The National tribune., 1908-01-23

manage the boats In the place of the
missing Engineers, but Lieut.-Col Bax-
ter knew his men too we'll to have any
such apprehensions, and he began at
once distributing them among the
boats. some of which they had to carry
into the water. Lieut.. c. B. Comstock.
of the Engineers. was present with the
men, giving them needed directions and
| assistance.
i Soon so or 20 gallant men were in
the boats and started across the stream
directly in the face of the fire which
the sharpshooters now concentrated
upon them. Brave Lieut.-Col Baxter,
who was leading, soon fell with a Sc
we're wound. together with several of
| his men killed and wounded. The next
in rank, Maj. Hunt, assumed command
and pushed on with. if possible. great
| er energy. They reached the further
bank and rushed up the first street.
where they engaged in a fierce fight
with a portion of the enemy, but over
came them, capturing 81 prisoners.
The rest of the 7th Mich. padded over
| to the assistance of their comrades,
| quickly followed by the 10th Mass,
and the whole line of sharpshooters
was soon running out of their coverts
like rats from their holes. Barksdale
rallied his Missssippians and tried to
crush the advance before help could
reach them. The Goth Mass, inspired
by the example of the regiments which
had gone before. padded over in boats
and arrived most timely The pom
toniers ran back to their work. soon
had bridge completed, and over 1t
rushed the 42d and 59th N. Y. and
127th Pa. They were all needed, for
the enemy was now alive to what was
being attempted, and as Halls Bri-
gade pushed up the street and came to
the second cross street, its progress
was arrested by a savage resistance
which swept away platoon after platoon.
Col. Hall reports that 81 officers and
men We're killed or wounded in al
space of about so yards. The column,
in spite of this resistance and severe
fighting, continued to push on up the
street until 1t reached the further edge
of the town, where it went into bivouac
and remained for the night.
At the OtheF Bridges.
While Col. Halls Brigade was doing |
this splendid work at the upper
bridges, the S9th N. Y, at the middle
bridge. became fired with emulation, |
and entering pontoons was rowed
across by the men of the 18th n. Y. En- |
ers who had been preventing the con- |
struction of that bridge. In the first
four boats went 100 men, 25 in each
boat, aiming for as many different |
points. They all reached the further
bank and rushed up 1t, capturing 65
prisoners. including four commissioned
officers The bridge was quickly COM
pleted and the whole regiment follow
ed the first company over, and with a
loss of only one killed and nine wound
ed the regiment marched thru the
main street of Fredericksburg to the
far side of the city. where it went into
bivouac in line with the troops on the
neighboring streets.
Franklin had met with no oppOsi-
ton, or but little, in constructing the
lower bridges. and had his troops ready
to cross on the afternoon of the 11th.
but was restrained by an order from
Burnside to wait until the rest Of the
army began to cross. Howards Divi-
sion of Couch's Corps crossed during
the night of the 11th to support the
few regiments which had already gone
over.
The Day Before the Battle.
Dec. IL. like its predecessors,
dawned in the midst of a heavy fog.
from Lee. and the whole Of Summers
Grand Division passed over the river
and filed up the streets of FrederickS-
burg during the early part of the day :
while Franklin's Grand Division was
passing over his bridges at Hamilton's
Crossing. In the course of the day the
whole of the army was across the riv-
er except Hooker's Grand Division,
which was still retained in reserve at
Falmouth, on the north bank of the ,
river, and the troops lay on their arms
that night in readiness for the grand
struggle of the next day. The move
ment had long ago lost all the elements
Of a surprise which Burnside had
hoped to give it and upon which its
success absolutely depended. Since
the laying of the bridges had begun,
indicating definitely what Burnside
doing, IS hours had
passed, giving Lee abundant time in
which to concentrate his army, and the
of the 18th saw Lee with his
army well in hand behind the most
intrencments, waiting con-
fdently the opening of the attack.