Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-05-14
Storming of Fredericksburg Heights.

The NeU York Herald has an account
of the ssorning of Frederick, burg Heights
on Sunday the Sd inss. Our only troops
left In front of that place were the fifth
corps and one division of the second
corps. After skir1nishing below the town
on Saturday afternoon, our troops got IN
der way about midnight and entered and
possessed Fredericksburg. A simultane-
Gus attack on the heights was made at
three points: by Gibbon On the right,
Howe on the left and Newton on the cen.
ter. The latter was the successful column.
Describing the latter, the Herald's account
says:
Directly west, out of the town of Fred
ericksburg, runs road that finally reaches
Charlottesville. Just in the outskirts OF
the town, at much less than a mile from
the main street, this road ascends hill
that, while it is sufficiently steep to ren.
der the ascent toilsome, is not so steep as
to render any less effective tie fire of ar
tillery and musketry. This is Marye's
hill (the name is pronounced Marcel and
at the summit of this hill is Marye's
house. Near the hill road leaves the
Charlottesville road, runs towards the
south across the front and right of tile hill
| at its base. The latter road has a sub.
| stantial stone wall on each side of it, and
these roads, with little assistance from
| the spade, had been converted into excel
lent breastworks. About the centre OF
the first wall was little house which
made the position the stronger, and this
was only the base of the bill. No artile-
| ry fire could touch those walls, for it was
sunken road, and, though the walls were
| four feet high in the road, in the fields
their tops were level with the surface
| Thus, as seen by our batteries, there Were
actually no walls there. Behind the
second line of pits rises the bill, and around
! its whole crest runs a well~constructed
| earthWOrk, in which there was one large
| howitzer. Both tanks of this hill were
completely swept by the fire of works OF
| the same character on either side.
THE APPROACHES.
To the left (our Left of this position was
al open ploughed field, on the further
| side of which were the stone walls. Tc
the right was an open green plain, anC
here there were no pits at the foot of the
hill; so the way was clear to the crest
| though every inch of it was under fire
Worst of all, perhaps, was the central ap,
| proach, which was the road. Though, al
it's exit from the town, this road is covered
by few houses, it is fairly under fire al
| the way, and at the ascent Of the hill it is
mere gulch, broken and stony, and ar
awful place for men to be packed in under
| plungiDg fire of grape and canister, ir
| addition to the musketry fire.
! WHO sToRMED THE HILL.
| The right column was formed of the
Sixty first Pennsylvania regiment, Colone
| Spear, and the Forty third New York
Colonel Baker. 1t was supported, as VIZ
have said. by two regiments in line, the
First Long Island, Colonel Nelson Gross,
and the Eighty-second Pennsylvania, Ma
jor Basset. These two regiments were 6
part of Shaler's brigade, and Shaler wen,
with them.
| The left column of attack was formed
| of the Seventh Massachusetts, Dol. Johns
and the Thirty sixth New York, Lieut.
Col. WEIGH. The column was supported
| by two regiments in line of battle and a
regiment of skirmishers in the open field
| to the left. These skirmishers were the
| Forty third New York. The regiments in
line were the Sixth Maine and the Fifth
| Wisconsin. These two columns and their
| supports numbered in all about 5000 men
They moved out of the town to the assault
81 about II A. NJ.
ORDER OF ATTACK.
General Newton's force moved on the
works in the following order: