Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17
Sedgwick in the Characteristic Campaign

and did so during the afternoon. and
at night came to Lee and said he
thought he hee) was right: it would
he inexpedient to attack them. Move,
then, said Lee, at dawn tomorrow, up
to Anderson
Sickles' and Reynolds corps having
subsequently been ordered to Chan
cellorsville by Hooker. Sedgwick was
left alone below Fredericksburg with
about A,00O men, the 9th Corps be-
ing by several thousand the largest
in the army.
During the evening of the I'd of May
fafter Jackson had fallen on the right
flank of the Union army, and sent it
fleeing in panic toward Charlottesville
Hooker sent word to Sedgwick Ito take
up his line on the Charlottesville road
and attack and destroy any forces he
might meet. He also added that ''he
tSedgwick would probably fall upon
the rear of Lees forces, and between
them they would use Lee up If Hooker
thought an insignificant force was in
to take place showed how mistaken he
was.
Sedgwick received the order about II
O'Clock at night He at once advanced
his command to the Bowling Green road
and then marched by the right flank
toward Fredericksburg. Newton's divl-
sion was in the advance. The night was
dark and the road made darker by the
foliage of the trees on either side. The
progress was necessarily slow. Frequent
short halts We're made while the Skin
mishers were feeling their way.
Once, when the halt was prolonged
and nothing broke the deep silence of
the night except an occasional shot fol-
lowed by the be forgotten ping
of the mimic ball. Gen. Newton. who was
riding With the third or fourth regiment
from the advance, called out: rs any
of my staff here?" Those present
promptly responded. and 1 was directed
to ride ahead and tell Col Shaler to
brush away the enemy's pickets''
The road was filed with soldiers, some
lying down. others resting on their guns
but a passage was quickly cleared At
Hazel Run Col. Shalar and Col. Ham
bin were found standing together. Here
the enemy made a determined resistance.
Their pickets were but few yards dis
tant. on the other side of the creek the
road made a sharp ascent and curved
to the right. In a subdued tone Col.
Shaler said: Col. Hamblin. YOU have
heard the order from Gen. Newton?'' At
there was the noise of hurrying feet.
the troops quickly disappeared II the
dark: a shout. bright, sudden flash, a
roll of musketry followed. and the road
was open
1t was the gray of morning when the
advance reached the rear and left of
Fredericksburg. negro who came
into the lines reported the heights oc
cupied and that the enemy were cutting
the canal to flood the roads. To aScer-
tain whether this was true, another de-
Law was caused. No one in the command
was acquainted with the topography of
the country. and the advance was com
PEELED to move with great caution through
the streets and in the outskirts OF the
town.
AS the morning dawned. Marye's
Heights the scene of the fierce attacks
on the stone wall under Burnside in the
previous December, were presented to our
moved along the open ground in the rear
of the town toward the heights. and this
movement discovered the enemy in force
behind the famous stone wall at the base
of the hill. Lee had left Early with his
division and Barksdale's brigade, force
of about 10000 men. to hold Fredericks-
burg Heights They We're protected by
strong works and supported by we'll
served artillery. 1t was at once felt that
a desperate encounter was to follow, and
the recollectiOns of the previous disaster
were by no means inspiring.
\
1t was Sunday morning. the Sd day
of May and the weather was beautiful.
The town was perfectly quiet, many of
the inhabitants had fled, not a person
was to be seen on the streets, and the
windows and blinds of the houses were
closed. The marks of the fierce Union
cannonade to which the place had pre-
viously been exposed prior to the actual
battle of Fredericksburg We're everywhere
visible.
AS soon as practicable and as secretly
as possible Sedgwick prepared to attack
the heights Gibbon, of the ID Corps,
who had been left on the north bank
of the Rappahannock, crossed shortly
after Sedgwiok had captured the town
and moved 20 the right, but his advance
was stopped by the canal in front, over