BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
Description of the Field--Marye's Heights--Position of the Troops of
Longstreet's Command--General Jackson called down from Orange
Court-House, and Preparations made for a Determined Stand--Signal Guns
at Three o'Clock in the Morning announce the Long-Expected
Battle--Burnside's Bridge-Builders thrice driven back from their
Work--The Crossing finally made by Boats--Federals under Hot Fire
enter Fredericksburg--How they obtained their Foothold on the West
Bank of the Rappahannock--Gallant Officers and Men--Ninety-seven
killed or wounded in the Space of Fifty Yards--General Burnside's Plan
of Battle--Strength of the Contending Forces.
McLaws's division of my corps was posted on the heights in rear of the
city, one brigade in the sunken road in front of the Marye mansion, the
others extending across the Telegraph road through the wood of Lee's Hill.
As the other divisions of the corps came up they were posted, R. H.
Anderson on Taylor's Hill; Ransom in reserve, near corps head-quarters;
Pickett in the wood, in rear of McLaws's right; Hood at Hamilton's
Crossing.
The Federal Grand Divisions under Franklin and Hooker marched on the 18th
of November, and on the 19th pitched their camps, the former at Stafford
Court-House, and the latter at Hartwood, each about ten miles from
Falmouth. A mile and a half above Fredericksburg the Rappahannock cuts
through a range of hills, which courses on the north side in a
southeasterly direction, nearly parallel, and close to its margin. This
range (Stafford Heights) was occupied by the enemy for his batteries of
position, one hundred and forty-seven siege guns and long-range field
batteries. These heights not only command those of the west, but the
entire field and flats opened by the spreading out of the range on the
west side. At points, however, they stand so close beside the river that
the guns on their crest could not be so depressed as to plunge their fire
to the water. The heights are cut at points by streamlets and ravines
leading into the river, and level up gradually as they approach nearer to
the Potomac on its west slope, and towards the sea on the south. The city
of Fredericksburg nestles under those heights on the opposite bank. McLaws
had a brigade on picket service, extending its guard up and down the banks
of the river, in connection with details from R. H. Anderson's division
above and Hood's below, the latter meeting Stuart's cavalry vedettes lower
down.
At the west end of the ridge where the river cuts through is Taylor's Hill
(the Confederate left), which stands at its highest on a level with
Stafford Heights. From that point the heights on the south side spread,
unfolding a valley about a mile in width, affording a fine view of the
city, of the arable fields, and the heights as they recede to the
vanishing limits of sight. Next below Taylor's is Marye's Hill, rising to
half the elevation of the neighboring heights and dropping back, leaving a
plateau of half a mile, and then swelling to the usual altitude of the
range. On the plateau is the Marye mansion. Along its base is a sunken
road, with retaining walls on either side. That on the east is just
breast-high for a man, and just the height convenient for infantry defence
and fire. From the top of the breast-work the ground recedes gradually
till near the canal, when it drops off three or four feet, leaving space
near the canal of a rod or two of level ground. The north end of the
sunken road cuts into the plank or Gordonsville road, which is an
extension of Hanover Street from near the heart of the town. At the south
end it enters the Telegraph road, extending out from the town limits and
up over the third, or Telegraph Hill, called, in its bloody baptismal,
"Lee's Hill." An unfinished railroad lies along the Telegraph road as far
as the highlands. The Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad lies nearly
parallel with the river four miles, and then turns south through the
highlands. The old stage road from the city runs about half-way between
the river and the railroad four miles, when it turns southwest and crosses
the railroad at Hamilton's Crossing. The hamlet of Falmouth, on the north
side of the river, was in front of the right centre of the Federal
position, half a mile from Fredericksburg.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. Dec. 13th, 1862]
General Jackson, advised of General Burnside's move to Fredericksburg,
drew his corps east of the Blue Ridge as far as Orange Court-House.
Before the end of November it became evident that Fredericksburg was to be
our winter station and the scene of a severe battle before it could be
relieved. General Lee advised the citizens who still remained in the place
(and some who had returned) to remove their effects. Those who had friends
found comfortable places of rest, but many took the little that they could
get away with, and made their homes in the deep forest till the storm
could pass. Still, none complained of the severe ordeal which they were
called upon to endure.
