The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-16

u "
fredericksburg, and held it until the re-
mainder of the column came up. It was a |
bold feat to enter thus a place like this, |
where every house might open suddenly
upon US like mine. But the result iusti- |
ned the apparent rashness of the venture.
On we went through the town in direc-
tlon nearly North, until we came to the |
rallroad track, and then we turned to our |
leit and went fair west again we went to |
our right in northwesterly direction. At
TINS time no one knew, perhaps, exactly |
Wnere we was. But here was Shaler's bri- |
gaze massed in the road in the same road
buffers battery, men all mounted, cais-
sons up, &C. We were on the march. Sha-
ler was ordered to the left to feel, and dis
covered that we were in dangerous prox-
lnllty 70 the enemy in position, and to what
eise II was impossible to make out in the
Ozark. Gen. Newtown, wisely cautious,
stopped the advance. We shall hear more
anon OF the furnace that we thus nearly
s SUI. on. Indeed, as your correspon-
fredericksburg, and this pit less than a
mile away, it is to be heard even over the
roar of artillery.
Day was just at peep when the presence
of the bad place in front was made out. and
we then had to look around us. We occu-
pea the town. Our skirmishers held the
ends OF the side streets, and the streets that
ran down to the river were enfiladed by the
enemys fire. While we sought for place
to get at the enemy, man was found by
some one who knew something. What was
1t that he knew? We could not make out
for some minutes what it was, he was in
such a hurry to tell it. Finally he succeed
ed in calling attention to dam. He as
sured US that this dam ought to be cut
Why? Military instinct at once jumped
to the conclusion that the enemy's position
had wet ditch. But no, the man declared
the enemy had a dam above, by which
they could flood the town. Now, as the
town is on a hill, this was difficult to see !;
but nevertheless the dam was cut. Later
another man gave news that this dam filled
a canal which covered the flank Of the enc
my'S position.
Though this had no eventual connection
with the result, we mention it as an incident
of the occasion which assists to render the
picture a faithful one.
just after daylight, and after the dam had
| been cut, we received the first fire from the
emmy. A fierce fusilade was begun from a
| rifle fairly in our front. Unfortunately, it
so happened that the Esd Pennsylvania
was i'll line of battle in the open field, within
range of the rifle pits on the hill. From
those pits fierce eruption Of musketry
suddenly broke forth, and took the 23d by
surprise, but they stood there bravely and
gloriously, not man moving foot. But
when the fire held up for momeut then
this magnificent 2Sd answered. t-nOt with
fire, but with one magnificent cheer.
This fire knocked down a number of men
and told us where the enemy were. 1mme-
diately Battery G, Second United States Ar
tillery, Lieutenant Butler, with McCarthy's
Horns and Hexamer's batteries unlimber-
ed and opened a fire on the position whence
the enemy's fire had come. This stopped
the musketry, as the enemy kept his men
covered, and commenced to shell the town,
In which our men were massed.
On our advance up the Bowling Green
Road we appeared to expose our retreat
Bnt we did not do so, in asmuch as the line
of retreat went with us; for as soon as we
were over the river the pOntOOn Bridges
were taken to pieces, and we went up the
river on one side they went up the river,
and when we reached Observation-Disclosures
was our line of retreat all handy if we
should needit.
Another use was also made of the bridg-
es; for in short time after the 9th Corps
had occupied the town, Gibbons division
of the I'd Corps crossed to participate in the
struggle, and that was also in the streets
in the lower part of the town. Brooks di-
vision of the 9th Corps had not come with
us. We hadhere Newton division, Howe's
division, the light division, and Gibbons
division of the I'd Corps, all massed in the
town, and fairly in front of the very posi-
to carry last winter.
Gen. Frank Wheaton's brigade was now
thrown forward to the left, and skirmished
toward the enemy's position in that direc-
ton. The enemy was found to be there
Still further to the left General Howe did
the same, and enemy was there. Could it
be possible thatthis line was thus occupied
through it's whole extent? That seem
ed Incredible; but occupied or not, we must
find point somewhere, and pierce the line.
After some examination a point far to
our right was picked out, and Brig. Gen.
G. X. Warren thought that that was the
place." It was determined that there were
neither artillery nor men at that point
Gen. Gibbon was sent there with his COM
mand. First battery was placed on a
hill, at point blank range, opposite work
of the enemy's, so that the guns should not
be brought there. Scarcely was the battery
the Sd Rhode Island, Capt. Hazard-in
position, before two guns opened upon it
from the work in front, to which Captain
somely.
Hazards battery was supported by the
I'd Rhode Island.
Meanwhile Gen. Gibbons infantry was
in motion toward the supposed pregnable
point of the enemy's lines. Far away, to
the right, across the green plain, and to-
ward the hillside, they moved in column,
ana at them also the enemy began 10 throw
shell. While this infantry was in motion
toward work that was crafty thought to
be undefended, your correspondent, from a
position on the left of Hazards battery,
could clearly see in these very pits, swarms
of sere and yellow wretches of the enemy's
army, as they peered over the intrench-
ments, and gazed with malign interest up
on our men upon the plain.
As Gibbons line thus advanced to the
right, bad place in the road caused the
Goth Massachusetts to become somewhat
massed, and the enemy suddenly opened
upon it a fire Of grape and canister, which
proved very destructive.
Gen. Gibbon, soon after Hazards battery
opened, got into action Capt Adams Rhode
Island battery, across the plain to the right,
and in the road that skirted the battlefield.
Capt. Adams practiced at the rebels, and
was practised at, and well, too, by the bat
terry ON the hill to his left, and by another
which suddenly opened on his right, near
err to him, while he endeavered to get the
range Of the first. Between this cross-tire
this battery was severely cut up, and the
position became too hot for it.
AS Gen. Gibbon went to the right the
enemy's men were sent in that direction TO