The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-31
WASHINGTON D. c. THURSDAY MARCH 81 1904

WA6dINd1UN, u. ", Thu
Of range behind the hills in rear of the
town, and the artillerists were unable to
give sufficient DEPRESSION to their guns to
reach the rive front OF the city, along
which the marksmen were posted, and the
confagration did not extend but died out.
RowED OYER UNDER FIRE.
During the thick Of the bombardment
fresh attemptcwas made to complete the
one half-fnshed bridge opposite the town:
but this too failed. The day was wearing
| away, and Affairs were ut deadlock.
In this state of facts, the Chief of Artil.
lery, Brig Gen., Hunt, an officer OF a re-
markably clear judgment, ma de q sugges-
ton that proved the fitting thing to be
done. He proposed that party should
be sent across the river in the open pom.
toon-boats, and that after dislodging or
should be rapidly completed. The 9TH
Mich. and the 10th and 10Th Mass, of
Towards Division. volunteered for this
perilous enterprise.uO
Ten pontoon-bridges were lying on the
brink of the river waiting to be added to
the alf-fnished bridge. Rushing down
the steep bank, the party found shelter
behind these and behind piles of planking
destined for the covering of the bridge;
and in this situation they acted for 10 or
20 minutes as sharpshoOters, to hold in
check the Southern tirailleurs opposite,
while the boats were pushed into the
stream. This being accomplished, the men
quickly sought the boats, pushed off, and
the oars men pulling Justify, they in a
few minutes, Notwithstanding the severe
fire. by which several were killed or
wounded, came under cover of the OppO-
site bluff Other boats followed, and SO
soon as an adequate number Of men were
assembled on the southern side, they
rushed up the steep bank, when the Con-
of affairs, emerged from cellar, rife-pit,
and stone wall, and scampered off up the
streets of the town; but upwards of 100
Of them were captured. The buildings
that had afforded shelter for the sharp
shooters were then taken possession of,
and the pontoon- bridges We're in a few
minutes completed.
THE ARMY CROSSED IN FORCE.
Thus by simple stroke of genius was
accomplished what the powerful engnery
Of 100 guns had failed to effect. The at
fair was CALAMITY executed, and the army,
assembled on the northern bank, spectators
of this piece of heroism. paid the brave
fellows the rich tribute of soldiers cheers
That evening Howards Division of
COUGHS Corps crossed the river and &C.
cupied Fredericksburg, having a sharp
skirmish in the upper streets Of the town;
and the next day, under cover of fog, the
other divisions OF Couch's Corps, and the
Ninth Corps under Gen. Wilcox (thus in
Guiding the entire Right Grand Division
under Sumner), passed to the south side
of the Rappahannock. At the same time,
Franklin crossed several divisions of his
command by the bridges he had con-
structed below. The Center Grand Divi-
sion under Hooker was still held on the
Il hr,, IS 81 1,<l1 49,
18th of December was consumed in pass
ing over the columns and accommodating
the Confederate position. The troops lay
on their arms for the night under that
December sky: then dawned the morning
Of Saturday, the 18th, and this was to be
the day Of the battle.
Eight-and-forty hours had now passed
since that signal gun, booming out on the
dawn, sounded the note of concentration
for the Confederate forces. Longstreet's
Corps was already at Fredericksburg;
Jackson held the stretch OF river below
his right at a remove Of Is miles. But he
had had abundant time to call in his
scattered divisions, and the morning of the
18th found the entire Confederate army in
position. QS) Whatever hope Of success
full issue attached to- Gen. Burnside's plan
Of attack rested on the hypothesis that the
crossing Of the Rappahannock at Fred
ericksburg could be made q surprise. 19)
But this expectation had been grievously
disappointed, and it would have been jul
dicious measure then to have made other
dispositions;(20) for the naked enterprise,
perate character. A brief description of
the terrain will serve to prove this.
TIE BATTLEFIELD.
The battlefield Of Fredericksburg pre-
sents the character Of broken plain
81 .sv,cp t.oo oprvSv,
of the Rappahannock from 600 yards to
two miles, at which distance 1t rises into
a bold ridge that forms a slight angle
with the river, and is itself dominated by
an elevated plateau. This ridge is from
Falmouth down to where it touches Mas
saponax Creek about six miles long, and
this was the underground Of the Con-
federates, which they had strengthened
with earthworks and crowned with artil-
lery. In rear Of the town the plain is
traversed by canal, at right angles with
which run two roads leading up to the
hights,(21) which rise abruptly at the dis
lance Of few hundred yards. This po-
sition formed the left of the Confederate
line, and here Lee disposed Longstreet's
Corps. 1t was these nights that the right
of the Union army under Sumner was des-
tined to assail. The left OF the Union line
composed Of the Grand Division of Frank
lin was, as already stated, two miles be-
low Fredericksburg. The plain here
stretches to a width of two miles, and is
scalloped by spurs of hills, less elevated
than those in the rear OF the town and
clothed with dark pines and leafless oaks.
This position, forming the right of the
Confederate line, was held by Jacksons
Corps; Stuart, with two brigades Of cav
airy and his horse artillery, formed the
extreme right extending to Massaponax
Greek. (22)
The nature Of the ground manifestIy in
dicated that the main attack should be
made by Franklin on the left; for the
field there affords ample space for deploy-
ment out of hostile range, whereas the
plain in the rear of Fredericksburg, re-
stricted in extent and cut up by bitches.
fences, and a canal, caused every move
ment to be made under fire, presented no
opportunity for manuyer and compelled
direct attack on the terraced nights, whose
frowning works looked down in grim
irony on all attempt at assault.
BURNsIDE's PLAN OF BATTLE.
In the framing Of his plan Of battle,
Gen. Burnside conformed to the obvious
conditions of the problem before him, and
caused it to be understood that Gen.
Franklin, who, in addition to his own two
corps, had now with him one of Hooker's
('OrnS--that IL ah0uf nna-hoIf ho whnlo