Towards the latter part of the month General Jackson was called down and
assigned position on the right near Hamilton's Crossing and the
Massaponax. He objected to the position, preferring the North Anna, but
General Lee had already weighed the matter, and had decided in favor of
Fredericksburg. Hood's division, relieved at Hamilton's Crossing, was
drawn to my right and stretched across the valley of Deep Run, a little to
the rear of Jackson's left and McLaws's right.
Batteries of position were assigned from the reserve artillery along the
heights, with orders to cover the guns, by epaulements or pitting them.
The work was progressing while the guns were held under cover remote from
the enemy's better appointed artillery until the positions were covered by
solid banks or good pits. The small field pieces were removed for safety
to convenient points for field service in case opportunity called for
them. The Confederates had three hundred and six guns, including two
thirty-pound Parrotts of Richmond make. These were covered by epaulements
on Lee's Hill.
On the 1st of December the batteries of reserve artillery were relieved
from the First Corps by those of the Washington and Alexander's artillery.
Orders were given to examine all lines of approach, and to measure
particularly the distance of the crossings of the canal on the Plank and
Telegraph roads; to inspect and improve the parapets and pits along the
front, and to traverse all batteries not securely covered against the
batteries opposite Taylor's Hill, and others within range of our lines,
and McLaws was directed to open signal line with his brigade and guards
along the river bank.
The day after Jackson joined us several gun-boats were reported in the
lower river at Port Royal. D. H. Hill's division was detached with several
select batteries to watch and guard at that point against a crossing,
should it be attempted, and to engage and try the metal of the gun-boats.
After some little practice the boats drew off and dropped down-stream; but
Hill's division was left near the point in observation with W. H. F. Lee's
cavalry. The brigade of cavalry under General Hampton kept careful watch
of the fords of the upper Rappahannock. To guard against further
encroachments of the gun-boats, a battery was intrenched on the river bank
under direction of Major T. M. R. Talcot, of the general staff. At the
river, sharp-shooters, by concealing themselves in the ravines and pits,
could escape artillery fire and lie in secure readiness to attack parties
engaged in laying bridges. After driving off working parties they were to
seek cover till again needed. By such practice they were to delay the
bridge-builders till the commands had time to assemble at their points of
rendezvous. The narrow, deep bed of the stream, a mile away from any
point of the Confederate lines where batteries could be planted, and
covered as it was by the guns of Stafford Heights, prevented the thought
of successful resistance to laying bridges at any point from Falmouth to
the extreme left of the Federal line; but the strong ground upon which the
Confederates were to accept battle offset the uncomfortable feeling in
regard to the crossing of the river.
General Burnside made some show of disposition to cross fourteen miles
below, at Skinker's Neck, but that was under guard of D. H. Hill's
division, and he saw that his purpose could not be effected. The plan
which he finally adopted was to span the river by bridges near the centre
and lower limits of the city, and two others a mile below the latter, and
just below the mouth of Deep Run, the Right Grand Division to cross by the
upper and second bridges, the Left Grand Division by the lower bridges,
and the Centre Grand Division to be in position near the others to
reinforce their battle.
The stir and excitement about the enemy's camps on the 10th of December,
as well as the reports of scouts, gave notice that important movements
were pending. Notice was given the commands, and the batteries were
ordered to have their animals in harness an hour before daylight of the
next morning, and to continue to hitch up daily at that hour until further
orders.
At three o'clock on the morning of the 11th the deep boom of a cannon
aroused both armies, and a second gun was recognized as the signal for
battle. In a few minutes the commands were on the march for their
positions. Orders were sent to call D. H. Hill's division and all of the
Second Corps to their ground along the woodland over Hamilton's Crossing.
Barksdale's brigade of Mississippians was on picket duty in Fredericksburg
at the time; the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Regiments, with the Eighth
Florida, of R. H. Anderson's division, were on the river line; the other
regiments of the brigade and the Third Georgia, of R. H. Anderson's, in
reserve.
