Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-21
The Wilderness DECENTRALIZATION II
Looks To-Day.


A Virginia letter to the Bucks County
IRtelllgenceT says: "Spottsylvania
county, Virginia, is historic ground.
1t was the theatre of some of the most
thrilling events in the great war drama
of twenty years ago. No locality in the
United States has ever received such
a baptism of blood Three times the
army of the Potomac and the Confeder-
ate army of Northern Virginia met with
in its limits, and four holly contested
battles were the result. These engage
ments are known as Fredericksburg,
Charlottesville and the two days in the
Wilderness, generally called here Salem
Church and the Wilderness. The fact
that Spottsylvania is midway in direct
line between the national capital and
Richmond, the capital of the COnfedera-
cy, is of itself, perhaps, sufficient rea-
son for its becoming the scene of so
many desperate encounters To the
stranger a visit to these battlefelds is
not apt to be interesting. There is in
fact but little trace left of the terrible
battles, and the Wilderness, which al
most surrounds Charlottesville and
Spottsylvania Court House, is at best
but dismal jungle, whose gloom one
| hesitates to penetrate. Your correspond
ent had the fortune to ride over the bat
tie fieldsin company with a gentleman
who was a member of StOnewall jack
sons staff, and as he pointed out the
position and movements of the troops, a
striking and interesting picture of the
battles was afforded.
A great deal of hard fighting was done
at Fredericksburg, in the charges made
by the Federals upon Mary's Heights, an
elevation just back of the city, held by
the COnfederates. This is by nature q
strong position, but a heavy stone wall
at the base and the use of spade and pick
made it doubly so. Before the last
charge Hooker rode across the pontoOns
to Burnside, and protested against any
further attempt upon this crest, but the
latter replied that it must be taken. 3"
Hooker then threw forward another
division, telling the men not to stop to
load their guns as there would be mo
time for firing" They advanced fur
ther than any that had preceded them,
but in the end reeled and fell back with
terrible loss.
Some of the earthworks at Frederlcks-
burg and most of the trenches made by
both armies in the Wilderness remain
substantially as when first constructed.
In one of these your correspondent
picked up an old canteeu which had been
shot through with a mimic ball, and fire.
quently saw the remains of knapsacks
and haversacks At points in the Wilder
ness where very heavy firing was done.
many of the trees which were small at
the time of the war have grown crooked
from the effects of being struck by balls
and shells. Not verv far from the ham
let of Charlottesville rough block of
white flint marks the spot where
Jackson fell. 1t is about four feet
square, was quarried in the neighbor-
hood, and is as yet without inscrip-
ton. JacksOn's memory is greatly
revered in Virginia. Pictures of Lee
and Jackson can he seen in most of the
houses. ]. E. B. Stuart, the cavalry
leader, is also favOrite hero. He usu-
ally wore a long white plume, and was
the embodiment of the Southern idea of
dash and chivalry. Stuart went into the
Charlottesville battle singing, cold
Joe Hooker, come out of the Wilder
ness" Burnside the Virginians reckon
high toned gentleman, but a vacillatlng
and utterly incapable commander. For
Hooker they have but little respect,
charging that he was drunk at Chancel-
lOrsville. During the battle of Freder-
icksburg Burnside had his headquarters
about mile back from the river, and
did not come near himself till late in
the afternoon Grants headquarters in
the Wilderness were at Elwood, the farm
or rather clearing Of Major Lacy Before
thu war Mr.. Lacy owned Chatham, the
fine estate opposite to Fredericksburg,
and large plantation in Louisiana. He
became involved during the war troubles
and lost all his property excepting Ell
wood, his present residence, which is
itself comfortable fortune, though in
rather a desOlate situation. FrederiCks-
burg suffered comparatively little dam
age during the bombardment, nOtwith.
standing Burnsides $50 cannon played
upon it for several hours. After all the
tempest of projecties by which 1t seem
ed the doomed city must be leveled
to the ground, only few houses
were burned and only few seriously
injured. The old town is substantially
the same as 1t was before the yankees"
hesieged 1t. as a striking proof of the
difficulty of actually destroying a town
by bombardment.