Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-01-10


left was still back at the position held
on the previous day and strongly skir-
mishing with the enemy in their front.
It was therefore ten o'clock before the
assaulting columns were formed and
ready to attack.
From the main street of Fredericks-
burgh, running at right angels to the
river, the plank-road leads up to the
enemy's position.
From the limits of the city to the
crest of Marye's Heights the distance is
about half a mile. A toll gate stands
about half way up the slope. The
heights on both sides of the road were
crowned with batteries. A little above
the toll-gate and at the commencement
of the sleeper slope to the left of the
road as we faced the enemy's position,
was the stone wall occupied still by
strong line of infantry. In front of the
stone wall, about three hundred yards
below and near the outskirts Of the city,
was our line of battle repulsed at day
light. The enemy plainly saw our prep
arations for the assault and evidently
did not wish to interfere with them.
They seemed perfectly confident of the
result, and when they saw that We in
tended to attack their direct front and
center, they scarcely disturbed our in
tentions by single shot. At last it
was my duty to report to the General
that everything was in readiness. His
instructions were that one column form
ed on the street leading to the plank
road should march directly up the
plank-road that another and parallel
column formed on street about sixty
yards to the right should march up
through the fields toward the toll-gate.
At this point he knew that they would
receive the heaviest of the enemy's fire.
He directed that the line of battle still
lying in front of the stone wall and rifle
pits to the left of the plank-road should
rise up at that instant and 60 forward
with cheer, and at double-quick.
In this plan there was admirable cal
culation and combination of what may
be called the moral effects and which are
of much Importance in a movement of
this kind. The advance of our left col
umn on the plank-road he knew would
be a tempting target for the rife pits on
their left, and that by the time the head
of the column approached the toll-gate
they would no doubt draw the entire
fire from the rife pits; that both col
umns would attract the full attention of
the batteries on the heights, that the
fire would reach its highest intensity as
the heads of the columns reached the
toll-gate. and then, if at all, they would
commence to waver, and single cheer
from an advancing line of American SOL
diers delivered as the Sixth Corps knew
how to deliver it, would not only put
new heart into the men composing the
columns. but strike dismay to the de-
tenders of the rife pits who would have
already discharged their volley fire.
The result was as he expected. The
men went forward gallantly at ''trail
arms" The artillery tore through our
ranks, the men neither halted nor hesi-
tated. The left column, by the very
force of the fire on its front and flank,
bent towards the plank-road and the
heads of the two columns came together
at the toll-gate. There, for an instant,
as when strong, quiet stream moving
in a new channel meets with some sud-
den obstacle, there was momentary
pause and the men clustered round the
frame building at the toll-gate seemed
to hesitate, and, for an instant. it was
doubtful whether they could advance
Out upon the clear summer air rang the
cheer of Newton's men. Up at double.
quick they sprang. The men In the
rife pits who had forgotten the line oi
battle in their zeal to destroy the ad
vancing columns, saw their danger. The
! men of the columns burst like noun
| tain torrent over all barriers. Taking
up the cheer of the line of battle they
pressed forward magni6cently, victori
ously. and before the enemy were aware
of the fact, still firing from their batter
les on the hill, their attention distracted
by the smoke of their own guns, by tht
cheering of the line of battle and it,
advance, the flag of the Sixth Maine
Volunteers. supported by that regimen
and its sister regiment, the Fifth Wis
consin. was planted, standing out upor
the breeze between the guns of thu
Washington light artillery of Louisian;
as their last discharges were made.
The morning dew was yet fresh upor
the grass on that pretty slope which lee
from the city limits to this crest o
death the blood of one thousand gal
lant men was mingled with it. Many
of them cold in death, many of then
writhing in the agony of painful wounds
There were distant homes, some of then
among the Green Mountains and by th'
lakes of this very State, where expectan