Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-02-28

OUT OF tina WSSI.
tate heated political discussion at the
north
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
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
snpprb 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-
ginia town Of Fredericksburg.
Lee ordered Jackson and Longstreet
to Fredericksburg and intrenched his
army on the heights back OF the town,
on the same (rightl bunk 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 nicely.
On the morning Of Dec IL. having
brought his army across the Rapi'l,
hammock on p0ntoons directly in Lees
front, Burnside opened attark win
miSdirected va!or upon an impregnahsr
position. strong by nature and made
doubly so by imperrahle military ART
A dense fog overhung the river. rn"r
and plain until after q o'clock. whru
the sunlight burst through. revealing
in terrible Splendor the Spprtarle ~
100000 men In line Of battle. their
bristling bayonets cleaning through
the mist. while the roar OF 300 chnnnn
shook the earth and sent red mptt"r.
flashing along the sky.
at is well that war IS so dreadful.
said General Lee az he looked npon the
unparalleled pageant from his position
on Telegraph bill. "else we should bs
come too fond Of it.
On came the lines Of blue. the golden
harp flag OF Meagber'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 rench
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 undaunted.
In vain. alas: Again had Lee and
Jackson, Stuart and Longstreet fought
! defensive battle to the finish and
won with absolute ease Mt COMPARE
lively little cost Burnside recrossed
the Rappahannock at night under
cloak of violent storm. with loss OF
more than 10000 Of the superb soldiers
Of the Army Of the Potomac.
The spring Of 1863 approached with
brighter prospects for the Army OF
Northern Virginia than those which
had confronted it year previously.
The victories of Cold Harbor. Cedar
Run. the second Manassas and Fred
ericksburg had inspired new enthil-
siasm. In Virginia two years OF hard
struggle had passed. and still the Fed
eral armies held no ground below the
Rappahannock.
The Confederates lay intrenched
along the southern banks OF that river.
their long lines Of pickets on the qii
vive to give warning that any attempt
to cross would he met as Burnsides
had been In December. Meanwhile
Burnside had been replaced in the COM
mand of the Union forces by General
Joseph Hooker, sometimes called
Fighting Joe"
Hooker's we'll conceived plan for the
spring campaign was to flank the Con-
federate left with four Of his seven
army corps at Charlottesville. some
eight or ten miles up the Kappa ham
mock west of Fredericksburg, while the !
remaining three corps crossed the river
In Lees front. la Burnside. at Fred !
ericksburg.- and Stoneman's cavalry