The National tribune., 1908-02-06

, ing that time it seemed to tear the
very heart out of the division. The
men who survived could not stand such
scourging, and began to return the fire
a. Jhey drifted slowly back. The in
| domitable Humphreys. with Tyler and
Allabach, tried to reform the men. but
| it was useless. Humphreys had his
| second horse killed under him. and the
!, only one which remained unhurt was
one on which an officet had ridden off
with orders. The division had been so
reduced that it was folly to renew the
assault with it, and therefore Hum
phreys obeyed Gen. Butterfield's order
to bring his troops back to the shelter
| of the ravine, which was DONE with the
123d and 15oth Pa, forming the rear
guard, retiring slowly and in good or
/ der, singing and hurrahing. In the few
minutes the division had been in action
| 1t lost II officers and 103 men killed.
81 officers and 121 men wounded and
1Se missing, making total of 1,019.
The Winter sun was now sinking up
on the saddest day in American history.
and the mangled and bleeding Army of
the Potomac desisted from further
murderouS sacrifice. Hooker says in
his testimony with bitter irony. Find
ing that I had lost so many men as my
orders required me to lose. 1 suspended
the attack"
Gen. Lonsstreets Memory.
Gen. Longstreet, in Battles and
Leaders," says:
"Thus the right Grand Division of
the Army of the Potomac found itself
repulsed and shattered on its first at
tempt to drive us from Marye's Hill.
Hardly was this attack off the field be-
fore we saw the determined Federals
again filing out of Fredericksburg and
preparing for another charge. The Con-
federates under Cobb reserved their
fire, and quietly awaited the approach
of the enemy The Federals came
nearer than before, but We're forced to
retire before the well-directed guns of
Cobb's Brigade and the fire of the ar
tillery on the nights. BY that time the
field in front of Cobb was thickly
strewn with the dead and dying FEEDER
ais. but again they formed with des-
perate courage and renewed the at
tack. and again were driven off Att
each attack the slaughter was so great
that by the time the third attack was
repulsed the ground was so thickly
strewn with dead that the bodies seri-
ousiy impeded the approach of the
Federals. Gen. Lee, who was with me
on Lees Hill, became uneasy when he
saw the attacks SO promptly renewed
and pushed forward with such persist
ence, and feared the F'ederals might
break thru our line. After the third
charge he said to me, General, they are
massing very heavily, and will break
your line, am afraid General, / re-
piled, if you put every man now on
the other side of the Potomac on that
field to approach me over the same
line. and give me plenty of ammuni- |
ton, I will kill them all before they
reach my line. Look to your right; you
are in some danger there, but not on
my line.'
81 think the fourth time the FEEDER |
ais charged a gallant fellow came with |
in 100 feet of Cobb's position before he |
fell. Close behind him came some few |
scattering ones. but they We're either
killed or they fled from certain death. |
This charge was the only effort that
looked like actual danger to Cobb, and
after it was repulsed 7 felt no appre-
hension, assuring myself that there
were enough of the dead Federals on
the field to give me half the battle.
The anxiety shown by Gen. Lee. how
ever. induced me to bring up two or
three brigades. to be on hand, and Gen. |
kershaw. with the remainder of his
brigade, was ordered down to the stone
wall. rather, however, to carry ammu-
milton than as a reinforcement for Cobb.
dashed down the declivity, and
arrived Just in time to succeed Cobb, |
who. at this juncture. fell from a wound |
n the thigh, and died in few minutes |
from loss of blood.
"a fifth time the FederaIs formed |
and charged and were repulsed. A sixth /
time they charged and were driven
back, when night came to end the
dreadful carnage and the Federals