The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-24
TWO DEATH-DEALING GUNS
THE GREATEST DESTRUCTION OF
 LIFE BY ARTILLERY.

tillery of Athens, Georgia, Killed or
 Wounded One Thousand Men of sedG-
 wick's Corps at Fredericksburg.
 A few years since General Fitzhugh Lee, now American consul general to Cuba, lectured in Athens on "The Bat tie of Fredericksburg" In the course of his lecture, giving all the details of this battle, he stated that the greatest destruction of life by artillery during our whole war was by two guns or section of a battery in this battle of Fredericksburg, and, reading from the F'ederals' own report of this battle, he stated the number to have been one thousand killed and wounded
 The general, then addressing his au- dience, said, "and, fellow citizens of Athens, those guns were section of the battery which went from your own city of Athens" The facts and his tory of that engagement are as fol- | lows:
 General Sedgwick's Federal corps was occupying Stafford or Falmouth | Heights, just below Fredericksburg, and on the opposite side of the Kappa | hammock river from the Confederate po- sition. He had been ordered to occupy these heights and watch for an oppor- | tunity, by attacking the Confederate l forces in his front, to turn General Lees right flank, who was engaged in l battle with General Rockers army at | Charlottesville. The Confederates inn mediately in front of General SedgWick were under the command of General Barksdale of Mississippi, and consisted of his brigade, one or two companies from General Hayes Louisiana brig | ade the Washington artillery from New Orleans and the Troup artillery.
 This force was occupying a line Of about three miles between Fredericks- burg and Hamilton's Crossing on the | Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad. They were, of course, very much seat tered, or stretched out, in attempting to hold a line of such great length, The Washington artillery occupied Mayre's s Heights, just in front of Fred Sr.cks- burg. The Troup artillery occupei a position considerably to the right and 1 in advance of the Washington artillery, and just opposite Deep Bottom Run, on | the Rappahannock river The infantry were so disposed of by companies as best to hold and protect the intervening extent of our line.
 General Sedgwck, discovering the weakness of our line, threw his whole corps across the river attacking Gen. eral Barksdale's line at Myre's Heights captured a regiment and half of his infantry brigade and two batteries of the Washington Artillery battalion, which occupied these heights. The Troup artillery, being to the right and | in advance of Mayre's Heights, was thus cut off from the main force and | placed in a very critical position, the Federal troops then being in it's rear on the left The colonel in command of the artillery battalion ran the gauntlet and reaching the position of the Troup | artillery, notified the officer in com- mand of that battery of his condition, and ordered him to retreat in the direc- ton of Hamiltons Crossing and get out ] as pest lie tputu. Just dl lllo JuIl'Iui ' a brigade of General Sedgwicks corps. and which had crossed the river @t Deep Bottom Run, appeared in front of | the Troup artillery. and formed line of battle for the purpose of charging and 1 capturing this battery. The officer in command of the TrOup artillery, realiz- ing the situation, and knowing that If he then attempted a retreat with this | infantry force immediately and so closely in his front, and under the diff faculties which would attend the retreat of his battery, he and his whole com | mand would be captured, refused to obey the order so far as retreating with his whole battery So, sending to the rear, and in the direction of Eamilton's g | Crossing his long range guns and bis | heavily loaded caissons, so as to get ttem out of the way. he then took a section of Napoleons guns, and advanc- ing in the direction of the Federal brig age until within easy canister range, opened fire upon the enemy with his guns double-shotted with canister.
 The slaughter of this brigade was | fearful But the enemy, bravely rally ing. reformed their line of battle, when the artillery officer repeated his fire of canister shot with equally destructive effect The enemy, then falling back somewhat reformed, but observing that the artillery officer was advancing with his section of guns to repeat the fire, they broke and rushed pel mell into a ravine just to their left. This artillery officer then obliqued his guns, and, reaching the head of the ravine, poured a terrific and still more destructive fire upon the now huddllng enemy.
 Having effectually crippled the Fed eral force which so endangered his re- treat, he then had his guns limbered up to the rear and made safe his re- treat. overtaking the balance of the command near the Richmond and Fred ericksburg railroad, where his command came up with a portion of General Jubal Earlys command, which was marching to the relief of General Barks- dale.
 As a result of this artillery firing the i Federal officers the next morning re- ported one thousand killed and wound ed. This is the engagement and the re- suits which General FitZhugh Lee al luded to in his lecture here in Athens, and which facts are on file with the | records of the war in the war depart ment at Washington City.