Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-01-02

dawning of the next morning for whilst the
troops that hal sumbered in the st eets all
nieht, were cooking their breakfast an order
came 10 the surgeons of the various hospitals,
tn baye all their wounded moved aver the river,
aud with IL whisper "yOu have four hours to
remove them in At the expiration of that time,
the enemy will commence shelling the city aud
tue ponioons." Such All intimaliOn was oacu-
lated to quicken our labors, and such scene
was probably never feen before no nmbulABces
were allowed to come across the wounded were
conveyed by men they wele placed on stretch
era, beds, mattresses, quilts banket- shutters,
in MS, boards, fetteeH, aud anything else avail
able, but always with due regard 10 their
comfort every man labored To his utmost. The
iecOrds Of our Division Hospital showed six
hundred wounded, and when we looked ut our
watch aud found that the Four hours had ex
lired, we had the satisfaction to know that not
patient was left in the hospital every
wounded man had been conveyed across the
pontoOn bridge to the other and safer side Of the
RIVER Aud We we're not too expeditions either,
for We had not more than got them safely over
before the shells came into the city and about
the bridge unpleasantly uear. No disorder was
consequent upon this removal the wounded
were not alarmed, hut made To believe that that
course was necessary in order to prepare for
another engagement. Nothing had heen init
! hhfu ~ tueh ietpcctiuH u lTuuhhlt itlIthA hI
Nh attack upon the city by the rebels.
That night the entire army crossed. The
word was passed down the lines, "boys, fall in
quietly tn cross the river make NO noise.
Silently they marched luwn the streets, aud
scarce n whisper could be heard there WIS not
light on tLe street, lightly they stepped on the
bridge, and when they reached the other shore,
ueaily every man breaIhed more freely hts re-
spiraiion appeared improved; on the other side
I
came, the army Of the Potomac was found in a
aate place on this side, aud the ponioons taken
up. And we will venture the assertion that
there was not single man who was 10th to
leave fredericksburg For our own part we
are frank enough 10 sny thai though We were
ut Aniieiam and upon the field where the shells
were exploding 10 dsagreeabe proximity to us,
nnd the bullets Whistling every moment about
onr ears, we did not feel that sense Of alarm
that we did at Fredericksburg the PECULIARLY
Of our situation ut tue latter place was calculated
to engender slight emotion of dread VI coming
evil, and had the enemy succeeded in getting
the range of our bridges, as nicely as they did
oi other points which they wished to shell, thus
tearing them up aud cutting Oti all means of re-
treat, no one could estimate the terrible conse-
quences as it was not shell touched the
bridges fortune favored us there and beslies,
the evacuation was mastery affair, there was
80 Wuch bysteihi 30 muon Oiuer IN al no pam,
no openly expressed fear.
Our corps then established a hospital camp
about mile and half from the Iiyer, where
the wounded were received and attended to-
Alnny of them were soon sent to general hos
piAs north. Some of the wounded of our re-
giment having been sent to Point Lookout aud
the reminder to Washington.
Such is kind Of synopsis of some Of our ex.
4 periences within the past fortnight. We have
not given them to you by nstalments MS is our
yont, for the opportunity has been wanting
Our regiment feels its losses seriouslv and its
spirits have been depressed the loss of 40 nnny
of its members, its failure to accomplish any
thing decisive CT commensurate with the sac
rihces required, has had its influence Many
have been suffering for the want of shoes, hut il
is thought that want will he supplied soon We
are encnmPee in very good spot, and the mum
her of chmneys that have arisen at the ends of
the tents, from bricks taken from an old church,
denote no little comfort within
Pardon the length Of th5 letter; you nay
take our long silence as our plea.
fnnrs, BuLY