The Progress., 1892-10-15

4 SEUkAa HN us III the presence
| y NX&A : OF the enemy just
| NSEN where we had
| ST3SS - passed several
SS4&@ days without col
lision, the chances
were many to one that we would night be-
fore we prayed or slept again. Our corps
d'armee under Gen. Scdgwick lay on tho
southern or Confederate side OF the river
In the shelter Of the ravines that thread
the plain below Fredericksburg midway
l,etweeu the rivers bank and the base OF
the range Of hills made famous by the
bloody struggles Of two campaigns.
Sulywick had stolen march on the
Coufctler,,tes by leading us across under
their very noses one heavy, foggy morning
and the enemy had less cause TO concern
himself about what we would do atter
po,ncing so close to our game than we had
10 concern ourselves about how he shoulu
D. dislodged from his hillside rifle pits and
the cannon crowned crests above them.
We had been there before on the same err
rand. and had seen 1900 Of our comrades
60 down in AN attempt like that to which
we were callcd-we who numbered Du'
24,OO0 True. we were not entirely alone.
Five other corps, constituting hvesixth'
Of the then magnificent Army of the 10
tomac and numbering nearly loOOOO men
lay bnt eight miles distant, beyond thosf
heights and beyond the Confederate camp'
on the same elevated plane, and our days
OF wearing inactivity in those narrow and
crampri ravines had been Mt times enliv
en,d by the thought that the Sixth corps
had crossed the river merely to lie low ant
roI,ble up the men in gray whom the othe
N Il -, Il. int
ON their march across the hills to meet MS
But. no; the order came from army head
quarters at Charlottesville about mid
night ON Saturday that the Sixth corp
should climb the heights and drive the en-
smy out and push him OH into the ira
alleged to I've awaiting him ut the othe
end az the line
Stcnlthily once more orr column
marched and countermarched up nm
down the ravnes and over the plains, n
we had done every night for n week, an
at daylight rested In hiding to quiet an
alarm the enemy might have taken froi
our movements. We covered little NOR
ground and hugged the foot Of the hills
little closer: that was all that showed
the surface. But the programme for tn
day showed something more. Every reg
ment and every battery in the line was I
crowd and harass the enemy In its iron
while n picked storming column shoul
make forlorn attempt to scale Marye
Heights the stronghold Of all that rang
Of embattled hills-Marye's Heights wit
their stone wall breastworks, their chai
Of earth redoubts, their reputation as
slaughter pen and their machinery Il
butchery in prime working order.
The highest post Of honor fell by mere a
ci,lrnt to the Sixth Maine regiment, a bod
of stalwart lumlermen from the banks I
the Prnobscot The .storming party co
sisted Of line Of battle. deployed parall
to the heights, with heavy ends or column
massed TO form the wings. The line
battle was led by Col. Hiram Burnham,
the Sixth Maine, his own regiment on II
right hugging the plank road which
c.uds and crosses Marye's hill. Thr
regiments were on the left OF the Mail
men. and oue-the Fifth Wisconsin--wi
diminishing in front Of the whole line.
The right wing column had an en-
march for the first few rods, for it move
up the plank road. When it started
double u,,ick the enemy's rifle pits, I
doubts and tone wall breastwork broug
every arm into play. The advance OF g
right column was signal for the othei
and with intervals between the right C
umn and the line Of battle, and again !
tween the line Of battle and the left c.
umn, the entire party moved In fair unis
up the foot slopes. The Confederate ca
noneers on the heights took particular al
at the solid ranks Of the wings. and fs
rounds Of shell checked their march p'
ceptibly. Colonel Spear. Of the right c.
umn. fell an early victim. and about I
same time "a shot burst over tue FRO
ranks OF the left column, killing rel
mental leader and several men.
The line Of battle facing directly {
stone wall aud redoubts swept on at doui
quick. bayonets In hand, without Trims
shot, and the connection was quick