The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-24

gives a keen edge to the winds. We
are in little city in Virginia, Fred
ericksburg. Its historical building is
a house in which lived George Wash
ington's mother.
1t has three natural features OF I'M
portance. the Rappahannock river,
heights which are of very moderate
elevation three-quarters of mile
back from the river, and at the foot
of these hills is a narrow, depressed
country way, a ''sunken road, So
called. In what is going to happen.
an awful tragedy, this cold month OF
December, 1862, the sunken road is OF
more Importance than river or hills.
Think now of Falmouth, OF the
sleepy, muddy river, of the sleepy lit
tie city, of the hills, and especially
of the sunken road. Have you map
OF Virginia handy? Hunt up Acqula
Creek on the Potomac, trace the rail
road to Fredericksburg and then
down to Richmond. How easy this
plan looked in the campaigns OF the
great civil war!
That "sunken road though. Dld
one think of that ghost hiding in that
depression and having something to
say about plans and campaigns,
marches and attacks?
The Union army was reputed to
have 10000 men. 1t had good
cause and plenty of equipments. 1t
was under brave general, Burnside.
He was not the greatest general that
ever lived but he had much merit as
a commander. He was soldier OF en-
ergy. Then all the North wanted him
to be as energetic as possible, and
Washington clamored for a forward
movement.
So the huge army, like mighty
stream, poured across the country
and took possession Of Falmouth. 1t
spread out on all those heights. 1t
posted its big batteries. 1t studied pp
a daring plan of attack upon TIE
southern army over the river. 1t So
for the materials out Of which to
build pontoon bridges. When these
were constructed, when across the
river the army had been led, what
opposition from an inferior army
could block this northern advance!
Alas, that in ignorance they, left
out of the problem that element of
the 'sunken road" SO closely identi-
fed with the solution!
But notice the movement on the
hills rising up from the 'sunken
road" The southern army has
stretched upon those hills line OF
defence almost five miles long. They
are reputed to have about $1,000 men.
! At their head is Robert Lee, a great
Of &c ic
| wall" jackson. He marches, he
| fights, he prays. The winning side in
battle is likely to be the side he fights
| on. However, of more consequence
| than Lee or Jackson is the "sunken
road
| The Union army will have no pic
| mic in getting across the Rappahan-
| mock. In waiting for it's opportunity
| the army feels the hard grip OF the
winter. An officer writes in his diary,
under date of Dec. Z: Very cold,
plenty of snow. Men suffering; cold
outdoors, ice indoors in my room"
Something worse than the snow or
the ice or the winter wind, sharp and
cutting, is that "sunken road What
Union officer is thinking about
that? Does any one ordering his men
to clear the camp of snow and ice i'm
agine that there is near the coming
battlefield trench-lihe way that will
need clearing?'
In the division of this grand army
into corps, there are three, assigned
to Gems. Franklin, Sumner and Hook
er. They cover stretch of three
miles. Franklin is at the left, Sum-
ner commands the center Hooker
will lead the right.
In the story left behind by a con-
federate officer, it is graphically told
how the grim battle-era opens. 1t is
an early hour on the 18th of Decem-
Der. Lees army is stretched along
those Fredericksburg hills a distance
of almost five miles. The lonely sen.
try is pacing his chilling beat.
Among the sleepers how few are
dreaming that they may be near the
sleep that knows no waking.
Suddenly the crash of cannon goes
echoing from hill to hill and up and
down the icy Rappahannock. Wake
up." cries a southerner, springing out
from the foOls of his blanket. wake
up!" whats that?" There are those
, in Lees army who know. If second
gun bays out in the dense night shad
J ows, it means signal from the New
I Orleans Washington artillery that the
| Federals are getting ready to cross
the river. The signal comes at -four
o'clock The Union army is moving
toward the arena of battle.
AS said above, they are divided into
three corps, under three brave, expert
enced officers. Gen. Franklin is at the
left. Gen. Sumner commands the cen
ri OH has