Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-05-13
storming of Fyeaer,ck.burg Heights.

=
The Neu York Herald has an account
of the ssorning of sricksburg Heights
on sunday the sdeinst. Our only Troops
left in front Of that place weres the fifth
oops and one division Of the second
corps. After skirmishing below the town
on Saturday afternoon, our troops got an
der way about midnight end entered and
possessed Fredericksburg. A slmultane-
Gus attack on the heights was made at
three points: by Gibbon on the right.
Howe on the left and Newton on the Gen.
ter The latter was the successful column.
Describing the latter, the Herald's account
says:
Directly " est, out of the town of Fred
ericksburg, runs q road that finally reaches
Charlottesville. Just in the outskirts of
the towr, at much less than mile from
the main street, this road ascends . hill
that, while it is sufficiently steep to rem
der the ascent toilsome, is not 80 steep as
to render any less effective the FIRE of ar
| tillery and musketry. This is Marye's
hill (the name is pronounced Maree,) 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 fir ont and right of the bill
at its base. The latter road has 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 hill. No artllle-
| ry fire could touch those walls, for it was
sunken road, and, though the walls were
four feet high ia the road, IN the fields
their tops were lie vel with the surface
Thus, as seen by our batteries, there were
actually no walls there. q Behind the
second line of pits rises the bill, and around
| it's whole crest runs q well-cOnstructed
earthwork, in which there was one large
howitzer Both TANKS of this hill were
completely swept by the fire Of works o.
the same character on either side.
THE APPROACHES.
TO the left four Lefty of this position wa,
al open ploughed field, on the further
side of which were the stone walls. Tt
the right was an open green plain, aul
here there were no pits at the foot of tht
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
proacb, which was the road. Though, a
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 il
a mere guch, broken and stony, and al
awful place Ior men to be packed in unde
a plunging fire of grape and canister, il
addition to the musketry fire.
WHO sToRMED THE HILL.
The right column was formed Of tn
Sixty first Pennsylvania regiment, Colone
Spear, and the Forty third New York
Colonel Baker. 1t was supported, as VI
have said, by two regiments in line, tn
First Long Island, Colonel Nelson Gross
and the Eighty second Pennsylvania, Ma
ior Basset. These two regiments were
part of Shaler's brigade, and Shaler wen
with them.
The left column of attack was formed
of the Seventh Massachusetts, Col. Johns
and the Thirty. sixth New York, Lieut.
COL W elch. The column was supported
by two regiments in line of battle and
regiment of skirmishers in the open fielt
to the left These skirmishers were th'
Forty third New York. The regiments il
line were the Sixth Maine and the Fiftf
! Wisconsin. These two columns and thei
They moved ont of the town to the assault
q, about II A. NJ.
| ORDER OF ATTACK.
General Newton's force moved on TIL
works in the following order: