The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-01-03

% oo0ce3SsuL ~ S0oStUteo n thfUWfnS
aaross the Hhppahannock the 'entiro CEN
trss the pfedetalp srny, causing It 70 ira
vefse ne streets of fredericksburg, the
plateau Of obs.third Of . mile behind the
towa, already aeseribed,, and the stosssiag
ef the whole line of concestric batteries,
dsessds6Sy their own Gre, shsosghl which
no liviss thing could pass, aad' the FIRE Of
the ri6sssss, behind the ,stsns~all st tho
foet ef DE batteries. sa ol sab skH 4s5i
Perhaps in the whole history u human
carnage there was never exhibited, upon
90 magnificent scale, 90 memorable a
instance Of human bravery. s'. -
/ The Bsidss Of Lodi, and tbs charge of
thssix hundred, were like it. but Upon
scale Of utter ipsignifcance in the proper
tioa Of the combatants engaged '-haJ
Burnsids's centre, under Sumner, are
draws up upon the edge oc the water, are
about TO sep upon the bridges, 70 tr.verss
tho city, and 70 reach the fatal plateau,
beyond which they cannot 60 A few
minutes will suffice for tho operation. Let
US now SEQ what 1t this precise moment
FRANKLIN is doing
Two bours ago he commenced crossing
his forcess TIVE and half miles below
Fredericksburg. HIS right remains nearly
immovable at the crcssing-he moves his
left rapidly forward upon the arc of cir
Gle, SO as 10 oring his VIII ole force at right
angles with the enemy's right wing Burn
side, at his head quarters, hears Franklin's
guns far 10 the left, and knows that this
maneuvsr IS in rapid execution. He
Judges that it is time for Sumner to move
The fatal order is given, and the death
warrent Of fifteen hundred brave men Is
signed
In few minutes Summers hest have
crossed the stream-his column is moving
in order through the streets of Fredericks.
burg-a few shells-the only missiles that
can reach them from the enemy batteries,
fall wide Of the mark and do little dam
age-a few sharp shooters, concealed in
CELLARS and behiH ID houses, are quickly dis
posed of-they do not interfere with the
advance. Soon the fatal plateau is reach
ed, and still the batteries are comparative
ly silent. The marksmen behind the
stone wall are doing some mischief: it IS
true, but 1t is easy TO see that they can
be quickly disp osed of Summers brave
troops are formed upon the plateau
=. 4 L 4
the stone wall, and the batteries behind
aud above it, and with a shout they rush
forward 70 charge them both. Aad then,
and not hH then, bursts forth the fire from,
this long mile Of conccn,ric batteries In
. moment the plateau was clean mown
as the wheat tield IN harvest-down went
men, housekeeping that had ad-
vanced within the fatal range 1t was
clear that no living thing could reach
those batteries by the front. Slowly and
in order, bearing their seven thousand
wounded comrades with them, Summers
heroes retired below the range OF the hor.
rble batteries few steps of ret,ograde
movement placed them in comparative
safety. Franklin, speedily informed Of the
disaster to Sumners column, aud admon-
ished by the unexpected heavy forces in
bis own front, that his ability to execute
the maaeuver assigned to him was doubt
full, withdrew his columns towards the
river, and the combat was over
The antecedents and the immediate Re-
suits of this battle, the first generally
known, and the last already suggested to
the minds of most readers Of military his
tory, - are extraordinary and unpa.
ralleled, aud will ever mark this battle as
amosg the most remarkable in history.