North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-01-14
Communications,
Letter from the I3 end.
Camp NEAR FALMOUTH, Va;
Dec. 10 1862.

Your favor of the End
inst, was not received until the day before
Yesterday, for the reason that all mail com
with the army, has been sus-
pended, for fear, 1 suppose, that some OF the
strategy about to be exercised might by some
possibility be disclosed to the enemy.
The newspapers have kept you advised of
our advance upon Fredericksburg, and have
told YOU how we set down in front of an infe-
rior force, for taenty-three days, permitting
it to fortify and gather the strength of the
rebel army befre arrangements were COM
peted for attacking it, when if taken IN de-
tai, il night have been routed and annlhlat
ed. On Friday nights week ago to day,
our pontoniers threw across the Rappahan-
mock four pnntoon bridges, and by daylight
next morning. two entire army corps-COuch'S
and Hooker's-had passed over, taking pos
session of the city with little fighting and nc
considerable loss--the rebels retiring to their
earth works ON nelghboring hill. command
ing the town, and there silently and sullenly
awaiting iHe dttaCh oi our lTObpS'
The Rebel furtIficatIons consist of three
tiers Of earlhworks, with scarp aud rifle pitts
in front, having base OF about three miles,
and built IN the form Of a hnrse shoe. Tie
works we're mounted with heavy guns, and
in order to reacl them, our men were com
pellrd to pass over perfectly level plateau,
divided by canal, with scarce bush or
shrub behind which they could, for mo-
ment, shelter themselves from the iron storm
which was poured npon them. From the la
ture Of the ground and Tue peculiar shape Of
the encmy's works, every inch of the plain,
from the CITY 10 the base uf the hill, was ex-
p ,sed to heavy eniiladlng fire from either
dire ctIon. When 1t is considered that there
is no neishboring hill upon which correspond
Ing works could be erected, you will at once
perceive that the works, If taken at all, must
be taken 10y storm.
AT noon, Oil Saturday, it having been de-
termlned 10 undertake tu carry the works,
the storning party, consisting OF fifteen Brig
AIDES, composed, in all ofabout As 900 men,
was ordered to advance. French's DIVISION
of which our Brigade Max Wcber'>) forms
part, OF course, LED the van. They fought as
men never fought before but all vaIour, all
discipline was in vain-ther broken and
shattered columns were hurled back upon
:helr advancing Comrades, who III turn only
advance To meet the fate of those VINO had
preceded them. The fight lasted until alter
n gh; !a:l; and The scene viewed from tie
hills, Oh this SIDE the river, was terrible be-
feet >L,et oil molten flame, whilst liyld streak,
of light beichcd forth all along the hill meet
Ing and mllgIing with the glare below. The
b"ming OF the cannUn-the rattle Of the
musketry, the plungng of the grape and can
lister, and the whiZzng shreks o. the shells,
as they went bursting through the air, made
DIN more horrd than the MUD can CON
celye of. Whole columns were swept away.
but the ranks closed up, and pressed on, un-
I'll the first line of earihworks was almost
won hut human nature could withstand no
such wall Of fire, and shattered and bleeding,
our brave fellows were forced to abandon the
unequal contest, and the enemy were left
masters of the field
Fredericksburg was Of course untenable,
and on VI nday night our forces commenced
evacnatnS and by the following morning
not all armed Yankee was left in the place.
The usual flags Of truce were passed, and the
work of seeking and bringing the dead COM
menced. Brothers sought brothers, and
friends sought fraends-too often, alas in
vain. War had claimed its bloody tribute
and groups Of unreeognized slain were bur-
rIed as they lay.
make no pretensions whatever to militia
ry skIll.or know ledge Of the science of war /;
and, yet, had been the commander of the ar
my Of the Potomac and sent my men into
such a slaughter pen, could esteem myself
guilty of nn less crlme than wholesale mur-
der !; Tor, 10 even the least pract,ced unmihta
r. eye, the position is impregnabIe to the as
sauIts "f all the storming parties that could
be hurled against il. What soldier can have
confidence or heart to 6gAt under a General
VIII" thus use 'essly imperils his life, and has
useles>ly sacrificed the lives of thousands of
hls co4rades 2 The little faith with which
Burnside coul'l inspire the army is gone for
ever and only defeat and disaster awaits its
every step if he is Continued in cnmmand.-
The men say: Mcclellan would not have
sent us Into such place" and wait with
anxious expectation the welcome words,
"y"ur tried and trusted leader is again re-
stored to you" He is the only man in
whom the army universally, have faith and
confidence, and he is the only man, too, whose
lead 1t will ever follow to permanent and
decisive victory. Your newspaper Generals
and your political :" Jerrvmandprs" may CIV.
pher out campaigns, remove Generals and
force such movements as they please, but