Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-02

charged and were repulSed. \ sixth tins
they charged and We're driven back, WHEN
night cane To end the dreadful carnage
ana the Federals withdrew. leaving the
battlefield literally heaped with the bodies
of their dead.
Before the well directed fire Of cobbs
brigade the Federals had fallen like tie
steady dripping OF rain from tho caves
OF ii house Our musketry alone killed
and wounded at least 400; and these
with the slaughter by the artillery. left
over ZOO killed and wounded before the
foot OF Marye's hill. The dead were piled
sometimes three deep. and when morning
broke the spectacle that We saw uron
the battlefield was one OF the most dis
tressing | ever witnessed The charges
had been desperate and bloody, hut utter
~ hopeless. l thought, az ] saw the
Federals come again and again to their
death, that they deserved success IL cour-
age and daring could entitle soldiers TO
victory
During the night Federal strayed be-
yond his lines and Was taken up by some
or my troops. ON searching him we
found on his person memorandum or
Gen. Buinside's arrangements. and an
order for the renewal OF the battle the
next day This Information was sent 10
Gen. Lee. and immediately orders were
given for line OF riae-pits ON the top
OF Maryes hill, and for other guns to b.
placed on Ia ylors hill.
We We're on our lines before daylight
anxious To receive Gen. Burnside again
AS the gray Of the morning came with
out the battle, we became more anxious
Yet. as the Federal forces retained posi-
ton during the 14sh and 18th. we were
net without hope There was some iittl..
skirmishing. but IL did not amount Ia
l. 1latf
next morning revealed an abandoned
field Gen. Lee turned to me- referring
in his mind to. the dispatch ] had cap
tured and which he had just reread and
said: General. ! am losing confidence
in your friend Gen. Burnside" We then
put ii down ruse de guerre After
ward, however we learned that the order
had been made in coed faith but had
been changed in consequence of the de-
moralized condition of the grand divi-
sions in front OF Marye's hill During
the night of the 18th the Federal troops
withdrew ito the Washington side of the
river,, and on the 18th our lines were
re-establisned along the river.
Such was the battle of Fredericksburg
as / saw It, After the retreat Gen
Lee went to Richmond to suggest other
operations. but was assured that the war
was virtually over, and that We need not
harass our troops by marches and other
hardships. Gold had advanced in New
York to 20l, and We were assured by
those at the Confederate capital that I'm
thirty or forty days We would be recog-
niZed and peace proclaimed Gen. Lee
did not share i'm this belief
| have been asked IL Burnside could
have been victorious at Fredericksburg
such thing was hardly possible Per-
haps no general could have accomplished
more than Burnside did. and IL was pos
sible for him tn have suffered greater
loss. The battle of Fredericksburg was
great and Improbable sacrifice OF hui
man life made through the pressure from
the rear. upon general who should have
known better and who doubtless acted
against his judgment
Copyright 1911. bv the Century Companyg