Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-16
FREDERICKSBURG
STORY OPTHE BATTLE BY ONE OF THOSE
WHO FOUGHT
Chasing the G:ay-C1aS--A WOaaiel Man Fighting
10 the Death--Chsered by Northern Lights aad
Hard Tack and Bacon.
N,g York comnercial .4docriso.

NtE lDFE tnHlHleFCtN hNftittSf.
My first view Of Fredericksburg was
rather impressive. 1t was high noon on
the 18th day of December, ls62, when our
brigade reached the bluffs below Falmouth
and halted. From the crest OF the bluff,
IS we rested upon our march, We looked
across the Rappahannock, flowing Sullen
and turbid between our army and the ter
raced plains about the city. Looking up
the river we saw the piers Of the burned
railroad bridge, and under the bluff on our
side the cumbrous-looking pontoOus with
which our people were seeking to bridge
the narrow stream. Across the river,
sheltered by stone walls and buildings, and
too far beneath our level to be reached by
our batteries, was = swarm OtSharphOOter5,
who fOiled repeated attempts on the part
OF our engineers to construct the pOntOon
bridges. We understood that these con-
cealed rinemen were MiSSiSSippianS, and
behind them, but further up the river, lay
the little old Virginia city. II was cntlrely
deserted, of course, by its inhabitants, and,
under the bright winter sun, looked very
strange from the entire absence OF life.
But. occasionally. from some window OIL
hOusetOp, even from . church spire, a lit
tie puff of rifle smoke would appear, and
IN a moment, from our Seige batteries, a
flight of she'll would 90 screaming across
the river, to be continued until the build
ing that sheltered the audacious enemy
was tumbled about his ears.
Below the town Il long plain stretched
parallel to the river, and bounded ON the
further side by creSent-Shaped wooded
slopes. In there we know that Lee had
prepared his army for our reception, but
their mysterious depths were strangely
silent, except that al Occa> ional shot show
ed that the rebel artillerists were getting
their ranges.
Ibid not sec the gallant exploit OF our
fellows who finally manned the pontOonS,
slowly rowed them across the stream IN
che face OF the enemy's sharpshOOters aud
then drove them form their shelter. BGt
remember well the deep, sticky mud
under the bluff, through which we Waded
late on the afternoon of the l2th, to reach
The pontOOn bridge, over which we passed.
Our corps, the First, under General John
F. REYNOLDS, who wasdestined tOa glorious
death at Gettysburg, and the Sixth Corps,
under General Badly Smith. formed the
| left grand division, commanded by General
Franklin, and we held the left OF our line.
II was dark when we bivOuacked IN the
| fields below the city. \ mile in front OF
rs we could see the dim outline OF the
woods, sparkling with countless camp-HreS
| We were not allowed To light OF fires, be-
cause they would have served as targets
Eor the enemy. So we rolled up IN oul
| blankets and slept rs tired men only can
In the early dawn some batteries to our lei,
! favored us with a vigorous shelllng, out
slept through it all, and was only con
WINGED that it had occurred when ! saw II:
effects in the shape Of dead and ounde
men and horses.
NV breakfast was decidedly frugal. !
! la know If ratiOns were IS scarce IN otnei
commands, but in my regiment the haNer
yacks were empty. l had n eSpeelaLS
| dinty bareback and some fragment OF an
other. | had also some salt and pepper,
With these ingredients, and no Others, !
| made a soup. 1t was hot, and t0a ltdii'eO
extent tlling, and | was cold and hungry,
int certainly lacked point. However, II
was all that | had, nor did ! get n'tne
/ mOuthful for thirty-SiN hours. Ohf trans
,yrre ON the othsr side Of the river, and
/ there was, perhaps, no way bE whr
/ ntions could be supplied To rs.
About ga. IN. our brigade moved lurthe'
! ~ the lelf. aud toward the front. In my
cornany were about thirty recruits
| .ountry lads-whO had never been uhue'
/ ire As our column reached tine crest oil
I ittIe hill. over which the road passed, .
sudden sputter broke from the ConieNers''
battery near Us, and a storm Oh G'nis'e'
ghistied high over our heads, we Eef'
ON very muddy ground at the moment, nuI
/ hose recruits dropped Hat in the mIre, lN'
% many ninepins. A roar Of laughter non
| the old soldiers probably convinced .
| hat tbey had not been killed, and theI
GoDgbt calamity to a man before the day
a,.Je5 few moments later OF our hgh
batteries, the horses ut the gallop u TN
uns and caiSsons jumping n piuhSlhg
| dashed across the head Of our column ant
came into battery close by. As we loONee
- them a rebel shell, fatally well aimed
struck one of the caiSSOns and exploded II
There was an awful roar, and as the smok'
Thed a confused mass Of mangled OoGle
of men and horses was all that remalneu o
the caisSoR. ,
We were posted in q sunken road run
ming p~arallel TO the railroad. Here w
we're perfectly sheltered from the enemy
6ra and here we remained for some tlnN
Is.4sn;n0 m the noise of battle on our r1gnt