The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-31

quick. and instantly turned the tide (SO
forced to draw back, losing severely in the
process; and the disaster would have been
much greater had not supports been at
hand. Gen. Franklin, giving q liberal in
depreciation to Burnside's prescription Of
lone division at least" for the column of
attack, had put In not only Meade's Di-
vision but Gibbons Division and Double
days Division, making the whole Of Rey-
nolds' s Corps. Doubleday, early In the
attack, was turned off to the left to meet
menace by the enemy from that direc-
ton: but Gibbon advanced on the right Of
Meade, and, though he did not push on as
far rs the latter, he helped stem the hos
tile return. and assisted in the withdrawal
of Meade's shattered line.(3D In addi-
ton to these two divisions. Gen. Franklin
ordered forward Birney's Division of
Stonemans Corps; and Birney arrived in
| such time that, when the troops Of Meade
and Gibbon We're broken and flying in con-
| fusion, he presented q firm line that
checked the Confederate pursuit. (32)
of 40 per cent. Of his whole command: and
| the aggregate loss in Reynolds's Corps
was upwards Of 1900 men.
SUMMERS GRAND DIVISION.
At the time the attack on the left was
fully developed, Sumner, on the right, was
instructed to assail the hight back of Fred
ericksburg. He also was ordered to make
the attack with q single division, sup
ported by another. OF the two corps COM
posing Summers Grand Division, COUGHS
(Second) Corps occupied the town, and
Wilcox's (Ninth) held the interval between
the left Of Couch and the right OF Frank
Inns command. The attack, therefore, fell
to the lot of Couch; and. in accordance
with instructions. he ordered forward
French's Division from the town at noon,
to be followed and supported by Han
cocks Division.( 33)
French, debouching from the town,
moved out on the plank and telegraph
| roads, and, crossing the canal, found n
rise of ground, under cover OF which he
deployed his troops in column of attack
with brigade front. ga Hancock's Division
followed and joined the advance of French.
(35) Even while moving through the town,
and marching by the flank, the troops
the enemy's batteries on the nights,
| against which it soon became impossible
for the numerous Union artillery on the
north bank of the Rappahannock to direct
it's fire, seeing that the missiles presently
began to play havoc with the columns ad-
vancing over the plain.(36)
SLAUGHTER OF FRENCH's AND HANCoCK's
MEN.
Longstreet. who held the position in the
rear of Fredericksburg, forming the Con-
federate left, had taken up as his ad-
vance line the stone wall and rife trenches
along the telegraph road, at the foot of
Marye's Nights; and here he posted a
brigade, afterwards REINFORCED by an
other brigade.(30 But the whole plain
was swept by direct and converging fire
from the numerous batteries on the semi
circular crest above, and behind this lay
the heavy Confederate reserves-unneeded,
as it proved, for few men were enough
to do the bloody work. Under orders,
nothing was left but to asSail this position:
so French first was thrown forward from
the rise of ground. where he had formed.
towards the foot of the nights. No sooner
had this division burst out on the plain,
than from the batteries above came
frightful fire-cross showers of shot and
shell opening great gaps in the ranks: but
CLOSING up" the ever-thinning lines
pressed on, and had passed over a great
part of the interval, when met by yolleys
Of musketry at short range. They fell
back, shattered and broken, with loss of
near half their number, amid shouts and
yells from the enemy. Close behind
French came up Hancock. and, being
joined by such portions of French's COM
mand as still preserved their formation,
his three brigades valiantfy advanced I'M
der the same terrific fire, passed the point
French had reached, and like those that
went before them, were forced back after
little more than Is immortal minutes.
OF the 5000 men Hancock led into action.
more than 1900 fell in that charge; and it
was found that the brayest of these had
thrown up their hands and lay dead
within % PAGES of the stone wall (3S) To
relieve Hancock's and French's hard
pressed battalions, Towards Division now
came up, and Sturgis's and Getty's Divi-
sions of the Ninth Corps advanced on
COUGHS left. and made several attacks In
support of the brave troops Of the Second
Corps, who could not advance and would
not retire; but all these could do was to
hold a line well advanced on the plain I'M
der continual murderous fire of artillery
BURNSIDE WAS DESPERATE.
It is hardly to be supposed that Gen.
Burnside had contemplated the bloody Sc
quence to which he was committing him.
self when first he ordered q division to
assail the nights of Fredericksburg; but
having failed in the first assault, and then
in the second and third, there grew up in
his mind something which those around
him saw to be akin to desperation. Riding
down from his headquarters (39) to the
bank Of the Rappahannock. lie walked
restlessly up and down, and gazing over
at the nights across the river, exclaimed
vehemently. THAT crest muSt ha carried