The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-01-03
The Last Charge at Fredericksburg
In CAMP, NEAR FALMOUTH, VA,
December %.


December 25.
The true history of the battle of Fred
ericksburg has not been written As
official statements are compiled and as
causes and results are discussed over
blazing camp-fres these frosty nights,
the real facts, the great and heroic Incl
dents of the DAY, one by one, come to
light. There are still thousand glori-
Gus deeds of that memorable day un-
chronicled; and many brave soul, who
fell on that hard fought field, will go
down to posterity unremembered, un-
| honored, and unknown, save to the few
whose heartstrings were touched when
he fell.
No part of the battle has been so mis-
represented, and so completely distorted
as the part which occupied the half hour
before dark upon the right of the battle
field; that part where Gen. Hooker at
| tempted to execute the order to " take
the crest at all hazards;" that part where
| the gallant Humphrey twice led the for
lorn hope of the day, and where he was
twice repulsed with victory almost within
| his grasp 1t is not too late to do Justice
to an event which will live through CEN
| turies as monument to the bravery of
| Americans.
1t was well nigh four o'clock when
General Hooker returned from his per-
sonal visit to General Burnside, in which
he had forcibly expressed his opinion
| that the assault from the front was i'm
practicable; but had likewise promised
% to do the besthe could when he found
his commanding General determined
upon making one more trial.
Humphreys division of Butterfeld's
was resting on its arms in the streets of
Fredericksburg. General Butterfeld
sent an order to .nove it to the front;
simultaneously Hooker ordered Hazard
and Frank to take their batteries to the
crest which our infantry had made their
| fighting line all the day long; to open
rapidly and concentrate their fire upon
certain point IN the stone wall This
was a perilous undertaking, but it was
executed in most gallant manner.
Hazard was at once in position, though
| losing sixteen men and eighteen horses
before he fairly began Frank followed,
took up position further to the left on
the same line, and then both batteries
opened with shell and solid shot at
range of only 275 yards.
| While their cannonade was going on,
Humphreys, at the head of Allabach's
second brigade, had crossed the mill
race, and was forming his men behind
the crest ready for the charge, and Ty-
ler's first brigade was following closely
after, ready to support. The line was
formed, the column moved gallantly for
ward, and reached the line of battle,
passed fifty yards beyond, when deadly
fire from behind the stone wall caused
it to recoil, and finally to fall back, re-
forming under the crest from which it
started. Humphreys and staff, and
many other field officers, were dismount-
ed in this charge, their horses being kill
ed, while the brigade lost five hundred
men in fifteen minutes
Now there was but one more chance
Tylers brigade had come up, and, not
withstanding the turmoil and great CON
fusion, Gen. Humphreys had succeeded
in forming in gallant style. The only
hope now was with the bayonet The
men were ordered not to fre-to rely
solely upon their trusty steel Then,
with great exertion, the batteries and the
lines of troops on the crest were per-
suaded to cease firing while the charge
was being made; then General Hooker
ordered his men not to quail, not to look
back; to disregard the men in front who
were lying down, covered by every pro-
lection; to ride right over them.
The officers were ordered to the front !;
then the brigade, led in person by Gen.
Tyler and Gen. Humphreys, moved for
ward with glorious cheer. They
reached the rise in the ground, within
eighty yards of the stone wall, where line
after line of our men lay fiat upon the
ground; they began to move over the
living mass, when, suddenly the PROSTATE
mass cried ort, Don't 90 there; It's
certain death! and rising, began to inn
pede the progress of the column; and, by
protestations of every nature, implored
the men not to go forward. Then the
crisis came. The division was fighting
its maiden battle; older troops than they
quailed before the murderous volleys
now making great gaps through their
ranks. The head of the charging col
umn was enveloped in sheet of living
flame; the hideous shells were bursting
all around and in their midst.
Was it any wonder that they faltered ?
The men began to load and fire; the
momentum Of the charge was gone; the
column began to retire slowly, falling
back to its place of formation. "Ohl
men," said Humphreys, "if you had
onlp gone forward as well as you came
backr' And then, again dismounted,
his second horse having been killed, he
reported the result to Gen. Butter6eld,
who ordered him to withdraw his troops
to d point of shelter.