The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-01-30
THE BATTLE OF
FREDERICKSBURG.
Graphic Story by an Artille.
rist Of Gardens Battery.

vivtOg veterans will doubtless
remember this date, 80 years ago.
and many others no doubt still live
end mourn the absence of q loved
ono since that fs,eful day. on which
wss fought the battle and occurred
The victory Of Trederioksburg, Va.
The Northern general. Burnside. bad
jet been appointed to succeed that
sccomplished soldier, Mcclellan. a.
commander Of The Army Of the Po.
toneo end doubtless entertained an
ovesweeoing opinion of his sbiiities
end an over lespiug smbisiou to dis.
play aud prove them. Well, he did
90 e4ectuaIly on the llth 18th De.
sembsv, '62.
The writer Was attached to Gard ems
(rslnesso) Battery, formed largely
'ef Sumter County end Chesterfield
9euuty 0sns with Capt Rugh r
Gsdsa. zoe Of New York Lleuss
es0 Pripgle, Of Sumter. killed At
shsrpsburg; Wm II Colt. Of Che
sew. kined near 5udalk, Va !; Alex
Mcqueen. Sumter, killed ct Dingle's
I'LL. ness sumter, in ootter's raid 10
1855 Jss Reid Muldrow, Sumter
The battery. st this date. was
se(aeAsd tca Hsod's Texas bt,ssde.
Longstseet's corps, n N. w., aud
resolved orders on tho llth 10 move
qoickly TO the front from Chesterfield
Station. who're they bad prepared to
50 tnto winter quarters.
~ recent snow he'd left broad
pssches still covering the earth aud
shs rosds were misy and heavy o.
We headed for the Rappshsnnock
toward fredericksburg. The boom
ieG OF gone become more snd more
ess'nct end. while yer miles distant
rom the theatre of action, we we're
gseeled With one OF those ssdly
psthesic spectaoles 90 often the
aoeo@pao oiment Of horrid war" A
thiS6le q sirsgsIing humanity wss
net ioiliug to the resr to anywhere
eat OF rssch Of their nerciless foes.
The strsgglers growing more dense
- Ne proceeded end comprised of
every elssq and age and cex, from
veess6o's sge 10 t6ddllnR childhood.
we're The unfortunate population Of
tAe bslesguered town Of Fredericks
eusg. 0stvep from their homes and
esesides By the death dealing shells
oe'ohed from the Stafford heights
sosops the river, from which secure
vantage ground the enemy had post.
Cd heavy siege guns and we're pour
isg % iron hail into the doomed
SoWu. '"i. As -,
Nine separate attempts TO lay their
pontoon scsoNs, the river had been
shvsrted BY the determined sisnd
ssd 6erce 6ghtiog Of Bsrksdsle's
gallant and defiant Mississippisus.
and the indiscriminale sheIling Of the
town wss Gu exhibition Of discredit..
bic vindictiveness but il was
ssveriheless held throughout ani
nns'' Geo Lee was enabled to make
Die dispositions and folly ready 20
warmly receive 'our friends. the
sseny." But this is history, aud
oar battery 10 still pioddipg along
The snow rotted highway now 90
crowded with the hesvy footed, sad
hearted refugees that il sosrcely
Yielded space for them and our lum
sssiog train Of guns and caissous.
Feeble women, delicate msideus
decsepit neu. helpless children the
lame. the hslt and tho blind Mingled
Enthusiastically this homeless. she'll
serless msss OF human misery, thru..
ssddeoly from comfort sud luxurv
eut upon the bleak earth, formed .
nost pitisble picture Of one of vars
ed issues Our battery crossed over
The hs'ghis ,hst stretch along the
broad plateau bordering the river sod
which formed the battle ground, and
parked in . grove ct the foot of the
billie and cooked and Gle the Last
crumb OF our mesgre ration and then
prepared Tor Q soldiers happiest
eours. In bIessed sleep and dreams pf
home. heavenly home and lovod ones
sod--more rstious
(How many Of the present general
sion have On idea of how Q soldier
manages TO bivouso snd slee, iu
comfort when the earth ia enosusted
isoees deep In snow ? Bot ho does
snd warmer even than at other
times
Combines Of men and masses
quickly COLLECT all svoilsble fuel
within reach. We ere not st all
particular or scrupulous Your worm
fspce--( stone fences are sns.hems
sised save in bsttle) or your paliugs
os evan your ancestral aud bsronisl
gate posts we're oil one to us II ,hey'd