The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-31

yesterday when they unveneu "''""
| 10 General A. p. Hill Too long has TINS su-
| perb soldier. whose plume ever waved IN INC
| very foremost Of battle, been neglected. TOO
| long has this patriotic. devoted NirgInian
failed to secure from his fellow-cltlzens the
recognition that his great deeds IN defense OF
| his native State cried aloud for. Opinions
may differ upon ths question how near 70
| Stonewall Jackson he should RANK as SOL
| der. but there will be no difference OF opin-
| ion upon the point that be was great ana
patriotic soldier. whose part in the perfor-
msnces Of the army of Northern Virginia RANK
second only 10 those OF Jackson and Long
street. If they are oven second there. ana IL
| is a singular. most unparalleled tribute TO the
esteem in which both Lee and Jackson held
| him TINT his name was in tho half conscious
dying utterances Of each.
| The Confederate soldiers commanded by
| General Hill performed many notable feats,
amongst which may be specially mentioned
| what they did in the seven days battles
around Richmond at Second Manassas at
! Harpers Ferry, at Sharpsburg at Shepherds
town. at Charlottesville. at Gettysburg, IN
the MIG8TuerS anu III III Auc lclAACtp -@N'''r
at and around Petersburg. in an article OF
this sort there can be no more than bare
mention of these places az each one
| Of which his command sustained
| its reputation and their commander
| acquired mperishabie renowD. But too III
tie prominence has been given TO what his
division did for the Confederacy at the battle
Of Fredericksburg. and we shall devote some
space to 8 specification Of its performances
there.
The popular mind has come to centre upon
the charge on Mayres Hill AZ the battle OF
Fredericksburg. This is far from an ade-
quate idea Of that great battle The charge
on Marye's Hill and the defence Of It were
! both heroic acts. but they were only an incl
dent and a small incident of the fight. Our
men were behind a stone wall there and sui
fered comparatively little loss. although the
| loss inflicted by them upon the enemy was
fearful TO contemplate. But that part OF the
/ fight extended over only a few hundred yards.
| The terrific fighting of the day was to the
| (Confederate) right of Maryes HI! IN the
great plain spreading out from tie Kappa
hammock. A. p. HIPS division constituted
n mile and n h0if of the line across this great
plaini Rebellion record quoted below page
| G45). and there in the open field. lie repeat
edlv received the shock Of very much greater
numbers than his own (perhaps four 10 one
hurled On his line time after time, with
out anything more than a temporary
break or confusion in its integrity
l. 4 H. h.
ing until dark. The forces directly opposed
to his division are estimated by General Jack
son at 81. 600 Rebellion records quoted below
| page 63I) Burnside's main purpose was TO
turn General Lees right flank consisting to
great extent OF A. 7. Hills division, and he d.
rected bis chief efforts towards the accomplish
ment Of that result. directing his whole attack
upon Hills division. But in the open field
in hand to hand fighting greatly oyermatched
in numbers. Hill. nobly aided at 3 critical mo-
ment by some of Longstreet's men. foiled him
completely and sent bis army back at night
little better than a disorganized mob.
The United States Government has pub
lished and is publishing all the documents II
possession of the War Department that bear
on the war under the official title War Of the
Rebellion Official Records" DC. Volume Il,
series /, contains those that bear on the battle
of Fredericksburg. and they lay it out before
us as il in panorama.
The Confederate army consisted of the two
corps of Longstreet and Jackson, with the
artillery and cavalry. Longstreets corps con-
sisted Of FIVE divisions, and 1t held the left Of
L. Tonlraopfo oopcfefaH az 6fyl~
sions. and held the right
Longstreet's official report can be seen at
page 572. The losses in his FIVE divisions
were 1874. Jacksons report is at page 63O-'3j.
The loses in his four divisions we're 3.4l5.
But the losses in A. p Hills division alone
of Jacksou's corps were 2, 12O. This tells the
tale. The losses in this one division We're
nearly one-half all the losses in the whole
nine divisions composing the army. and they
were 226 greater than in the whole Of Long
streets corps of five divisions.
But this is not ALL The great battle was
fought on December 18th and every man that
Hill lost was lost on that day Oh. G45-s)
| But there was heavy hghting on tho nth and
18th. While Burnside was crossing the river
and putting his army into position, all Of this
fighting fell to Longstreets lot. and 35g of his
loss of ,s9i occurred on the 18th aud 18th
! Qb. 572) So that his loss in the battle Of
| Fredericksburg proper was only 1885.
A. j. HIPS division lost there in the battle
of Fredericksburg proper 5sj more men than
were lost in the whole of Longstreet's corps
of five divisions. and. if we deduct from the
whole Confederate losses. as stated above,
what Longstreet lost on the 18th and 18th.
we nave q total loss in the battle proper Of
$50. of which Hills division lost 2. 100 But
even this is not all. OF the men killed and
wounded on the 18th Longstreets whole corps
lost 30 killed and .902 wounded. Ib. 572)
| Hills division lost 23l killed and 1,474
wounded Ob. 64S.)
Let no one suppose that we seek 10 deiract
from the glorious services rendered by other
commands in this memorable battle. Moth
ing of the sort is intended. All we want 10
do is to point out the fact that the great part
which A. 7. HIPS division played in the bat
tie has never been sufficiently noticed, and
we cay that when his single division lost 2. 10
meu out of $50 lost by ali nine Of the diys-
ions when 1t held one mile and a half Of the