Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-05-07

According to the latest dispatches re-
-; we'd at the time we write this, the-rebels
,.d se-oocupied Fredericksburg and the
,o,, ON Of the nights in the rear, occupied
!, r ep. Sedgwiek's forces on Sunday,
h.ab sea retaken, If this be true, the
eonov; e account, which we condense from
Al. %, yespondence Of the New York
Of the storming and occupation of
A.. eon ss''stonewall position" against
In ,aay Of our troops were fruit
.,.,. blast December, will be none
~ g; ,ierest Writing under date
Of May Sd Il ",u ''''esp'nuen' says
NJ. O., Hooker, with the Fifth,
wn.n IN welfth corps, moved to the
Eieven'h aau pthe rear of the enemy's
Iisns y ,ae n front Of that army the
1y' M am Sixth corps, with one
division Of the of a,.r s,non. ~, IT,, sno
general distribution wa Two dows Later tho
day night, April % ;o;n General Hooh
Third corps moved yatnrdsv NV 0 N.
ers ooiumn' ane Ia withdrawn from the
position in front for the Sam' P"iposo. .,-
Thus the whole force left on s"s ene u:y.
front on Saturday noon ae ,ho saonna
corps and one division a,n 'Ao oo,. ,uvoo
oorps: This force covered 80 .i.naa.
cations, and by its pontoon wa as ga s1 tsM.
ened the enemy with an adv W. 49, ' e s.as
prevented the march Of hs A s;..,. VITO
AGAINST Gen. Hooker, for in tn h'tie ar
nv we magnihed ourselves -, honrs
ocr,;nuallv in all directions at sVi nouis,
oud loked as much ike hundre y inou-
sand men as we possibly COULD
THE FIRST ADVANCE.
Between and 5 p. m, on oa.uruay'
Nav Q. the light brigade was thrown ,or-
ward. the 3ist New York in the hrst iahe
as .k;rmishers, supported by the 0'n
Maine the 9Th Wisconsin and the oiss
Yanrsy,vasia Volunteers drawn up IN line
Of battle. The advance was airec.ly 'i ;e'n.
The river, across TIE open. Level pam just
sver the point at which the BRIGGS sPsa-
ned the stream, and this littl. neia u pa'
lie was bounded on the right by inc "a a.
vine that runs up from one Bernard !.
house. and on the left by the other Ber'
nard's house. Across the front Of the
field ran the Bowling Green Road, and
the possession of that road was the object
of the present advance
Briskly received by the enemy's pckets
our line still went on and in twenty MIN
utes had possession Of the road. AS soon
az the FIRE began on the south side all OF
our troops who remained at this point on
the north side Of the river were sent across
and began to take up positions. But
there was so much change in these POSITIONS
that it was midnight before the men were
IN their places or had chance to eat their
supper. When once they were at rest no
fires were permitted, and SO but few sup
pers were eaten, for soldier does not
care for a cold bite at that hour.
II was half past twelve o'clock in the
morning, on Sunday, May 3, that we left
the green plain on the rivers bank and
march to and up the Bowling Green road.
The first u. s. Chasseurs skirmlshe d in
advance. For the greater part II the dis
lance they were unmolestet.. =, receiving on
ly picket fire just .louth of the town.
They went on steadily, and at about three
O'Clock entered the town of Fredericks-
burg, and held ltuntil the remainder of the
column came up. 1t was bold feat to
enter thus place like this, where every
house night suddenly open upon themli Ike
mine. But the result justified the appar-
ent fashness Of the venture.
On we went through the town in a d.
rection nearly north until we came to the
railroad track, and then we turned to oul
left and went fair west; again we went tc
our right in northwesterly direction
At this time no one knew, perhaps, exact
" where we were But here was Shaler's
brigade massed in the road in the same
road Buffers battery, men all mounted
caissons up, &c. We were on the march
Shaler was ordered to the left to feel, ano
discovered that we were III dangerous
proximity to the enemy in position, and t
what else it was impossible to make out II
the dark. General Newton, wisely eau
tious, stopped this advance. We shall
hear more anon of the furnace that w
thus nearly stumbled on.
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. W.
occupied the town.
Just after daylight we received the frs
fire from the enemy. A fierce fusiladt
was begun from a rife pit fairly in our
front. Unfortunately, it SO happened that
the Twenty-third ennsyvania was in line
of battle in the open field, within range OF
the rife pits on the hill From those pits
a fierce eruption of musketry suddenly
broke forth, and took the Twenty third by
surprise; but they stood there, bravely
and glorously not man moved foot
But when the FIRE held up for a moment
then this magnificent Twenty third answer
cd it--not with fire, but with one magniG-
cent cheer.
THE BATTLE BEGINS.