The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-01-04

Frederick shn'g tSrn',Sylvauia Coun
~. in rear of which General Leo.
army was drawn up in Il strong line
Of Notifications, extending six miles
The houses If the town afforded q
convenient cover for the Confederate
skir"i>he's, placed 5" as to pick of
aud worry the h,id ge-buildrrs, wIm
could he distinctly seen under the
brilliant m""nshine as busy as bcav.
rrs o" the p"nt""n brid ges stretching
from Stafford Heights toward the base
Of the hluil' opposite. An hours work
had stretched the hid yes within sixty
yards Of the southern bank, when the
Confederate companies Of infantry,
placed IN ambush, were ordered tn
tire deliberately.
At the crack oftI'e rifles the bridge.
builders scampercd back. but the
next moment there was opened upon
the bluff a hail Of shell, grape and
musket>balls, which was kept up un.
til the skirmishers retired. Twice
again, however, the work was inter.
rupted, but on u fourth attcnptat ob.
strnctian on the part of the reinforced
squad of Confcderates, the fire from,
the cannon and small arms on the
Stafford side was SO overwhelming
that nothing human could stand un>
der it. Incvery instance in which a
soldier lying fiat on the ground von>
turcd to raise his head no was ridlletl
by bullets or torn to pieces by grape
shot, sweeping from the numberlrss
batteries and sharl,>slooters not 200
yards distant on the opposite height
short range, rather! About five
o'clock in the afternoon of tho next
day, the 18th, three rousing cheers
from the river bank beneath the bluff
announced that at last tho bridges
were completed, and that the Army of
the Potomac had successfully effected
u passage over on the southern bank.
The Confederate skirmisl,ing forces,
quickly pursued and pushed out Of
the town, left it in full possession Of
their opponents. The effect Of the
bombardment upon the town was So
vercr upon tho property than the
lives Of its citizens, the majority Of
whom had long previously fled at the
destructive prospect, and we've at the
time Of the passage of the river wan.
dering through the forests or over
frozen roads in search Of new homes
or bare shelter.
Under cover Of the darkness of the
night Of the 18th, and Of a dense fog,
General Burnside ordered his forces
to cross. A small body was thrown
over IN the enemy's side, and all day
on the 10Th the main hNly was cross
ing and getting in position. The 18th
dawned clear, though q dim fog
shronded the town and the adjoining
valleys, delaying the opening of the
antagonistic batteries, both sides
were now prepared. Lee had been 80
well informed by his scouts, that by
two o'clock OF that morning his
troops were all under arms, and his
batteries in position to receive tho
expected attack. The river, in it's
course from west to east, IL skirtefl,
just Mt the point where Fredericks-
burg stands on it's southern bank, bv
low crests of hills, which, an the
north bank, run parallel and close to
tho water, and on the south bank
tend backward, leaving a semicircular
plain ak miles in length and two or
three in depth. On tho southern bor>
der Of this plain q range oflow hills,
covered with dense oak forest and
partly fringcd BY pine thickcts, runs
parallel with the river. The entire
length Of this forest was occupied BY
Lees forces, mostly behind formida.
bic earthworks. The Federal forces
occupied the valley On tho side Of the
town, their light batteries posted 10
advance.
At noon the fog lifted, leaving the
atmosphere bazy, and about chs time
the Federal infantry moved to the at.
tack of the Confederate batteries en-.
sconced on the tango Of hills already
mentioned. Az they pressed over the
valley they were endladed by Con.
federate batteries out in the open,
though protected from such fire 40 fur
40 possible by the heavy guns on the
Stafford aide. After an hours march.
ing and hating the batteries on both
sides slackened, and the crash and
roar Of musketry and dense volumes
Of smoke proceeding from the skirting
woods and intervening thickcts plain.
" showed that tho decisive shock Of
battle was finally joined. The at.
lacking columns Of infantry were re.
pulsed, then rallied and repulsed over
and over again.
After the furious das!,ing of those
doomed infantry columns against
Lees earth walls and lines, there
was made at a point where the lat.
ter were not distant more than 400
yards from the town, the most re-
markable and brilliant Of all the Va.
rious Federal charges. This point
was known as "Marye's Heights
from the hin passing over the farm
Of citizen 50 named); it was very
steep, and admirably defended by q
picked artillery battalion, while in
it, front there was not sufficient room
for the Federals destined to its at.
tack to deploy and form, except in
the face Of the most deadly fire, but