The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-22
BEHIND STONE WALL AT FREDERICKSBURG.


NrlpIllC story or tho Fighting Where
Twenty-Five Hundred Conrrdcr-
atcs Killed and Wounded Five
Thousand Fcdcrals
The recent dcmisc OF Mrs. Thomas
Il. H. Cobb at her home in Athens, Ga,
recalls the tragic death Of acr brave
and gallant husband, Gen. ~. IL. Il.
Cobh, on the 18th Of December, lSG2.
at the battle Of fredericksburg, Va.
General Cobb was in command at tho
most Important point on General Lees
line OF battle, and his splendid defence
OF strategic position gained tho ad-
miration Of the entire army. His loss
was sincerely lamcntcd, not only by
his own command, but throughout the
magnificent corps under Longstrcct.
General Cobb was killed behind the
famous stone wall at the footof Maryc's
Heights, where for three days his com
mand, in snow and ice, had fought one
OF the lierccst battles OF the war. The
slaughter was terrific, seven or eight
thousand Fcdcrals being killed or
wounded by CObbs brigade and the
Confederate batteries on Maryc's
Heights, while the killed in Cobb's
brigade numbered only eighteen.
Capt. w. a. Starncs, Of Atlanta, was
in Cobb's legion, and was near the gen
cral when hc was killed. Speaking Of
that fatcful day he said: "Gcnorai
Cobb was one Of the bravcst, the best
and the noblcst men tho world has
ever known. His soldiers loved him as
father and would have followed him
to the ends Of tho earth. We had been
lighting three days behind the stone
wall. The weather was bitter cold,
and snow and slcct had been falling.
The wall was several hundred yards
long and was AT the foot Of the heights
upon which about one hundred Confcd-
crate guns were planted. When the
FCdcraiS would move out Of the town
upon the open field five lines OF battle
deep, the cannon would play upon them
with terrible slaughter. General Cobb,
behind the stone wall, would order his
men to reserve their fire until the Fed
erals were within easy reach.
"'kccp cool, he would say. Keep
cool Wait until they come up; don't |
fire until the order is given He moved |
up and down the line, cons tantly Civ |
ing these instructions with words of |
and himself showed |
no fear. D.i the last duy |
chargc after charge was made until the |
Fcdcrals literally made breastworks Of
their dead. just before a charge some |
Of our men exposed themselves and |
General COBB went to whore they were
and cautioned them TO be more careful.
At that moment IL shell exploded above
him. Onc piece struck General Cobb
in the thigh and he fell and bled to
death. A& he WAS wounded the charge
advanced and the fire became terrific,
In the midst Of Tie fearful battle and
as his lie blood chbcd away he said TO
those about him l., Hold your position.
boys hold your position !; be quiet; Pm
all right But he was not all right and
in few moments he WAS dead. Two
OF his comrades who tried to carry him
rom the field were shot and Killed.
lie was ono OF the most heroic men
ever seen in battle, and one OF the
coolest
"Thc brigade behind the stone WALL"
continued Captain Starn"s, "@Hs COM
posed OF Cobb's legion, Phillips legion,
the Sixteenth G,orgiu, the Eighteenth
Georgia, and the Twenty fourth Gcor-
gia."
LONGSTKEET'S DESCRIPTION.
General Longstrcct's graphic de-
scription OF tho fight before the stone
wall is us follows:
In front Of Maryc's Hill is plateau,
and Immediately y at tho base OF the hill
there is sunkcn road, known rs tho
road next to tho town was q stono wall,
shoulder high, against which the earth
was banked, forming an almost unap-
proachablc defense. 1t WAS impossible
for the troops occupying it to expose
more than small portion OF their
bodies. Behind this stone wall | had
placed about 1000 men, being all OF
Gen. T. Il. Il. Cobb's brigade, and Il
portion OF the brigade Of General iicr.
shaw, both OF McLaw's division. It'll
must now be understood that tho Fed
erals, to reach what appeared to be
my weakest point, would have to pass
directly over this wall, held by Cobb's
infantry.
An idea of how well Maryc's Hin was
protected may be obtained from the
following incident. Gen. f.. Il. AlcXan- |
der, my engineer and superintendent
Of artillery, had been placing the guns, |
and in going over the field with him |
before the battle, noticed an idle can
non. | suggested that he place il SO
as to aid in covering the plain in front Of
Maryc's Hill. lie answered, "Gcncral,
we cover that ground now SO well that
We will comb il as if with a lno-tOOth |
comb. y chicken could not 1.-Two on
that field when we open on it,"
A little before noon, | sent orders to
the streets or at any point where the
troops were seen about the city, rs ~
diversion in favor Of Jackson. This |
fire began at once to develop the work |
in hand for myself The Federal troops |
flied out Of the city Ike bees out OF Il
hive, coming In douDlc.quick march |
and filing the edge Of the field in |
front Of Cobb. This was just whore
we had expected attack and | was pre-
pared to meet it. AS the troops masscd |
before us, they were much annoyed by
the fire OF our batteries. The field was
literally packed with Fcdcrals from
the vast number OF troops that had
been masscd in the town. From the
moment OF their appearance began the
most fearful carnage. With our artil-
lcry from the front, right and left tear
ing through their ranks, the Fcdcrals
pressed forward with almost invinciblc
determination, maintaining their
steady steps and closing up their broken
ranks. Thus rcsolutcly they marched
upon the stone fcncc, behind where