The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-06-28

NtW Aoikg huu SuunJ AFebANi NhN ~'N"
Jersey as we'll as that Of the Irish bri-
gade, drenched the soil OF that fatal
field. Yale and Harvard, Princeton and
the Wesleyan University each had full
companies Of gallant fellows fighting In
the ranks. All that weary afternoon
till nights plying shadows came,
charge followed charge, and spent their
force like the waves Of the sea, close to
that fated wall.
Gen. Couch, who was watching the
fearful scene from the steeple OF the
courthouse, only square away from
this hotel. said to Howard
"Oh. great God see how our men,
our poor fellows, are falling"
"The whole plain was covered with
men, prostrate and drop ping, the live
men running here and there and In
front, closing on each other, and the
wounded coming back. had never
before seen fighting like that. Moth
ing approaching it in terrible uproar
and destruction. There was no cheer
ing on the part Of the men, but stub
born determination to obey orders and
do their duty, >" so said Gen. Couch.
Gen. LoDgstIeef, who held the Gov
eted heights. said Of that fateful plain
30 we'll covered with artillery: "We
will comb 1t as with fine tooth comb
A chicken could not live on that field
when we open on it, "
With our artillery from front, left
and right tearing through their ranks
the Federals pressed forward with al.
most inviucible determination, main
tanning their steady step and closing
up their broken ranks. From the mo-
ment Of their appearance from the town
began the most fearful carnage. When
they came in reach Of OObb's brigade
(behInd the stone WALL storm Of lead
was poured into their advancing ranks, !,
and they were swept from the field Ike
ohaff before the wind
Hardly was this attack of the field
before we saw the determined Federals
filing out Of Fredericksburg for another
charge This was repulsed, as was an
other following Ii, and night ended the
bloody tragedy. Picketts charge a'
Gettysburg lasted thirty minutes ;
French's and Hancock's divisions
butted all the afternoon against this
stone wsll-only an Insignificant stone
fence, to be sure, covering a partially
sunken road, winding across the foot OF
Marye's Heights and Telegraph Hill.
HEAVY Loss IN ONE DAY.
A late-perhAps the latest-published
report Of casualties in the entire British
armies In South Africa since the COM
mencement Of the war gave an aggre.
gate Of killed and wounded and missing
as something over 1900
The loss Of the Union Army on that
one bloody day at fredericksburg was
IL, ,05S.
At that time few brigades reached
3 900 in numbers. yet the loss in Oald-
wells brigade. Hsncock's division,
made up Of New Hampshire, New York
and Pennsylvania regiments, not for
eioners." was 952, or about l out Of 3
Military students will believe that
khe battle Of Fredericksburg was lost
because franklin, who commanded tie
left of the Union army, three miles be
low the city, having with a small por'
tiou OF his command broken the ene'
mv's lines and threatened their rear,
allowed himself TO be forced back and
placed thereafter In q state Of innocuous
desuetude. when only q comparatively
small portion of his forces had been en-
gagged.
However, the war is over. SO are the
ausrrels and jealousles Of the officers oi
the Army Of the Potomac, which 80 Of
tan robbed the faithful soldiers Of vic.
tory in the very hour Of seeming tri'
umph.
General Sewell, the newly elected
commander OF the Society OF the Army
Of the Potomac, was at She battle o.
fredericksburg 10 command OF th'
Sixth New Jersey Regiment on the
left. Soon after he succeeded TO tht
command of the famous fighting Secon(
New Jersey Brigade, "Hooker's OLE
Guard, - as il came to be known thro
ugh the Army Of the Potomac. How
saved the day at Ohancellorsville anC
rolled back the foe on the second day q
Gettysburg are matters Of history. Th'
Society Of the Army Of the Potomac
has elected for It's presidents In the pas
only officers who had greatly distin
ouished themselves. The present In
eumbent is no exception TO the rule.
Those who survived the fearful expe
rience of Fredericksburg In 1852 ant
walked it's beautifully decorated street,
during the recent reunion could sing a
in the olden time, and with appro
priateness:
Mine eyes hath seen the glory Of the comm
Of the Lord.
No one. 10 the widest flight Of tn
Imagination, could have expected to Sc
tha day when the President OF th
} tinted states-a Yankee soldier
should be received in Fredericksbur
with cheers and universal aoclamstIon
and the blue and the gray shake warm
impulsive hands over the bloody chasr
Of the past.
So fredericksburg places auothe
milestone along the nations great high
way.
8 The Late Deacon Sunderlin.
a nnl1a.i. AfilIn Va lima 2hkh