The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1879-01-02

advance and deliver battle in behalf OF
the safety of Richmond, In fact, the
would he surpriser found himself sur,
prised; but this would have been OF
slight consequence If such short-sighted-
ness on the part of the new General in
Chief had not clearly foreshadowed his
terrible mistakes that were to follow on
his chosen ground. For over two weeks
the army were unable to cross the river,
owing to lack of pontoon bridge,
meanwhile Lee, in the rear OF Fred
elicksburg was left rec to torti'y and get
all things in complete readiness to de-
liver as crushing blow as possible
when the moment of battle should ar
rive. The very damaging delay III Sc
curing pontoons was the first token OF
disaster. Instead OF sending to Wash
jngton carable officers to see thay the
necessary means tor crossing the river
were dispatched without an instahts
DELAY. General Burnside trusted to the
Washington authorities, who, failing to
be imprt ssed with the urgency OF his
demand, had lei,urely sent the pon'oohs
overland, instead of by water to Acqnia
where they laid ore whole week without
attracting any notice during the eager
hunt after them, and even when found
their slow hauling by oxen to S,ahorH
Heights required two day9. On finally
reaching there General Burnside imme-
diately ordered them to be used for the
building of several bridges across th'
swift, deep river, rs he had decided on
throwing his army over into FrcderIcEs-
burg
! On the night of the 10th of December
three bridges were commenced TO be
thrown over the river; in the prosecution
OF this work the heavy artillery ranged
along the Stafford Heights (Staitord
county, completely commanded the
plain on which stands Fredericksburg
(Spottsylvania county,, in rear OF which
General Lees army was drawn up in a
strong line of Notifications, extending SIX
miles. The houses of the town afforded
convenient cover Tor the Confederate
skirmishers, placed SO az to pick oil ana
worry the bridge builders, who could be
distinctly seen under the brilliant moons
shine az busy ~ beavers on the I0ntoon
bridges stretching from Stafford Heights
toward the base o! the hluil opposite
An hours work had stretched the
b, ridges within sixty yards of the south
ern bank, when the Confederate com
panies of infanty, placed in ambush
were ordered to fire deliberately.
At the crack of the rifles the bridge
builders scampcred back, but the next
moment there was opened upon the blull
hail of shell, grape and musket,bal s.,
which was kept up until the skirmishers
retired. Twice sgain, however the
work was interrupted, but upon fourth
attempt at obs ruction on the part OF
the reinforced squad Of Contederatc7,
the fire from the cannon and small arms
on the qtarbcrl side was so overwheIm'
Ing that nothing human could stand
under it, In every instance in which
soldier living fiat on the ground yenturec
to raise his head he was rdded by bull
let's or torn to pieces by grape-shot
sweeping from the numberless batteries
and sharp shooters not 200 yards distant
on the opposite height short range
rather About five O'Clock in the after
noon of the next day, the llth, three
rousirg cheers from the river bank
beneath the bluff announced that at last
the bridges were completed, and that
the army of the Potomac had successfully
effected passage over on the southern
bank. The confederate skirmishing
forces, quickly pursued and pushed out
of the town, left it in full possession OF
their opponents The effect of the bom'
bardment upon the town va3 seyeler
upon the property than the lives OF Its
citizens, tie majority of whom hAd long
pre viously fled at the destructive pros
pect, and were at the time OF the passage
of the river wandering through the for
ests or over frozen roads in search ne"
homes or bare shelter,
Under cover of the darkness OF the
night of the llth, and Of dense iog
General Burnside ordered bis forces Il
cross 4 small body was thrown over
on the enemy's side, and all day en- The
18th the main body was crossing anC
getting in position. The l3th da~nec
clear, though dim log shroudtd the
town and the adjoining valleys, delaying
the opening of the antagoni>tic batteries
but both sides were now prepared. L'(
had been 80 well informed by his scouts
that by two o'clock of that morning MI
troops were all under arms, and his bat
teries in position to receive the expected
attack. The river, in its course iron
west to east, is skirted, just at the pom
where Fredericksburg stands on IT
southern bank, by low crests Of hills
. which, on the north bank, run parable
and cIo.e to the water, and on'the 'outl
bank tend backward leaving q semi
circular plain six miles in length AM
, two or three in depth. On the southern
border OF this plain a range OF low bills
covered with dense oak forest and partl
, fringed by pine thickets, runs parable
with the river The entire length OF thi
forest was occupied by LEES forces
J mostly behind formidable earthwOrk'
The federal forces occupied the valley o
, the side of the tpwn, their light bitterit
posted in adyanc-.
: At noon the log lifted, leaving the a
muspbere hazy, and about this time th
, the confederate batteri someone d on IT,
range TT hills air, ady mentioned. A
/ they passed over the valley they wei
v enfiaded by Confederate batteries out
4 the open, though projected from sue
i fire as lar as possible by the heavy gur
1 on the Stafford side, Alter an hour
It marching and hating the batteries o
both sides slackened, and the crash an
e roar of musketry end dense volumes
y smoke proceeding from the sklrtin
4 woods and intervening thickets p a'nl
Y showed that the decisive shock OF bt'ti
y was finally joined. The attacking co
d umns OF infantry were repuisei, lhe
q rallied and repulsed over and over again
$ After the furiyu. dashing OF ines
e doomed infantry columns sgnns' IRE
earth walls AMI lines, there Was mide, n
If point where the latter were MT dl''sn
!, more than 400 yards irom the Town, tn
q