Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-03
Letter from Col. H. J. Madill, 14lst P. Y.
CAMP BEFORE FREDER1cKsBURG, Dec. "a, 1862.

While in this position we had fine view of
the battle that was raging below US. 1t com
nenced on the right in the morning at seven
o'clock, and at this time our forces were all
engaged under General Sumner at FrederickS-
burg We could see whole lines march up to
| the works of the enemy, with firm and un-
| broken froLt, to be scattered and driven back
! by the mur1erous fire of the enemy.
Thus line after line of our brave troops were
hurled against the mpregnable breast,works
of the enemy, and were as often compelled to
| fall back, bitterly decimated.
| At this time the battle was opened on the
! left by Gen Reynolds, Of Franklin'S Grand
| Division, and as usual the Reserves were push
ed to the front. Right nobly did they bear
! themselves as they marched across the ravlne
and deployed into line of battle just beyond,
on the crest of the HILL At this point the
9th Regiment was ordered to deploy four Of
its companies Us skirmiShers, and Capt GORE
was ordered to take command of them, pnsh
them forward, and ascertain the position Of
the enemy, which was done as the 9th do
everything in gallant style. They drew the
skirmisbers of the enemy over the hill, across
the railroad into the woods, where the skir
misherS of the enemy were reinforced by their
reserves Here the fight became furious. The
enemy being reinforced and under cover of a
thick wood, poured runOus fire Of musketry
into the skrmishers They were reinforced,
and the fight became general between the enc
my's forces and Gen. Meades Division, (the
Reserves) The battle ragged here for about
two hours, furiously. Gen. Meade's Division
sastaiaed itself nobly against greatly superior
numbers during all this time, and were at length
compelled to fGll back, for want Of timely sup
port, though nobly they done their duty. Let
the record speak: they lost over 2,200 men.
It was during this time that we were stand
ing on the hill, silent but painful spectators Of
the battle raging just beyond US, that the bu-
gle sounded fall in." Oar men took their
arms, and run { # ia a double quick to join
their friends on the other side Of the river
who were struggling so manfuIly with a much
superior foe.
We crossed the river on The bridge (pon-
toon) 8 miles below the city, Fredericksburg,
and marched directly to the field of battle
The field n which the battle was raging now
was a mile and quarter from the river. Our
men marched in double quick time I think
it was the hardest march they ever made. The
fiat was quite muddy, and the men sank to
their shoe-tops every step Each man carried
his knapsack and all his accoutrements, which
but added TO the difficulty of marching, and
believe that if we had not been marching to
the battle field, would rot have been able to
have gotten more than one-half Of the men On
in the same time. My line fell out, not to ex-
ceed or g. At this time the enemy discoy-
cred our advance, and began to welcome Us
n hot cbcn ,;+I,
which they gave US a rather warm greeting
Several shell and solid shct fell among our
ranks, but prQvidentially, done but little in
jury. | believe that Sergeant Jones of Com,
pGny 3, was the only person that received any
serious injury in our march from the river to
the road. lie was struck by solid shot It
broke three of his ribs and injured him other
wise internally, though not mortally.
At this point we met the Reserves, who
were retiring from The field. 1t was very hot
at this point. The enemy had brought two
batteries to bear, so that they euG!aded the
road that we must cross to get into the field
but there vas 10 faltering by the men They
closed up in iiEe order, and crossed in double
quick time, stepping aside only TO avoid tramp
ing on the dead or dying body Of fellow sol.
der, who had just fallen from the ranks of the
Regiment Immediately in front. The shell
and shot fell around Us like hail, and men fell
as the grain falls before the sickle 1t was
a terrible ordeal through which to pass a Reg
mCnt of new troops, who never bad been un.
der fire. But they passed it nobly, gallanty:
not man faltered or hesitated, but closed ulJ
and pushed on. 1t was at this point thai "a
man from Co. G had his head taken off by q
shell, and another severely wounded. By this
time we had reached within hundred yards
of the Reb's lines. They were advancing upon
Rapdolphs Battery, for the purpose of charg-
ing on it, and would have captured it, had it
not been for the timely approach of our Di-
vision
The enemy were driven back, and we took
possession OF the Ridge.
We occupied the right Of the second line of
battle,-the first line composed of the Hath,
20;h Indiana and esd Pa, the "a do: l4lst,
l05th end G3d Pa. We marched on the field
by the flank The way was so crowded BY the
retiring troops that it was impossible to march
on in any other way We formed our line of
battle under very heavy fire from the enemy's
batteries in front of Us, who opened on US with
grape and she'll. The men were ordered to
cover, that is to lie down on the ground to
avoid tie she'll. etc. They lay there for 8
hours on their taces, during which time eight
she'll struck in the ranks among the men, and
had they exploded, the companies among whom
they fell would have been bitterly decimated
One struck in the ll4th Regiment, few feet
in advance of US, and killed and wounded nine
men.
Our men lay in that position all the after
noon. The enemy never ceased their fire upon
US until dark. We lay on our arms in this
line until Monday morning 10 o'clock, expect,
ing an attack from the enemy every moment
| received an order during Sunday night to
hand two hundred men and one field officer in
to the ditch, in advance of our lines and with
in 20 rods of the enemy'S line of pickets l
detailed Major Snalding and six commissioned