Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-11-02
FREDERICKSBURG.

G. A. R. Post at Lyndonville in honor
of Capt. Geo. w. Quimby:
fredericksburg, Va, lies on the
south bank of the Rappahannock riv-
er, an easy march south of Washing
ton, and not far from those two places
made immortal by the war-'EThe Viii
derness'' and ''Spottsylvania." The
river at Fredericksburg is perhaps
three hundred yards wide, and moves
SO quietly and peacefully that you can
not imagine that it's waters have been
three times the stage upon which was
enacted with dramatic brilliancy, those
tragedies, one of which l ask you to
look over with me for the few min
utes allotted to it's study.
The city itself is noted for it's staid
and substantial colonial residences
and for being the birthplace and the
burial place of the mother of Wash
ington. 1t is a short distance from
Mount Vernon, whose owner often
! drove TO the city. 1t is as unlike bat
/ tlefield as can we'll be imagined. The
| banks of this beautiful river suggest
nothing but peace and Incidence. The
shaded highways are bordered by
bright primrose banks, and the trim
meadows are perfumed by the honey
| suckle and buttercup. The bluffs on
the north side of the river are near its
| shores, and not as high as those on
! the south side, where at the city it
self they almost form hills and are
near the river Just near enough
to allow the charming little town to
lie at their feet, while just below the
city the range of hills recedes in
graceful lines, leaving broad fields, a
mile wide, and again creeping back to
the waters edge, forming the arc of
great semicircle, enclosing many a
stately mansion and many a comfort
able farm house. The fields were well
ditched and the highways well set
with red cedar and oak. Altogether
it was place for the shouts of chill
dren and the songs of harvesters as
they wandered from one delight to
another.
But this bright December day trans
formed this fairy-like place into
thing of misery, and when the moon
rose that second night, those lovely |
lanes were piled with upturned faces, |
cold and clammy. The stealthy camp |
follower was at his work, pillaging |
the dead and robbing the dying.
The first days fight was opened by |
Burnside, who occupied the north |
bank of the river with the army of |
the Potomac by a fierce cannonade |
upon Lees outer intrenchments on the |
very bank of the river. The main |
rebel force, the army of Northern Vir-
ginia, was in position on the hills at |
the rear of the city, and south along
on the face of the hills to the point |
where river and hill meet.
After a half hours outpouring of this
rain of iron, thousand of our men
with boats on their backs, made
dash for the river, and at it's brink
they flung themselves into their boats
and pulled for the other shore with
all their might, captured the works
there, then set to work to make bridg
es of their boats upon which our main
army could cross. All that day and
night the steady stream of men pour
ed on. The cold was intense, the mud
frozen to depth that would hold the
heaviest artillery. 1t was uncomfort
able for the soldier; it aided the move
ments of the army.
By daylight all the troops were over
and in position on this plain, great
river in their rear, hills in their front
and hills on every flank, and those
hills covered with the earthworks of
an Industrious enemy, who had been
twenty days preparing for this very
hour. This magnificent army, that
short time before had, under the COM
mand of it's idol, Geo. B. Mcclellan,
wrested Maryland and the whole
North from this rebel horde, now
found itself in the clutches of its foe.
Every cannon on those heights could
drop its shot on any part of our line.
Why did they not do it? There is but
one xplanation-they were waiting
for US to bring over our wagon trains
that they could get not only us, but
our supplies they SO much needed.
They could at their will destroy our
frail bridge, and then dictate our ca
pitulation. The second day our fore
es moved against some of their works.
The spectacle was grand, but re-
pulse was certain. Twelve thousand
men were slain. By padding the
bridges to deaden the sound,
friendly night, the moon obscured by
clouds, we stole back across the river
quicker than we came, and in the
morning our foe beheld an empty field
where at sundown had lain the victim.
The mouse had escaped the over con-
fident cat.
My regiment had been on the skir-
mish line all that day, its experiences
were exciting to the last degree, so
that when twilight came, and the fir
ing began to cease, the men dropped in
their places for rest, and to take such
plain food as they had. They had no
opportunity to eat before that day.
1t seemed plain that the toll of battle
was over for the day, and we could
now look our comrades in the face and
say, this wretched business is done.
Captain Quimby, as the dusk fell,
and the tension of the day seemed re
ieved, flung himself upon the bank of
a convenient ditch and called to his
servant to bring him his haversack.
In a few minutes the man came with
water and food, and his chief reused
himself to eat. AS he sat upright, he
thanked the tired soldier who had
served him, when a mimic ball from
the accidental discharge of a rifle in
the rebel lines sped, true as the un-
erring instinct of the canine, to the
jugular vein, and instantly the great
arteries were severed and Captain
Quimby lay dead on the blundering
field of Fredericksburg.
A SAFE 1NvESTMENT.-1S which is guar
tO hrin aS111tS in