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

on, if he could avoid it, a general en-
gagement SO conduct himself as to make
the enemy believe that it was his inten-
ton to do so at any moment. In other
words he was left to create formidable
diversion, but still strong enough to
fight if necessary. The crossing of the
river was accomplished in the night.
The enemy's pickets occupied the oppo-
site bank and were within easy talking
distance of our men. The rumble of
heavy wagons carrying the pontoon
boats could be heard across the river,
and it was therefore determined that
the boats should be carried down upon
the shoulders of the men. The light
brigade under General Calvin E. Pratt,
were assigned to this important duty.
After much delay, trouble and vexation
the boats were at last launched before
the enemy had any full realization of
what was about to occur. The night
was dark and foggy, but sounds could
be heard at an unusual distance. Two
or three times from the opposite bank
the rebel pickets hailed with the usual
"Halloa there Yank, what's going on
over there? What are you doing 2"
Our pickets occasionally replied. "John-
ny we're coming over after you" This
style of conversation occurred at inter-
walls during the night as some unusual
sound attracted the enemy's attention.
When the boats were launched and
manned by soldiers of the engineer brig
ade as oarsmen. the troops of General
David A. Russell were embarked, sixty
men in boat. and in deathly silence,
the oars scarcely making a ripple in the
water, forty boats loads pushed from
the shore side by side, and were lost in
the fog before they had gone twenty
feet from land. The dead silence still
continued while those upon the shore
watched with beating hearts, and lis
tened with anxiety not to be described
| 1t seemed an everlasting time while
each one peered through the fog which
fell like pail upon the gallant band
that had left US for the other shore.
The river is not more than eighty or one
hundred yards wide at this point but
the progress of the boats, owing proba-
bly, to the necessity of rowing with
great silence, was unusually slow.
There seemed to be no movement of
troops; we could hear no rumbling of
artillery. Suddenly upon the damp
night air there rang from the enemy one
single clear word distinctly heard in all
the boats and across upon our bank and
we'll understood. The word was Fire p
The blaze of musketry in the fog along
the whole river bank for two hundred
yards seemed like the silent, sudden
opening of one great mouth of fame
The crash that followed took away some
of the scenic effect of this brilliant dis.
play, and was of itself robbed of its ef-
fectiveness by the uncomfortable accom-
paniment of rattling bullets which, for
tunately for those in the boats, were
aimed too high to do much harm except
upon the innocent spectators who had
not yet embarked. The rebel yell fa
miliar as it was to all of US never seem
ed so ominous and disagreeabe. Moth
ing was heard from the boats excep
here and there word of command Of
encouragement, and afterwards as tn,
fire from the further bank continued
and grew after the first volley more
struggling, the anxiety for one wore
from Russell grew grave and great. In
few seconds boat was seen returning
and our hearts grew chill, believing
that the attempt to land had been aban
doned. AS the boat however, came ou
of the fog, it was seen that it was empt,
except as to the oarsmen. Then in ano
ther instant clear, loud, exultanl
cheer followed by another and another
told US that the works on the further
banks were ours. The boats made ano
ther trip carrying other regiments, and
then the bridges were rapidly laid dowr
and completed soon after daylight. IL
the meantime a second crossing wa
effected about one mile further below ol
the river where Reynolds threw acros
one of his divisions. For three days W
remained IN this position skirmishlnl
every day, keeping two divisions on th
enemy's side of the river. the rest of tn
command in readiness to cross. Mean
while Hooker with the rest of the arm,
had rapidly and admirably accomplish
ed the crossing of the river and tn
great flank march which formed the es
sential feature of his plan of action
With Slocum in advance he was sweep
ing down upon the enemy's flank CAP
turing even their outlying pickets
Upon Hooker's arrival on the field, fo
reasons never fully explained or under
stood, he checked Slocum's further &C
vance in the direction of Fredericksbur
contracted his own lines and seemed
assume the defensive, and maintained
] dnrinp the rest of those Iinfortunat