The National tribune., 1905-12-21

Of their line. When on the 18th we
tardiIy advanced we found SO cannon
in position and Stonewall Jackson and
Longstreet confronting US.
Meade, with his gallant Pennsyl-
vanians Che had only about 5000
men), accomplished something-he al
ways was a good soldier-but he was
left to be enfiladed by Confederate
artillery and crushed by Confederate
infantry-while the rest Of us stood
idly by for want Of fighting orders.
Franklin was far I'm the rear, as usual,
with no real grasp OF the battlefield.
and Burnside miles away at Falmouth,
and losing his head there. OF course,
we fell back after heavy losses, and the
Confederates did not pursue; they
wanted us 10 try IL again. Here poor
Gen. Bayard perished, struck by a
under tree in the midst of his staff,
awaiting orders. He was gallant
Jerseyman; my own old school friend;
already distinguished as a cavalry
leader, and worthy TO rank with Sheri-
dan, had he lived. He was 10 have
been married shortly, and his last mo-
ments were spent in speaking OF his
fiancee and of his beloved parents
Meanwhile the rest of the army had
attacked in front of Fredericksburg. A
mist hung over the river and the VAL
Icy all the morning; but toward noon
heights bristling with bayonets and
cannon and swarming with soldiers
The key of the position was Marye's
Hill. just back of Fredericksburg, and
we were ordered to assault that i'm
pregnable height at all hazards and
" hatever cost.
During the morning l had been sent
with report or dispatch to Burnside's
headquarters, and while galloping
through wood road my horse slipped
on root extending across the road,
and fell heavily upon me. He was a
large, jet black. handsome fellow. cap
tured at Fair Oaks in June, in the rush
Of the battle there. and we both came
down SO hard 1 thought my right leg
broken and done for. for sure. Neither
of us could rise. But, fortunately, a
squad of stragglers happened to be
ing to our assistance, they soon got us
on our feet again. / was badly shaken
up and in great pain; but presently
managed to climb into the saddle again
and ride on to headquarters. Here all
was confusion and indecision. and /
was detained considerably But as ]
rode back over the brow of a hill over
looking the Rappahannock, en- route
to my division, as the fog lifted and
the sun came out bright and clear,
across the river l beheld our lines in
motion-French and Hancock-and
SCO1 OH the uOuDle-Qulck WITH a ruSn
and a cheer they attacked the whole
Confederate front there.
Indeed Gallant Sight.
1t was indeed a gallant sight; never
one more so. Without a glass I could
count the banners and distinguish the
brigades from where I sat on my horse.
How the muskets cleaned, and the
bayonets flashed, and the flags Streamed
in the glorious sunlight! But scarcely
had they started forward before the
whole Confederate heights were a cir
Gle of fire. hundred cannon were in
skillful position there, and shot and
shell opened great gaps through our
regiments. But still our lines swept
onward till the Confederate infantry
opened, and then suddenly a cloud of
smoke like the breath of hell rolled
over the battlefield, and our brave boys
disappeared from sight IT was con-
slant earthquake. 1t was a live vol
cano. The roar Of battle was deafen-
ing and continuous even from where
1 sat; but 1t did not last. In 90 min
utes or so it was all over The cloud
slowly lifted, and our men were back
in their lines again-what were left of
them. The field was strewn with the
dead and the dying. Riderless horses
galloped wildly at will. The wounded
were being borne to the rear. Thou
sands of men had become cripples for
desolate forever. All, me, but it was
a pitiful spectacle; and I turned and
rode on to my division, sick at heart
over such useless slaughter of brave
men.
But Burnside was not yet satisfied.
He thought French and Hancock did
not know how to do it, though they
had sacrificed one-third of their men.
Down at the Phillips House. on the
opposite or Stafford side Of the river,
a mile or more away from the battle
field, he strobe up and down the ter
Hill, still laundering with artillery, in
sanely declared: THAT height must
be carried before nightfall" So he
sent for Fighting Joe Hooker, and or
dered him to take it.
smaller man than Gen. Hooker
would have blindly obeyed the order;
but he first sent an Aid to inquire
about it, and then he himself (ever
thoughtful Of his mem recrossed the
river under a heavy artillery fire, and
endeavored to diSsuade Burnside from
such a useless butchery. His only an
swer was ito obey ORDERS and 50. Of
course, Hooker went in, with all his
accustomed ardor and fntrepidity. But
he might as well have stormed the
fiery mouth Of hell. Night came on in
the midst of the furious fighting.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left Of them,
Cannon in front of them,
Volleyed and thundered;"
but Hooker did not give it up until
thousands more of our brave boys were
hors de combat
First and last, we left over 5000 men
at the foot of Marye's Hill and up its
bloody slope; and. altogether, lost at
Fredericksburg over 1000 men, while
the Confederate loss was about half as
much more. Burnside, however, was
not yet content, and meditated another
attack next day at the head of his own
old corps Che was no cOward), but was
finally persuaded to give this up.
We lay still the next day, and the
Eext, with only occasional artillery fir
ing and skirmishing, and finally, on the
night Of the 18th. Burnside made up
his mind to withdraw, and before
we had recrossed the Kappa
hammock and were back in our old
camps again, or well on the way to
them. Why Lee did not attack and de-
stroy US and our pontoon bridges, In
the midst Of our night retreat, l do not
know. Suppose he had trained his ar
tillery on our bridges or bridge-heads?
IL he did not know of our retreat, he
must have been kept poorly Informed
by his pickets. If unable to profit by
it, he must have been used up worse