Willmar tribune., 1913-07-23

"Generai IL. w. Halleck was brought
zs out Of the west"
strong enough to renew the struggle.
1t really amounted to a disaster to the
Confederate army, having abruptly
checked what had looked like q vic
torious invasion and demonstrated
Lees present resources were entirely
inadequate for offensive operations.
Three days after the withdra wal Of
the southern army from Maryland
President Lincoln issued his proclama-
tion Of emancipation to the negro
slaves. This measure, in its war re-
lation, was expected to fan reactionary
flames in. the south and so aid the Fed
eral arms in crushing the rebellion.
Its immediate result was to precipi-
tate heated political discussion at the
north. ~. ~,.- = -. -4 :t,:.-..,> -
- General McClellan's suggestion to his
army that the remedy for past errors
was at the polls in the next presiden-
tial election naturally aggravated the
growing breach between him and the
2 Washington administration. The final
outcome was that early in November
) Mcclellan was relieved from the COM
mand Of the Army Of the Potomac. to
be succeeded by Major General Am
brOse e. Burnside, fourth successive
commander in the field of the Union
forces in Virginia. third to head the
superb Army of the Potomac organized
by Mcclellan hardly more than a year
previous. ~
Burnside conceived the idea of con-
centrating his army on the Rappahan.
mock river, opposite the historic vir-
,ginfa town Of Fredericksburg.
Lee ordered Jackson and Longstreet
to Fredericksburg and intrenched his
army on the heights back of the town,
on the same (right) bank of the river,
knowing that the enemy, changing his
line of communication with his base OF
supplies, would require time before as
Stunning the offensive. The plans of
Burnside were indeed unfathomable.
but the calculations Of the Confederate
chieftain were fulfilled to a nicely.
On the morning of Dec. 49,. having
brought his army across the Kappa
hammock on pontoons directly in Lees
front, Burnside opened attack with
mtsdirected yalor upon an impregnabie
position. strong by nature and made
doubly SO by impeccable military art.
a dense fog overhung the: river. town
and plain until after. 8 O'clock. when
the sunlight burst through. revealing
in terrible splendor the spectacle of
100000 men in line Of battle, their
bristling bayonets cleaning through
the mist, while the roar Of 300 cannon
shook the earth and sent red meteors
flashing along the sky. III.
:-''It Is we'll that wal. Is 80 dreadful" :"
said General Lee as he looked, upon the
unparalleled pageant from his position
on Telegraph hill. ''else we should be-
come too fond of 1t. . = .ss vs.: .:s.s /
On came the lines of blue, the golden
harp flag of Meagher's Irish brigade In
the van. charging across an artillery
swept plain. in heroic but futile at
tempts to scale the Marye Heights. un-
til the field as far as eye could reach
was covered with Union dead and
wounded, among which the. survivors
ran to and fro, their ranks decimated
by the most whitening fire that ever
brave troops charged upon ,undannted.
In vain, alas! Again had Lee and
Jackson, Stuart and Longstreet fought
defensive battle to the finish and
won with absolute ease at compare
lively little cost. Burnside recrossed
the Rappahannock at night under
cloak Of violent storm. with loss Of
more than $4,000 Of the superb soldiers
Of the Army of the Potomac.
The spring Of 1868 approached with
brighter prospects for the Army Of
Northern Virginia than these which
had confronted it a year previously.
The victories of Cold Harbor. Cedar
Run. the second Manassas and Fred
ericksburg had inspired new enthil-
slasm. In Virginia two years OF hard
struggle had passed, and still the Fed,
eral armies held no ground below the
|sRappahannock. .:.Ez
I The COnfederates lay intrenched
along the southern banks OF that river,
their long lines Of piekets % the qqi