The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-05
AMERICAN SHRINES
Pilgrimage to Fredericksburg and
Adjacent Battletields.
GROUP OF HISTORIC PLACES
With Impressive Relations eomTFe-
hepslyo Plans for tho Preservation
ofchaneellersHllle, the wilderness
ana OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES orWar
Taught in Successive Campaigns.

Irffs1NHA ~ NAoAAAs-t ispAASpttSAAT
dent Of the st. Louis Globe-D Democrat;
"A pilgrimage begins at Fredericksburg
on the south bank Of the Rhppanhan-
mock, Behind Is the river which Burn
SIDES army crossed in the early morn
ing OF a clear cold December day in
1852, Before the pilgrim is q plain now
partly covered with the after-the-war
BredeFlcksburg, then an open field.
Beyond the Geld rise Alarge'S Heights,
steep, stone-walled. the position Of all
q military commander would choose to
block the way of an invading army. Up
from the bank OF the river, over the
plain and to the heights, Furnishes
lineE Of battle came and melted. That
was the 'hrst Fredericksburg the first
great storming charge Of the war, and
It failed. The next day found the shat
tered army Of the Potomac across the
river and there Il remained until
spring, when 9 new commander Hook
er, began new campaign with the
month Of May,
Prohting by BurnsIde's experience.
Hooker crossed at several points above
FFedeFtckshurg. Lee left his impreg-
nable position around the city and
marched west to get between Hooker
and the way to Richmond. The pilgrim
riding out OF fredericksburg along the
Orange plank road. having left behind
him Marye's Heights scarcely q half
score Of miles, comes to where Hooker
and Lee faced each other at Chancel-
Iava In nf1 1912 nVrH NAV.
ed a game OF war as different as pos
aible from that Of the first Fredericks-
burg" II was there that Jackson,
leaving Lee squaTely facing Hooker,
marched all day by long detour to the
south through forest-fringed roads and
at O'Clock in the afternoon came out
into the open, facing with his three
lines Of battle the unthinking extreme
right Of Hooker. He had gone past the
Union army, had turned and had come
back Before dark an entire corps,
Towards, the Eleventh, had been
rolled up, changed into a panic-struck-
en- mob and sent flying down upon the
rest OF the army, making the most sue
cessful surprise Of the whole war. But
that same night Lee sustained loss
greater than Hooker's. Jackson, feel
ing about In front OF his line to prepare
for the morning movement, was shot
by his own men. The five or six days
about Charlottesville left two exhaust
ed armies, and Hooker, deciding not to
20 to Richmond by that route, with
drew back across the Rappanhannock.
The pilgrim passes right on westward
by Charlottesville over this same
plank road. Hardly has he covered as
much Of It as the stretch where Jack
son fortified his lines and drove the
Eleventh Corps pell nell to the east
ward, when he comes out upon the
evidences" To the northward are
epen patches OF farms, walled In by
dense growths of timber and brush. A
few miles north are the fords Of tho
Rapldan, which Is the south fork OF the
RappahannoclS. After the May days at
Charlottesville came another COM
niander Of the Army Of the Potomac,
Meade, and in July Gettysburg was
fought. BY December. that same year,
1858, Meade had come down to the Rap
idan on his way to Richmond. He cross
ed the Rapidan, had heavy diminishing
in the wilderness, went back and into
winter quarters.
Then came Grant from the west, TAX
ing the command of the Army Of the
Potomac, a lieutenant general, with
Meade under him. In May. 1864. Grant
crossed the RRpidan. less than twenty
five miles from where Burnside had
fought his "frst Fredericksburg" and
within half the distance from where
Hooker, IN May Of 1868, had met Lee at
Charlottesville. Grant started for
Richmond. Burnside started for the
Confederate capital By way Of Freder-
ickhburg, Hooker by way OF ChanGeil-
Orsville, and Grant by why OF the Will
derness. The three starting points were
on an east and west line, less than
twenty-five miles long But the three
wears of war mad taught something.
The days OF the impossible, like that
Btorming Of Marye's Heights, had gone
by SO had the opportunities for such
q paralyzlng surprise as Jackson gave
Howard at Charlottesville.
Grant crossed the RApidan undiScov-
cred, but within day Lee had started
from Orange Court House, moving
eastward by the turnpike and the
plank road leading from Orange Court
House TO Fredericksburg. The Wilder
ness Ii about half OF the distance, And
there Grant, going south, and Lee,com.
ing east, had their initial meeting the
frat week Of May. 1884
The pilgrim leaves the easterly
course and turns southwark to follow
the route Of the fortunes OF war from
the 9Th Of May to the 18th Of that
month. The new course Is not due
south, II bears to the eastward consid-
erabIy. Its length lE. perhaps. little
more than twelve miles. Grant was ten
DAYS going that distance, Those were
fnomentous days They revealed to
Lee the presence OF n man who did not
turn buck. They included everything
known TO the strategy and horror or
war.
In history the period covers the bat
ties OF the Wilderness and OF Spotts-
Eylvnnia. Moving TO the southwark.
Grant was compelled to face westward
continuously. He made the twelve
miles by taking advantage OF the lulls
in the lighting. and moving n corps
from the right OF the line or battle back
10 the rear and around 10 the left Thus
the left wing was slowly extended,
while the right was shortened. And
this was done over hills, through
ewnmpy places, across streams, the
face OF the country was alternately
clehred, fields and pines and cedar and
oak forests with dense underground.
As Grant moved n corps Mt time Lee
pressed forward, terrifying and walt
Ing for attack, endeavorinB by each
movement to shunt the COURSE OF
Grant. to the eastward, and on the dL-