Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-13


The crossing Of river, though in Itself n
operation belonging rather TO tactics than &
strategy, may yet be a cardinal poius in
whsle system Of strategic movements. On
hops was that We should surprise the ensmy a
Banks ford. HookeT's and Franklins gran,
divisions would then be thrown across the river
while st the same time one Of Summers corps
(the 2d) Would make a feint with pOntoO Ons
etc, some miles below Fredericksburg. The
key Of the whole situation is the bills in th,
rear Of Tsylor's bouse, q mile back from the
ford, and q mile and half below il. If we
should succeed in making the nights snd taking
possession If this position the gams would be
entirely in sar own hands. Ths strong rebel
position in the rear of Fre5snckskurg would
thus be turned, and Just as sOen as this Was
effected Gen. Sumner WAS 20 cross at the old
place, directly opposite Fredericksburg, and
attack the WsTks in frOnt- The reserve grand
division of Gan. Sigel vas assisting in gusrd-
ing the Ire Of the river and our lines of com
mUnicstion.
On Tuesday every. preparation had been
msde. That day Gen. Burnside issued a gen
eral order, announcing thst the army of the
Potomac was about to meet the enemy once
more" and that tbs suspicious moment had
arrived to strike great and mortal blow to the
great rebslli0n, and 70 gain that decisive Ticto-
~ which is dus to the csuatry" This order
was read 70 the men that evening, and night
found the infantry encsmped in the woods with
IN easy speaking distance. The positions for
The batteries mad all been selected The bstte-
Ties were At hand The pontoons were within
reach, : short distance hack Of ths river
We were sitting, tss eaitor-in-chief Of the
Times and the pTesens wEitsr, IN our tent a.
headquarters that evening, looking forward to a
start on horseback for the scene Of operations
before daylight the following morning About
9 o'clock light omin5us pstgsring was heard
On the canvass roof '' It is rain was the ex-
clRmation, and looking cut from the tent, the
heavens showed al The signs Of a terrible
storm. From that moment we felt that the win
ter campaign had ,ndea.
It was q wild Walpurgus night, such ss
Goethe paints in the Faust while the demons
he'd re7sl in the forest Of the BYoeken. An
hopes that il would be " mere shower were
presently blasted. It was evident we were in
for regular northeaster, and among the rough
est Of thst rough type. Yet was there hard
work dons that fearful night. OBe hundred
sad hsty pieess Of artillery were to be planted in
The pOsitien selected for them By 6sn Hunt,
chisi Of aFtilery--s mas Of are ssergy and Of
b gh order Of professional skill. The pontoons,
also, were drawn nearer towards the river, hus
Il was dreadful work the roads, under TIE in
ausnes OF the rain vera becoming shocking;
and By daylight, when the bosts should al have
Dcen sH the banks, fesdy 70 slide d0wn into the
water but 6ftHen bad been gotten up-not
,nough fer ons bridge and Eve were wanted
The night op7Taions hsd not escaped the at
.snsion Ct the rebels. Early in She morniRg
signal gun was fred opposite the ford, remind
ng ons Of that othe, sigma gun fred By them
on the morning Of Thursday, the 11th Of De
,smber, when We began laying the pontoon
opposite fredericksburg. and which wss ths
oxen for the concentration of the whole force
IT that point. L wss indispensable that We
should secure al The advantages Of 8 surprise;
Ind though our intention was thul blown TO
heir earH early on Wednesday morning, ws
Fsrs, nevertheless, forty-aight hours ahead Of
hem, and with favorable conditions should
ave been able 70 csTY orr position before they
.ould possibly concentrate.
Accordingly desperate effort was made bv
he commanding general to get ready the
bridges. IL was obvious, however that, even
com mBlsted it would be impossible for US, il
be then condition Of tia ground, to get single
1ises Of artillery up the opposite declivity. Il
would Be necessary 70 rely wholly upon the in
wholly on the bsyonet Hap
PLY, if the rebels should prsTe to be in strong
'orce, the country is too thickly wooded 20 admit
=
superior weight Of metal would carry the day
Early in the forenoon l rode up to the head
qusrtsrs Of Generals Hooker aud Franklin,
lbsui two miles from Banks ford. The nights
rain had made deploTsble havoc with the roads
The natsrs Of the upper geologic deposits Of
this region affords unequaled elements for bad
roads Ths sand makes the soil pliahle the
clay makes i sticky, and the two together form
= road out Of which. when It rains, the bottom
drops but which is st the sans time so ttna.
cio0s, that extricstion from its clutch is al bat
impossible.
The utmost effort was put forth to get pom
toons enough into position 70 construct bridge
OF two Double and triple teams sf herses and
mules were harnessed to each pentoon boat 1t
was in vain. Long, powerful ropes were then
attached te the teams, and one hundred and
fifty men were put 10 the task on each boat The
effort was but little more successful. They
would founder through the mife for few feet
the gang Of Lilliputians with their huge ribbed
Gulivsr-and then give up bresthless. Night
arrived, but the poHtosns could not be got up.
Ire rebels had discovered what was up, and tho
piekeis on the opposite bank called over to ours
hat they would come over tomorrow and help
as build the bridge"
That night the troops again bivouscked in the
same position in the woods they bad held tho
.
been desperate experience, and yet not BY any
means as bad as might be supposed. The men
were in the woods, which afforded them some
shelter from the wind and rain, and gave a com
paratively dry bottom 70 sleep On. Many had
brought fhsir shelter tents, and Masking foor-
ing Of spruce, hemlock or cedar bonghss aad
lighting huge camp fires, they enjoyed them
selves Is well e the circumstances would per
nit. On ths following morning whisky ration,
provided BY the judicious foTethought Of Gen.
Burnside, was on hand for them
Thursday morning saw the light struggling
through an opaque envelope Of mist, and dawued
upon another day Of storm and rain. It was 8
curious sight presented by the army as we rode
over the gronBd, miles IN extent, occupied by it,.
One might fancy some new geologic estaelysm
had overtaken TIE world and that he saw
around him the elemental wrecks left by another
deluge
An indescribsbie chaos Of poutoons. wagons