The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-06-13
Second Division Of the Sixth Corps
Across the RappahannOck.
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 5, 1868

ARMY OF THE Potomac, June 5, 1863.
Riding to Falmouth Station this morning,
I observed when in the neighborhood of
the 'Wallace House," short distance
beyond the old headquarters of General
Hooker, that some of our pontoon trains
were moving toward the river. On reach
ing the station / heard any number OF ru-
mors to the effect that our army was to
cross during the day; that our cavalry
had already forded the stream, and still
heights beyond Fredericksburg-all of
these having their origin in statement
made by the balloon, to the effect that no
camps were visible over the river; that the
enemy had evacuated their stronghold
they had
Folded their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently passed away"
Later vet another rumOr reached me that
the bridges were completed and some Of
our troops had crossed. Riding to Fal-
mouth and the river bank opposite Freder-
| icksburg ] discovered the pontoon boats
living idle in the sun, and the rebel plckets
stronger than / had ever seen them. but
what had become OF the artillery 1 hao
seen moving during the forenoon? These
brazen throats had not yet revealed their
| whereabout. Concluding that the balloon
must have been wrong IN its statements,
| or that General Hooker had reason TO
doubt it's veracity, / resolved, as the day
was far spent, to go home and await the
coming OF events. At the moment OF ar
irving there heard the sound OF guns lar
distant, and, with. an appetite tor some
| thing to write about, sharpened by long
continued period of fasting in this respect,
| | rode off determined to discover what the
firing meant.
l turned my horse in the direction OF
| the Fitz Hugh House, large brick man
sion facing the river, used by Us as a hos
| II ,,,l ffnr oh
| teen minutes reached there. and to my sur
prise saw before me only the green valley
looking almost as on many Sabbath Al
ternoon it must have looked before the
| war. A man stood by tree looking
through telescope, ana to my question,
ais Sedgwick crossing came the thrilling
answer,
"He is, sir.'
"Where?" I asked.
"Yonder."
looked, and off in the direction Of Fred
erick sburg, in some broad fields on our
side the stream, l beheld a sea OF gray blue
smoke, saw sudden flashes come from 1T
and curling clouds, whittier and paler tnal
the rest float off and vanish, and following
each flash heard the dull, tar-away thun
der of artillery. The sky above was Gov
cred with dark rain-clou0s wove into al
infinitude of purple shades, reaching away
to the horizon, where belt of saffron form
ed a glowing background to the Rebel hili
looming grand and sullen in the distance
Wishing to gain r nearer view of wha
occurred, / rode rapidly in the direction o
; the contest, taking a short cut across fields
and along by-paths. At length j reached
hill above where our artillery was post
! ed, affording magnificent sight OF thu
whole scene. Our troops (the I'd Division
of the 9th Corps, Brig. Gen. A. p. Howe
were resting i'll the plain below, while ou
4 bAr alp p.ls.fr int hrN
ing shells across with unerring accurac,
at line of Rebel rifie-pits; you could se'
, every one of them burst above it, and hea
) their shrill whistle as they flew through
, the air. Still the butternuts lurked with
, in. There was . stir among our troops II