The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-11-12
Cen. HUMPHREYS
DIVISION
The Assaults Against Narye's
HtiShts by The Main Army
Under Gen. Burnside,
December 18th, 1862.
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cannon crowned the Stafford b H. near
the Rnppahannock, ready To onhari
Fredericksburg. and behind Zen one
hundred aud ten thousand men s-oOd IN
der arms wnliin9 20 cross the river and
destroy Gen l. e. army
BAKksDALEs Amssl-slrritNs m.LD THE
roWN
Meant'ma Gen lees army l7S. 600
mem lay al ..p. trafqgllv oa fhe bleak
hills behind The town. In wa - col,
starlit night: there wa- thin -kim 81
Tee on the river and a dense fU0 hanging
over,t Harksdal-'s brigade oi Ml--is-
-ipp ans. aided 10y the sth Florida regi-
ment, OF T. Ii Andasson's diy'5ion. oc
cupied the town To observe taa enemy
and retard hI- pa-sage u the river
The d iense OF Marye's Heigh. the Itit
centre oi Longstreet'- corps was assign
I'd to Cen McIaws' division supported
by Rsus1m's division nrn. McLaws.
having pOst-d Bark dale. disp0,rd Others
oi his forces ~ follow: Nine cannon ~
The louisiana Washington Artillery were
placed In 0arih-wOTk- IN the crst Il
Willis Hill, and four gune ol tn Donald
sonville (Loui ianst artillery. similarly
covered. occupied the hil nhnttiug on
the Orange Plank road (where the reset
vcir IL now) There We're alp, cannon
to the left on Stansbury r and Taylnr's
bills aud To the right on lees III ]. aIto.
gether - guns thss participated In tn
battle
COBB IL rnE srNkES ROAD
In the Sunken road. behind bee stone
vail. at the foot Of Marye's Heights,
were placed three regiments ~ Gen. hos.
T. z Cobb's brigade; Phillips Legion on
tue le.t, > th (eoTga In the centre and
18th Georgia oE she right sld to the
left Of the Phillips Legion the 4i'E EortL
Carolir q, Of RarsOn'- division prOlouR-
ed the line 10 the Orange Plank road.
On the Southern slope OF the heights. in
near support. other troops OF McIaws
and RansOu's DIVISIONS were held aud
drawn from. from time Ia time. daring
the battle 10 strengthen tn lighting
lire Altogether about 400 infantry
and y guns tock part in the defence Of
Msrye's Heights.
The SIGNAL GUNS
About 1870 the morning % lhe llth.
Gen barksdale notified Gen McLaUs
that the bridges We're being placed bJ
the UniOn forces and be would open hre
81 soon a. the working parties came IN
good range Orders from Gen Lee were
that two guns should De- fred from one
OF Gen. McLsws' bAttt rles. which would
be- the signal that the enemy were at
tempting 10 Gross. The signal guns were
fired at , O'Clock, aTousing thc siumber-
ing COniederatss.
LAYING or PONTOoNs RESISTED.
Soon after day light. when the bridges
were about half constructed. Parks
dale's men opened fire, driving the work
ing parties of. Mine separate and des-
perate attempts were made Co complete
the bridges, but every attempt being at
tended with severe loss that the enemy
abandoned their work for a while"
(says Gen. McLaws
At , O'Clock slx batteries (36 guns
and several regiments OF infantry OF the
Federal Army were brought neGr the
river banks, and opened q terrible iu-i-
lade upon the cover which protected
Barksdale's men whose fire was checked
for the time, but, so soon ss the bridge
builders made another attempt to Rnish
their bridges, the Mississipians resumed
their firing.
"Now Gays Gen. Hunt, chief Il the
Union Artillery all the batteries that
could be brought 10 bear, were. by order
OF Gen. Burnside, turned upon the town"
THE FOG RAIsED-A GRAND SPECTACLE.
By this time the fog having lifted.
grand panorama was opened to view.
Far AID wide over the Stafford bills
dense masses OF Union Infantry assem-
bled, from which long dark columns
streamed down towards the bridges,
while the smoke OF burning houses rcl ed
upwards, and walls and chlmueys crnm-
bled and fell under the terrible tempest
OF solid shot and shells from more tnan
a hundred cannon.
The thin gray line OF Confederate on
Aarye's heights stood silently observing
the awful spectacle.
THE TOWN EvAlUATED
About 4:30 D. III the destructive fire
OF the enemy rendering the river front
inGeiensible, Gen Bsrksdale withdrew |
his forces to Princess Anne Street, fight.
Ing the enemy, who, having completed |
his bridges advanced over them in heavy
icrce. About p. IN. Gen. Barksdsle, by
order OF Gen McLaws, abandoned the
town. During that night and all next |
day, the main body Of the Union army |
passed the river, with but little lnterrup.
ton from the CoDiederates.
Gen. Lee, in his report OF tie battle,
says (speaking OF the enemy: Having
massed his troops under cover of the
houses OF Fredericksburg. be moved for
ward In strong columns to seize Maryes |
and Willis hills" First, at 1910 D. m.
French's division, 500 men, debouched
rom the town by Caroline and Hanover
Streets, under cover OF six batteries
posted on the outskirts OF Fredericks-
ourg, debouched from the town by Han
over and Caroline Streets, and deploying
nto columns OF brigades, advanced on
the deadly field, but scourged by mus
Setry from the sunken road and by the
ire OF artillery from the hilltops, (which
tore wide gaps In their ranks" the
column iell back, having lost nearly
200 men.
CALAMITY CHARGE THE sToNEwALL.
Following closely behind French's
IiyisIon Hancock with 5000 men in the
'ame formation advanced, but quickly
'ecoiled, beaten back by that terrible
artillery, having lost more than 1000,
I60 OF whom were officers.
About 1:15 O'Clock, Howsrd's division
advanced on the front. and again the
wave OF attack broke vainly against
hat fatal bill. Howard lost S77 men.
At 2 O'Clock Griffin's division, 1900
nen. closely followed by Sturgis with
500 men. advanced under cover OF a
leavy artillery fire from the Stafford
lelghts and the batteries on the ridges
4 the town. to which the Confederate
annon did Hot reply; but this assault !