Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-31
AN INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE
OF FREDERIcKSBURG

did you ever have very close
CALI during the war?' asked Star re-
porter of a prominent clerk in the
Post Office Department, who served
in Hancock's old division of the Sec
ond Corps.
Close call?-yes, several. We had
them nearly every day from 81 to 65',
but the closest call | ever had was at
Fredericksburg; when General Burn
sides ordered the attack on Mary's
Heights. Our division was in the ad-
vance, and lost more men that day
than the balance of the troops en-
gagged on the right wing. When my
regiment filed out of the streets of the
town we mustered 21s, and that night
only twenty-seven answered roll call.
All were not killed, but every man out
side of the twenty-seven could show a
wound. | was one of the number that
responded at muster after the fight.
Our adiutant was also present, yet
during the engagement he received an
injury that prevented him from laying
on his back or taking a comfortable
seat for two week. We noticed some
thing peculiar in his gait, but, he being
proud man, no one dared to ask what
was the cause, and it was months be-
fore we found out"
II will tell you the story of my ex-
perience that day." continued the vet
eran. Directly after we left the streets
to make the attack, l felt a tug at the
haversack by my side, but was too
busy looking ahead to investigate the
cause. Next came decided jerk under
the left arm, and upon examination a
hole was found through both my coats
for it was Winter, December 13, 1862
The Johnnie's bullets did not touch nv
clothes again until we got to within
fifty yards of the stone wall, at the
base of the hill, under the line of
Marye's mansion. The fire from the
three lines of battle of the enemy-one
at the top, one at the side, and one at
the foot of the ridge-had been steady
all the way up the slope from the town;
but when we reached the vicinity of
the wall, and it appeared we were car
rying everything before us, the jaws of
hell seemed to open on both sides. |
never was in such fire. from Bull Run
to Appomattax as we experienced that
moment. Bullets or pieces of shell
seemed to be striking everything above
ground, near where we stood in line,
and one by one our men fell dead or
wounded. A small board fence in our
front disappeared in splinters in less
than half an hour A splinter from
the fence struck me across the bridge
of the nose and eyelids, and made the
blood fly for second or two. 1t was
only a scratch, but | thought at the
time that half my head was gone and
concluded to lie down and calmly await
the approach of death. Just then a
piece of a shell took off my right coat
TAIL This hastened the movement into
a horizontal position on ground, from
which | did not stir until darkness had
put stop to the slaughter, except to
crawl up few feet closer to the hub
of an old wagon Wheel that had been
stuck in the ground probably for years
The rains of many seasons had washed
the earth down hill against the hub
and it afforded an excellent protection
for my wounded head. Once, and only
once, did | venture to look out from
this haven of rest, and then a South
ern gentleman behind that memora-
BILE stone wall took the cap off my
head with a bullet from his rifle. God
only knows where that cap went, for |
never looked for it again. After this
bullet landed in my knapsack, which
was exposed above the wheel hub.
The old spokes of the wheel were all
knocked out. In fact the members of
the opposition behind the wall shot off
their gun at everything within range
until they got tired, and the line of
blue coats was so still that there seemed
to be no life in it. Some few were
crowded behind brick house a short
distance off. These were the only men
who appeared to be alive, and towards
the last all their energies were appar
emily devoted to keeping under cover
of the house.
''Just at this time new danger ap-
peared in our rear. A green regiment,
over whose backs we marched into the
fight that morning, opened fire on the
enemy, as they thought, but their
range was too low, and the bullets from
their guns were striking along our po-
sition and finishing the work of destruc.
ton. My place of shelter and that be-
hind the house was open and exposed
to this fusilade. One of the first bull
let's fired by this regiment caught in
the hollow of my right shoe and tore
off the heel. This was the only dan