, our line still
went on and u twenty minutes had possession ~ the
road As the fire began south side all OF
troops who remained at this point the north side of
The rive. and began 90 take up posi-
hoo .I in ftfa
thatit ndni ght before the ia their places
or hada chance 20 eat their supper When once they
were az rest no arcs were perm tied and so but few sup
pcrs were eaten iur soldier docs not care for cold
bite at that hour.
oHnBR or ADVANCE.
il was at halfpast twelve o'clock in the morning on
Sunday May that We eft the green plain or The river
bank and marched TO and up the Bowling Green road 49,
Shalcr's brigade had the advance behind u bat
terry g. Second United States artillery, Lieut. Butler
then Wheatons brigade and the Second brigade Of New
ton IS division, commanded by Colonel Brown
Lieut. Col Joseph Hambliu, with the First United
states Chas'eurs, skirmished 10 advance Of the whole
line Dor the greater pan of the distance arch
unmocsted but as the advance WAS on the descent %
little hdl just south % The fire OF picktts was
opened upon them from opposite hin to the lef BY
IBIS dre several men were knocked down. and Major
eay Of the ChAsseufs. was wounded we fear mortal
But the Chasseurs went ON steadily and about three
O'Clock entered the town OF Frcder ksburg and held i
until the remainder VI the column up. IL was
bold feat to enter thus place like this, where every
house might suddenly open upon US like a ulne. But
the result justified the apparent ashuess VI the venture
On we went through the town in direction nearly
gorth until we came to the railroad track, and then ",
turned 20 our eit aud went far west again we went q
our right in northwcstery direction Al this time ut
one knew, perhaps, exactly where But here
was ohalef brigade massed 10 the road IN The SAINT
road Buffers battery all mounted caissous up
We The march Shaer ordered 20 the icf
to feel, and discovered that 10 dangerous pro
nifty 20 the enemy in position, and 90 what eise ina
possible make in the dark. Gen Newton. wisely
cautious, stopped this advance.
H. lone uHar. h..IN rfan
made out, and then We had 20 look about W Q uc
cupicd the town Our skirmisher held the ends Of The
side streets and the streets that down to the river
were enhladed by the enemy ire Just after day lgh
the enemy opened hre fierce fsilade was begun from
rife pit fairly in our front From those pits herc'
fire suddenly broke forth aud took the 23 Pennsy wanna
which ia line u battle the open field within the
range, by surprise but every stood bravely and
Iloroasly But when the FIRE held up moment, then
this magnificent 23t answered it, not with ire but with
cheers This fire knocked down number Of men and
showed the encmy's position Immediately four Of our
batteries opened upon them. This stopped their mus
kcy as the enemy kept his men covered and commenced
% shell the town. ia which our were massed On
our advance mp the bowling Green road appeared Il
expose our Hhe o rcfcat But We od not 90 So lo
a. soon the river the pontoou htidge
we're taken 10 pieces and while went up the river
one SIDE they went up the H'er and when We reached
trcdcricksburg there was our line Of retreat all handy
needed Another use was also made Of the bridges iu
short time after she 9th corps had occupied the town
Gibbons division OF the % corps crossed TO participate
: iu the struggle, aud that also BOO the street
Fla the lower mart Of the town Brloks' division q
the bth corps had not with We had here New
toms, HoWe's the Light, and Gibbons divisions OF the
% corps, all massed the front " the position
which sumner yanly tried TO carry last winter.
y Gen. Whcatou's brigade was now thrown forward q
the lc and skrmishcd towards the enemys position IL
thai direction, The enemy was found there. still far
toer 20 the lclt Gen Howe did the same, aud the
was there. Was this line thus occupied throughout W
, whole extenti That seemed incredible but oscupie,
or not, find point somewhere aud pierce th,
line. point far To the right determined upou bu
scarcely had Gibbons command goin position and open
Ell fire when they we're answered vigorously from The
+, front and an artillery duel ensued.
Meanwhile Gen. Giu9on's infantry was in motion To
wards the supposed pregnAble point Of the enemy line
Far away TO the right across the plain and toward
me Mlslde tey moved m column, ana at them also IN
enemy began TO throw she'll While this infantry was il
, motion toward work that crafty thought be un
defended, correspondent, from position On the ef
uf Hazards battery, could clearly in these very pu
n swarmt Of the aud yellow Nreches Of the enemy
army as they peered over the intrnchmeus and gaze,
, with malgp interest upon our men the plain.
As Gibbons line thus advanced 10 the right bad pac,
in the road caused 0h Massachusetts 10 become some
what masaed and Tie enemy suddenly opened upon it
IRE OF grape and canister which proved very destructive
Gen. Gbbon, soon after Hazards battery opened 20
into action Capt Adams Rhode Island battery, across
the plain 10 the right, and In the road that skred thu
battle field Capt Adams practised at the rebels an,
was also pracsed at and we'll too, by the battery thu
Hill his left and by another which suddenly opened or
hs night nearer to him, while he endeayored get th
range Of the first Between this hre this batter,
wasseye rely cut up, and the position became hot To-
! As Gen. Gib5on went to the right the enemy's mer
= we're sent in that direction him. As they ha,
the shorter lines, the same could be employed a
N whatever point Ne might tire lten Thus huusan,
men should have been equal TO at least fifty thousand
aud we did not have than fifteen thousand on th
held
. On the front, where Gen. Gbbon commanded the lOd
Massachusetts skirmshed toward the enemys pit an,
the fire demonstrated that there there vel
as cannon
e Away the lcn Howe did Just what Gibbon did OF
y the right aud Newton did the in the centre vet
with all, though killed and wounded plentiful
ly there was nothing done Every battle has thes,
periods Of indefinite endeayor from which some one fac
eventually shapes itself out, and becomes the fact Of III,
the atulery-Huwc felt for chance the left aud Glib
G., bon found every point equally difficult the right
e plan OF assault determined upon be made by tn,
81 and Sh divisions under Gen Newton against the enc
= nys centre. Attempts 10 storm be made stimuli
e ianeousl by Gbbon ON the right, Howe the left ant
Newton on the centre and made but inasmuol
n as Newtons the successful atemptas he was th
first 10 penetrate the line, aud when the ine was onc
r penetrated al one point longer tenable anywhere
l. -Newuns assault appears deserve the especial honor
N he assault was made ou the centre against Maryei
iihl Directly west out Of the Of Frederick burq
D, runs road that finally reaches Charlottesville. jus
e ia the outskirts Of the town, at much less than mill
Al from the main street, this road aseends hill that Will
Is 1t Is sufficiently steep to render the ascent tOsome
Is not steep 10 render any less effective the fire
y ulery and muskcTy. Thsis MAryos Hill 1.-The name
pronounced Marcel, and at the summit Of this hill
e Maryes House Near the hill road leaves the Chan
De- eeorsye road runs towards the south the from
aud right Of the hill at It's base The latter road ha
10 substantial wall each side OF H. and thps
T. roads, with little assistance from the spade had b,rr
IN converted into excellent breaswofks About the oentr
OF the first wall little house which made the posi
ID ton the stronger and this only the base Of the hi
n