Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-12-13
The Battle of fredericksburg.
Personal RecoIIections OF the Fierce
Battle of 33 Years Ago.


| was wounded it all comes back to my
mind. am not going to give history of
this great battle but will givea few histori-
cal points, hoping that they will interest
the children.
On December IL, 1862, the whole army
of 125, 900 well disciplined Union soldiers
was in motion, and preparing for the great
battle of Fredericksburg under the new
commander, Gen. Ambrose K. Burnside.
Fredericksburg is on the south side of
the Rappahannock river II was a quaint
old town of about 1000 inhabitants before
the war, the place of the death and burial
of the mother of Washington. The battle
was chiefly fought on the 18th, though the
various movements of advance and retreat
occupied five days. On the 18th five pom
toon bridges were laid across the river. The
roar and shrek of the shot and shell from
100 cannon, posted on the hill on the north
side of the river, told us in deafening tones
that the battle was on once more. This
fired the town in various places and made
unsightly holes in churches and other build
ings. The 18th was comparatively quiet
and was consumed in marching the army
across the bridges to the large plains south
of the river and accommodating the enemy's
position in front. This was not done with
out some fighting and the loss of many
lives.
The 18th was day of fearful fighting;
the roar of cannon and the rattle of mus
kerry were incessant; wounded men were
seen everywhere, many poor soldier, faint
and bleeding from his wounds, was stag
gering back to the field hospital where the
surgeons were busy caring for those poor,
wounded men. Many were being brought
back who were wounded so that they were
unable to help themselves, many died from
want of care The l4th and 10Th were days
when both armies were content to watch
the movements of the other and see if they
could not make something out of the 9TH
er's mistake. During the night Of the 18th
the whole Union army withdrew TO the
north side of the river. We learned on the
day following that $4,000 Union men had
been sacrificed in this fruitless battle. There
was a gloom over the whole army and
thousands of homes all over this fair land
mourned the loss of some dear one never
to return. 1t WAS hard fought battle and
one in which the Union army had many
obstacles to overcome, and some of the gen
erals were slow in their movements, while
others were not disposed to act in harmony
with Gen. Burnside's prearranged plan Of
battle. The nights were cold and the morn
ings clouded with heavy fogs, and there
was much suffering in the army, especially
among the wounded. But the great bat
tie of Fredericksburg had been fought at a
great sacrifice Of human lives. What shall
be said of those men who calmly looked
death squarely in the face, then marched
into the surging smoke of battle mid the
deafening roar of cannon and the sharp
rattle OF musketry? The anguish that they
felt within their breasts in the dread attack
was agony that can never be told. Still
our hero martyrs marched beneath the
cloudy heavens pail and by rebel bullets
fell.
There were three great battles fought
over this same ground by the two great
armies of northern Virginia. FIedericks-
burg will ever stand in American history
as one of the great battle grounds of the
rebellion. 1t is the place where many Of
the disabled soldiers of today received their
wounds.
The great battlefield of Gettysburg has
hundreds of costly monuments TO mark the
spots where the brave men fought and fell
in the defence of the Union, and we'll may
the American people tell of the valorous
deeds performed there by the nations brave
defenders. Look with me on the battlefield
of Fredericksburg and see what is there to
mark the spot-about one mile west of the
city of Fredericksburg, on the southern eX-
tremity of prominent bluff known as
Mary's heights. This ground fairly shook
beneath the roar of the rebel artillery,
while the ground was torn by shot and
shell by Union cannon, the rattle of mus
kerry, and the shouts of soldiers battling in
the great whirlpools of death were lost in
the thunder of those mighty cannon. On
this ground was seen the awful confusion
of life, death, victory, defeat, advance, re-
treat, the cries of the wounded and the
groans of the dying, all mingled with the
prayers to the God of Battles. 1t is no
wonder that the rebels were wont to call
this place "Lncoln's slaughter pen."
1t was on the third of May, 1868, that
the old Vermont brigade charged over this
ground during one of those fearful battles,
and for the first time drove the rebels from
this place now made sacred by the graves
of 1906 Union dead who are inferred in
this national cemetery, comprising 2465
known officers and soldiers. Sixty-six of
these are Vermont soldiers, while the sad
inscription of unknown is read on l., G0l of
these graves, unknown to friends and to
an ever grateful nation.
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While fame her record keeps,
Or honor points the hallowed spot
Where valor proudly sleeps"
The graves are marked by plain white
tablets, with inscriptions in black, showing
the number of each grave, and the name,
rank and corps, if known. The bodies
were collected from the battlefelds of the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Chancellors-
vile and Fredericksburg There is also
connected with this cemetery a museum of
war relics taken from the battlefields and
the graves of those who were brought here.
The work on this cemetery was begun in
the summer of 1866 and completed in the
fall of 1869. The total expense of con-
struction and interment is reported as
about $4,000. Peace has smoothed out
many of the rough paths of war and spread
greensward over this battlefield once
crimsoned with the blood that was the
price of liberty. And as the years roll on,
and the thoughts of the old heroes wander