The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-12-23
MEMORIES OF
FREDERICKSBURG BATTLE
Veterans Recall Civil War Engagement
in Virginia That Was Crushing De-
feat for North.

]
December 10 never fails to refresh
the memories of the survivors of the
Army Of the Potomac, under Burnside,
and the Army of Northern Virginia,
under all who participated in the
battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia,
which occurred on that date, 1862.
In every sense it was great battle.
Not far from 200, 900 men met and
smashed into one another, Burnside
having more than ,0O0-fifty bril-
gades of four regiments each, more
than 200 pieces of artillery and 1000
cavalry and under Lee there were fully
SO. 900, with cavalry much more ably
commanded than was the Union cav
airy.
In every sense it was crushing de-
feat for Burnside and the north.
Three Of the South's greatest and
best generals, Lee, Stonewall Jackson
and Longstreet, strengthened by such
division generals as the Hills, A. ?.
and d. H., not to.mention others equal
" efficient, were with the Confeder-
ates, Longstreet commanding their CEN
ter and left and the indomitable Jack
son their right.
In that battle the Potomac army had
three grand divisions. The right was
under Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner,
father of the present General Sumner,
the center under Maj. Gen. Joseph
Hooker and the left under Maj. Gen.
w. b. Franklin.
The morning of the 18th found the
northerners on Stafford heights, north
of the Rappahannock, opposite Freder-
icksburg, and the sOutherners on the
south side of the river, a strong force
entrenched on the shore, with the main
army on the heights TO the south, a mile
away. With much difficulty and heavy
loss, portion of Burnside's force
crested the river and laid three pontoon
bridges, over which the army passed,
the last of it on the morning of the
18TH
The battle ragged fercely most of the
day, each grand division participating.
Franklin on the left attacked with
vigor and pushed the enemy for time,
but Stonewall Jackson, with large
corps Of as good fighters as ever
marched, aided by the best cavalry
leader the south developed-J. K. b.
Stuart-to aid him, proved too great an
obstacle, and Franklin was defeated. In
this division there were three WiscOn-
sin regiments the Second, under Col.
Lucius Fairchid; the Sixth, under
Lieut.. Col. +. S. Bragg, just back
from home where he had gone with an
arm shattered at Antietam, and the
| Seventeen, under Lieut.. Col. Charles A.
Hamilton, recently returned after
bad wounds in both legs received at the
| battle of Gainesville. Col. Cutler, of the
Sixth. was in command of the brigade.
He had lust returned with an unhealed
wound given him at Gainesville, and
was soon afterward made brigadler
general. The Fifth, Col. Amasa Cobb
commanding, was under Hooker. While
all Of these regiments were engaged,
their losses were less than in any Of
their other great battles.
The chief losses were on the right
and in the center, under Hooker and
Sumner. Four successful attempts
were made to drive the Confederates
from Marye's height, and each attempt
cost thousands of men. Burnside in
sisted upon another attempt, but the
united counsels of Gems. Hooker, Sum-
ner, Humphreys and others finally dis
suaded him.
J The battle was over. 1t was a more
crushing, demoralizng defeat than those
under Mcclellan on the Peninsula
worse than second Bull Run-the most
unfortunate defeat the army of the
Potomac ever suffered
There was rot one redeeming feature
in the battle-on the Union side. Ii
was a great victory for the south.
1t was the one great battle Of that
army which most seriously dlscour-
aged, not to say demoralized, the force.
Ii was most depressing to the President
and the loyal north. But the army soon
recovered its old confidence after Burn
side was relieved by Fighting Joe
Hooker, and was ready for anything that
might come.
The Union loss was 10, 73l killed and
wounded. Confederate loss, 5000. Their
fighting was mostly behind breastworks.
During most of fourteenth and ff-
teenth the two armies scowled at each
other. There was little fighting. The
night of the fifteenth a perfect gale
was blowing from the south. Never was
there a more fortunate windstorm-for
the army of the Potomac. The Confed-
crates could not hear what was going
on while Burnside's large force was
rapidly recrossing the Rappahannock
river and getting back on Stafford
heights. Had Gen. Lee known what
was happening he could have well nigh
destroyed the army of the Potomac. -
Col. J. A. Watrous, in Evening Wis
consin, Milwaukee, Dec. IA, 1909.