Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-01-22

down. fronts without backs hacks without fronts-and
wild desolation. re a handsome iron railing, sur
mounted with silver nobs and forming the handway up
marble steps up from ruin OF bricks and mortar
| There wooden house, rddled ike target hung by
beam and rafter about TO fall On one side handsome
sign and lamp were half torn away by round shot, on
the other thousand articles OF household were
scattered over the street. e there By the enemy when
| thew made their coWsrdly retreat.
On the rivers bank our picket guard with q wooden
movable shed TO keep the wind of sat idly with Car
fridge boxes a. belt and musket balanced carefully
across the knee watching the equally idle Yankee pick
cts on the opposite side. Flags Of frequent
and pontoon boat on the other side furnishes the
means Of communication Many letters pass thus be-
tween the two armies aud the inhabitants of Stafford
are frequently permitted to take refuge within lines
The pickets are on perfectly good terms and to
have made tac agreement to be friends till next
time and lounge in the sunshine with inert air,
which tells plainly that there is danger Yankee off,
GERS are occasionally riding about with sluggish air Of
business, fhcers Of the day on guard, suppose.
The who town presented more les the appearance
above desc bed The fine house Of Douglas Gordon
torn and dmanted like the rest aud the church steepe
near had been struck mole than once In leaving the
place took another look the field which the gallant
Cobb strewed with the enemy's dead-the stOneWall
from behind which his brigade fought, aud the tree
where he fell This combat has not been sufficiently
tced Il Of the most obstinate Of the war, and
with Barksdales defense OF the town. will take its pace
forever Ia history Three times did the enemy with
unquesoned courage and nerve charge up towards the
Conedetes and thrice they repulsed with the most
terrible slaughter Some OF them got within twenty or
thirty yards of the breast work and fell there. IL
i a doubtful compliment to our own brave men to say
that the enemy DO fight hard They certainly did
persevere in the attempt TO drive CObbs brigade from
this position with the most daring cOurage-but it did
avail them. The field over which they advanced at
double quick crow ded with their dead IL j. lite
tb.k oI.a all. a
them up, and fought from behind this species of
breast-Work. When they retreated In despair from be-
fore the heroic who poured Into tbeirranks SUCK
awful ire the enemy completely dishearened and
there was no more fight IN them. They had played
their last card from the table conquered and gave
up the game.
The loo ty will he oas of tn chief historic features
OF this now historic spot No hand should be laid
upon that old sOnewa which sheltered many South
cru hearts from the deadly bullets OF the foe. There it
is Il the day Of battle with It's face darkeued
at Intervals by the smoke OF the Town fires kinded
lis base-with the Clipped by bullets and torn by
artillery There is the spreading tree, struck more than
once by cannon balls, which the brave Cobb was
standing when the shell which killed him, passed
through the house in 'front.' exploded and laid him low.
One other memorial Of that desperate contest should
never be disturbed. This is a wooden house near b.
whose gable end toward the is a marvel to the eve
II is positive sieve Of muSket ball holes-must con-
tain a ihouaud-and will remain the eloquent and I'M
answerabe monument Of the fury Of the Federal at
tack.
As l looked back on Fredericksburg from the summit
Of the hill, which the Telegraph road ascends-at the
church spire, torn with shot, at the dark gaps
made by ire-and at the enemys camps, and frowniug
guns the opposite shore-l felt agan what world
at stake there month ago. and with what terrible
obstinacy hatred and vehemence the opposing forces
inspired.
God July vouchsafed us a complete victory
them and they covering again their gunboas.
But one of the iarest of Yrgnias jewels robbed Of
less almost aud ouly the shadow Of its former self
When the bugle sounds the charge, again, II will
think the soldiers OF the South will not forget lts wrongs
"A nd its woes -