Arizona republican., 1892-11-09


,ors we prayed or slept again. Our corps
Esrmee under Gen. Sedgwick lay on the
s,rtbern or Confederate side Of the river
!" The shelter of the ravines that thread
1s nlain below fredericksburg midway
tstveen the rivers bank and the base of
,hs range of hills made famous by the
Moody struggles of two campaigns.
Ssdgwick had stolen march on the
copfederates by leading us across under
heir very noses one heavy, foggy morning,
and the enemy had less cause to concern
smself about what we would do after
noupcing so close to our game than we had
y concern ourselves about how he should
h dislodged from his hillside rife pits and
me cannon crowned crests above them.
We had been there before on the same err
and, and had seen 1900 OF our comrades
Oodown in an attempt like that to which
Ne were called-we who numbered but
1900 True, we were not entirely alone.
Five other corps, constituting fivesixths
n the then magnificent Army Of the Po-
tomac and numbering nearly 100000 men,
ay but eight miles distant, beyond those
heights and beyond the Confederate camps
Of wearing inactivity in those narrow and
Tamped ravines had been at times enliv-
,ned by the thought that the Sixth corps
had crossed the river merely to lie low and
robbie up the men in gray whom the other
I've corps would drive down into the valley
on their march across the hills to meet us.
But no; the order came from army head
quarters at Charlottesville about mid
night on Saturday that the Sixth corps
should climb the heights and drive the en-
envy out and push him on into the trap
alleged to be awaiting him at the other
end Of the line ........
Stealthily once more our columns
marched and countermarched up and
down the ravines and over the plains, as
We had done every night for a week, aud
at daylight rested in hiding to quiet any
alarm the enemy might have taken from
our movements. We covered little more
ground and Rugged the foot Of the hills a
little closer; that was all that showed on
he surface. But the programme for the
day showed something more. Every regi-
nsnt and every battery in the line was to
aowd and harass the enemy in its front,
while picked storming column should
make forlorn attempt to scale Marye's
Heights the stronghold Of all that range
Of smbattled hills-Marye's Heights with
their stone wall breastworks. their chain
Of earth redoubts. their reputation as a
slaughter pen and their machinery for
butchery in prime working order.
The highest post Of honor fell by mere nc
sdsnt TO the Sixth Maine regiment, a body
Of Hslwart lumbermen from the banks OF
the Penobscot. The storming party con-
sisted Of a line Of battle, deployed parallel
70 the heights, with heavy ends or columns
mASsed to form the wings. The line OF
battle was led by Col. Hiram Burnham. OF
the Sixth Maine, his own regiment on the
right hugging the plank road which as
cends and crosses Marye's hill. Three
regiments were on the left OF the Maine
men, and one-the Fifth wisconsin-was
skirmishing in front Of the whole line
The right wing column had an easy
march for the first few rods, for 1t moved
upthe plank road. When IL started at
double quick the enemy's rife pits. re-
doubts and stone wall breastwork brought
every arm into play. The advance Of the
right column was signal for the others,
and with intervals between the right col
umn and the line OF battle, and again be-
tween the line Of battle and the left col
umn, the entirs party moved in fair unison
upthe foot slopes. The Confederate can
honeers on the heights took particular aim
the solid ranks Of the wings, and few
rounds Of shell checked their march per-
eepubly. Colonel Spear, of the right col
amn, fell an early victim, and about the
same time shot burst over the front
ranks Of the left column, killing regi-
mental leader and several men.
The line Of battle facing directly the
stone wall and redoubts swept on at double
quick, bayonets in hand, without firing
shot, and the connection was quickly