The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-15

ting pastime to study the ground at safe
range, and let fancy play with things that
might come to pass The ground was too
low, as we saw it from above, TO give an
idea ofdanger, and its sloping front looked
to be ssable, so far as natural obstruc-
ion ere concerned. The Confederate
the ma z, with the exception of few guns
York cit. arth batteries, was masked, and
.IS co1 hG whole length Of line TO be de-
Beckwit oy the Confederates was taken into
~ cbina it did not seem unusual that this
Of our az Ar stretch should be so moderately
.,hicb u. In truth, the conclusions we ar
81 their while looking down upon the
pidIh. nd foothills where we were to meet
the enemy were all to he upset on closer
inspection of his position. To the crossing
of the river by Burnside but little opposi-
ton was made The Confederates had one
brigade on picket in the town, which
reaches the river bank where the ground
is favorable for bridging, and while our
engineers were throwing across pontoons
they were many times driven from their
work by bullets fired from the houses
along shore. Finally, toward the close of
the day, Dec. II, 1862, volunteers from the
Seventh Michigan, Nineteenth Massachu-
sets and Eighty-ninth New York braved
the sharpshooters' fire and pushed across
in boats, driving off the riflemen, Banks
dale's Mississippians, and completely clear
ing the river for the engineers.
The army was nearly all across by mid
day of the 18th, and deployed on the plains
around and below the town. A heavy fog
hung over the valley during the forenoon,
and when it cleared away we saw for the
first time that go which way we would it
would prove uphill work to dslodge the
battalions Of Lee From the point of view
we now had on the plains what before had
looked like kuolls became hills and hills
became mountains Marye's Hill, or
Height, did not extend over more than "A
division front of our troops, and division
was not a twentieth part of the array.
But slight though it appeared against the
great background of hillside its situation
between two hills, Tay lor's and Telegraph
tafterward called Lees} made it a key, and
that fact, together with its evident inn
portance to Lee, shown by the care ex-
pended on the defenses around it, caused
the soldiers who considered il rs point to
be passed, Of course at any hazard, TO scan it
infinitely. IL did not compare with South
Mountain, Maryland, in height, nor in
Rbruptness and the majority of them had
taken part in the assaults there, a few
weeks before, in the Antietam campaign.
The day of crossing passed without at
tack, but our whole line was subjected to
artillery fire. Early on the 18th the Union
left wing advanced direct in front and
fought desperate battle with 'Stonewall"
Jackson and were repUlsed. While this
movement was in progress against Lees
light flank the troops in front of Marye's,
Vho had been ordered into readiness to
charge, stood in suspense They were the
divisions of French and Hancock of the
second corps, at this time commanded by
Gen. ID. y. Couch The order to advance
came to the troops about noon as they were
IN close column on the edge of the town.
No reconnaissance OF the ground to be gone
Sver had been made, for the reason that it
was under fire of the enemy and was eX
posed TO "A scrutiny through the field glass
that seemed to uncover every obstacle inn
portant to be considered. Apparently it
Mas a clear field except the usual fences
and small buildings, and when this cleared
ground should be passed a short sharp
run would take the assdilants up the slopes
30 the Confederate lines.
The storming column was led by Gen.
Nathan Kimbalrs brigade, the Fourteenth
Indiana, TweDty-fourth and Twenty-eighth
New Jersey, Fourth and Eighth Ohio and
seventh West Virginia Then followed
Col O. H. Palmer's brigade, the Four
teenth Connecticut, One Hundred and
Eighth New York and One Hundred and
Thirtieth Pennsylvania Col John w.
Andrews brigade, the First Delaware,
Fourth and Tenth New York and One
Hundred and Thirty-Seeond Pennsylvania,
.osed the division Of French, who opened
he ball. moving at what is called brigade
front, the several regiments of each bri-
gade in a line. Kimball had not proceeded
over 200 yards before the first hidden OBJ
Etruction OF the field destroyed his forma-
ton. This was a canal too wide and deep
to be passed without breaking up the col
umn and moving by the flank across some
narrow bridges. The new movement eX-
posed the men to the fire Of artillery on
the heights. But sho5 and shell, though
ploughing their ranks, did not stop them.
On they went TO a slight rise of ground $50
yards TO the front, where they reformed,
Rnd then for the charge