The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-21

along the railroad, sending SkirmisherS to the
front who found, a much to our surprise, that
the Federals had gone back to the river.
May 3.-At 7 q. m.
HAYS BRIGADE
marched under furious cannonade to a point
above Fredericksburg, opposite the little town
Of Falmouth nearly four miles distant, where
we arrived just in time to prevent the enemy
from turning Barksdales left, and taking
possession of some commanding heights
which would have compelled our entire force
to abandon its line Of works. Had the Fede.
rails succeeded in this movement Earlys di-
vision would have been completely cut off
from the main army.
Two hours after we went into our new posi-
ton ION Barksdale's left) Gen, Sedgwick, after
having made three Intellectual efforts to cap
ture Marye's Notwithstanding thereby one
thousand men succeeding in taking that IA
nous stronghold from the men who had so
long and gallantly defended it,
BARKsD4LEs MTssTssIPPTANs
and battery of the Washington Artillery.
Here / will mention an incident that forel-
bly, illustrates the cunning of the Federals
Half an hour before the storming of the
heights, Sedgwich sent flag of truce to a
Confederate colonel commanding the force at
that point, requesting permission to attend
to the wants of the wounded Federals who
were lying in front OF our lines The unsus-
pectlng officer permitted the party to
come close up to his works. The bearer of
the flag was las we were subsequently in
formed) an engineer officer Of high rank in
the guise Of o subaltern--a shrewd, keen, OBJ
servant fellow, who made his eyes do their
full duty during the interview. He quickly
perceived how extended and attenuated our
line was, and that very important ravine
between Taylor's Hill and Marye's Heights
was entirely undefended.
Twenty minutes after the return Of the flag
of truce the enemy, who were massed in the
streets Of Fredericksburg, poured out OF the
town, and rushing up the ravtne. made dash
at the heights, which he soon captured, TAX
ing between 200 and 800 of Barksdales men,
six pieces of cannon and thirty-five officers
and men of the Washington Artillery. The
artillerists fought with great bravery and de-
termination until they had been completely
surrounded, several of them being bayOnetted
ut the guns. One OF our regiments, the Sixth,
which had been left to support the batteries
on Lees Hill, came very near being surround
ed and captured, only escaping with loss Of
twenty-seven men killed and wounded.
THE CAPTURE OF MARYE's HEIGHTS
necessitated the falling back of Early's force
some two miles, to point on the Telegraph
road. Notwithstanding his numerical supe-
riority-3O, 900 men against our S000-the
enemy did not attempt to pursue us, but spent
the night in moving large portion OF his
troops towards Charlottesville, where
Hooker was being roughly handled. All day
long the artillery firing In that direction was
very heavy.
May4,-At ga, m. Gordon's brigade charged
and easily retook Marye's Heights; Hays and
Hoke's marched towarh the Plank road; after
proceeding three miles we took position in
front of the enemy posted near the Darmon
House. Sedgwick's left wing extended several
hundred yards beyond our extreme right, and
rested upon the river bank; and Gen. Lee
being informed that the odds against us were
too heavy, sent the divisions of McLaws and
Anderson TO Early's support.
nk,A
ri yht, and at o'clock Hays and Gordon's
brigades were placed opposite the extreme
left of the enemy's line. 1t was Gen. Lees
intention to order o general advance at Q p.
m, but the attack was delayed by the unavoid-
able tardy arrival OF
M'LAws AND ANDERSON,
who had been fighting the enemy the even
ing before at Charlottesville.
At 81 p. m. the whole line advanced, and
the charge of Hays brigade on this occasion
was pronounced to have been one of the most
brilliant of the war. Gen. Lee took position
on Taylors Hill, Immediately behind us, and,
we were afterwards informed, expressed him
self highly pleased with the daring manner
with which our boys went forward.
At the order TO charge our brave fellows
rushed up the steep hill In their front under
heavy fire, then across q broad plain, raked
by the twenty and thirty-pOunder batteries
on Stafford Heights Four field batteries,
and three lines OF infantry were In. our front;
so impetuous was the charge that two OF
these lines were quickly broken and driven
for some distance, while the artillery was
forced from the field. AS we were approach
ing the third line, night coming on, and the
woods we had entered being very dense and
dark Hoke's North Carolina brigade which
had come in behind us, mistook us for Fed
erals and opened calling fire upon our rear,
while the enemy engaged us in front. This
untoward accident forced us to abandon
further attack, and march by the left flank
out of this critical position, During this
movement quite number of our officers and
men lost their way In the woods and were
taken prisoners,
Had the attack been made too hours earlier
Sedgwick would have been cut of from the
ford, his only route Of escape, and his entire
corps probably captured; but the delay was
unavoidable, owing to the distance McLaws'
and Andersons commands, wearied out by
fighting all the previous day, had to march.
That night the whole of Hooker'S huge
army
RECRossED THE RAPPAHANNoCK,
and the great battle of Charlottesville had
been fought and won.
The loss of Hays brigade on this day was;
killed, 70; wounded, 295; missing (prisoners),
with about 1900 men. A great portion of our
loss was caused by the raking fire OF the enc
my's big guns on Stafford's Heights. At one
time large shell fell into the ranks of the
Ninth Regiment and exploding killed and
wounded seventeen men.
Hooker had crossed the river at Kelleys
ford with four of his strongest corps on the
twenty-ninth of April, and on the thirtteth
marched to Charlottesville, from which place
Gen. Anderson fell back with his small force
to Tabernacle Church. Here Gen. jackson
joined him, and obliged Hooker to retire from
a ridge he had just occupied upon Chancel,,
louisville, which the Federal General proceeded
to fortify, his line Of battle extending along
the Orange Courthouse plankroad, running
east and west. His left flank was protected
by the river, but the right was thrown out
into the air. Gen. jackson having informed
himself of the exact position of the enemy,
and discovering that his right was the vulner-
able part Of his line, resolved to attack it. He
proposed a plan which the commander-in-
chief accepted, that Gen. Lee, with McLaws'
and Andersons divisions, should keep
Hooker actively employed during the next
day by threatening demonstrations against
his front, while Jackson was to move with his
corps around the Federal right wing, and by
sudden attack in that quarter double it up
upon Hooker's centre, take his line in reverse,
and cut him off from the Uuiaed States ford,
his line of retreat