The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-01-10
FREDERICKSBURG.
The Charge Of the Pennsylvania Reserve

The Charge Of the PennSt lFaaia Reserves.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUSE: Much ink has
been wasted and much valuable space IN your
paper used lately IN discussing the question,
W TO Laid the Pont0Ons al Fredericksbgrg2"
ButJhe boys viii probably never succeed In con-
Fincing each other; so rise TO ask that this part
Of the racket cease for while, and allow the boys
who crossed the RagpahannOck after the bridges
were built 10 tell something Of what they did
Oh that dreadful 18th OF December, 1862. To
day is the 26th anniversary OF the battle but
many Of the incidents connected with my part
il it are as fresh IN my memory as if they had
happened yesterday.
] belonged at that time TO the First Brigade,
Third Division, First Corps, and was with
FrankliBs left grand division, which crossed
the river three miles below the city of Fred
eTicEsburg. Oar division, then commanded by
Gen. Meade, crossed on the 18th. and early in
the morning OF the 18Th il was known that we
(the Pennsylvania Reserves were to lead the
attack on the left. My own regiment was de-
ploEod Is skirmisheTs early in the day, and ad-
Fanced through open fields til we drew brisk
IRE from the enemy, posted at the foot Of the
hlll upon which their main line was established
Here We lay. exchanging occasional shots with
them, Til about o'clock, when the whole di-
vision advanced ic the charge. Just at the
foot Of the hill, IN cur front ran the Richmond
Railroad, and behind its emb2nkment was the
enemy's trst line. They made a stubborn re-
BistaBce, but were soon brushed away and on
top the hill went the line OF the First Brigade
Some 200 yards from the railroad was their
second line, behind breastWoTks. This also was
forced back and several hundred prisoners
taken, and still On we went. When we reached
the TOP Of the hill we found long lines of
stacked guns, whose owners had fed. This was
probably the rebels reserve line; but il has
always seemed curious to me that they should
have run without their arms as the battle had
been raging Tor at least al hour when we came
TO these gun stacks. We had completely
broken through their line, and If our supports
had followed promptly, the ground could have
been held and the final result Of the day made
70 read altogether different. But by somebody's
blunder il was not TO be 50, and as soon as the
rebels recovered from the temporary panic we
had caused among them, they closed in on the
right, GA the left and in front Of US, and il was
not long till We were flying back down that hill
much faster than We had recently gone up it.
We met Birney's Division near the railroad
coming TO our aid, but it was too late. We
were reformed behind the batteries and on
calling the roll OF the several regiments il was
found that ont Of about 4, 500 men IN line that
morning we had lost I76 killed, / Ig7 wounded
and 465 missing. In my own regiment TO were
killed, % wounded and i missing Amoua
the killed was Gen. c. L. Jackson, commanding
Third Brigade; while Col William Sinclair d
my regiment, commanding First Brigade thai
day, was severely wounded. Now, bows. LETT
hear from some Of the rest Of you.-SILAs w
CRoCKER, Co. ], 9Th Pa. Reserves, Climax
Springs, BIO.