The first noise made by the enemy's bridge-builders was understood by the
picket guards, as was all of their early work of construction, but a heavy
mist along the water concealed them from view until their work upon the
bridge was well advanced. As soon as the forms of the workmen could be
discerned the skirmishers opened fire, which was speedily answered from
the other side in efforts to draw the fire from the bridge-builders, but
the Confederates limited their attention to the builders till they were
driven off, when they ceased firing. Another effort to lay the bridge met
a like result. Then a third received the same stormy repulse, when it
seemed that all the cannon within a mile of the town turned their
concentrating fire of shot and shell upon the buildings of the devoted
city, tearing, crushing, bursting, burning their walls with angry
desperation that must have been gratifying to spirits deep down below.
Under the failures to lay the bridge, General Hunt suggested that the
pontoon-boats be filled with infantrymen, rushed across and landed on the
other bank until a sufficient force was in position to protect the
bridge-builders. Barksdale had been notified before noon that the army was
in position, and that he could withdraw his troops at any moment, but he
preferred his little fight in Fredericksburg. At four o'clock, when the
landing was made by the boats, he thought the city safe against artillery
practice, and was pleased to hold till night could cover his withdrawal.
Colonel Norman J. Hall, of the Seventh Michigan Regiment, commanded the
troops working for a foothold on the west bank. After the several attempts
to have the bridge built, he accepted General Hunt's proposition to load
the boats and have the men push across. Lieutenant-Colonel Baxter,
commanding the regiment, volunteered to lead the party. Captain Weymouth,
of the Nineteenth Massachusetts, proposed to support the move. Under
signal for artillery fire to cease, the command of Lieutenant-Colonel
Baxter pushed across. Under the best fire the pickets could bring to bear
only one man was killed and Lieutenant-Colonel Baxter and several men were
wounded. The party of seventy were rushed up the bank, gained position,
captured some prisoners, and were soon reinforced. The enemy's fire over
the west bank was so sweeping that Barksdale could not reinforce at the
point of landing. The Nineteenth Massachusetts was deployed to the right,
and the Seventh Michigan to the left. The Twenty-eighth Massachusetts
reinforced them. The Twelfth and Fifty-ninth New York and One Hundred and
Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania Regiments joined the command in the city.
Colonel Hall found that he must prepare for some fighting, and speedily,
as night was coming on. He sent to the rear to ask for time to prepare and
make his fight to suit him, but was hurried on by the division pushing
forward to get across the bridge, with orders to secure the streets at all
hazards. The Seventh Michigan and Nineteenth Massachusetts had been
brought to a stand, when the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts was rushed
forward in gallant style. Colonel Hall reported, "Platoon after platoon
were swept away, but the head of the column did not falter. Ninety-seven
officers and men were killed or wounded in the space of about fifty
yards." The eastern part of the town was occupied, and at a late hour of
the night the Confederates retired.
As Barksdale's brigade withdrew, he was relieved at the sunken road by the
Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth Georgia Regiments and Cobb's Georgia Legion,
General T. R. R. Cobb in command.
The Third Grand Division had no severe work in laying the bridges below
Deep Run, and were ready for co-operation some hours in advance of the
right.
The Federals occupied the 12th in moving the Right Grand Division into the
city by the upper bridges, and the Left Grand Division by the bridges
below Deep Creek. One hundred and four guns crossed with the right, one
hundred and twenty with the left. The Centre Grand Division was held in
reserve. Two divisions of the Third Corps were sent to the lower bridges
during the night to support the battle of the left, and were ordered over
on the 13th.
The plan of battle by the Federal commander, in brief, was to drive the
Confederate right back into the highlands and follow that success by
attacking the Confederate left by his Right Grand Division.
The _beginning_ only of this plan was carried out. The Left Grand Division
having duly crossed the river at the lower bridges on the 12th,--the Sixth
Corps and Bayard's brigade of cavalry, then the First Corps,--the Sixth
deployed two divisions, supported by the third, parallel to the old
Richmond road; the First formed at right angles to the Sixth, its right on
the left of the Sixth, its left on the river, two divisions on the front
line, one in support. The cavalry was sent out to reconnoitre. The entire
field of the command was an open plain between the highlands and the
river, traversed by the old Richmond road, which had well-formed
embankments and ditches on both sides.
The Federal troops of their left divisions were in full view of the
heights (Lee's Hill) occupied by the Confederates; those of the right were
concealed by the buildings of Fredericksburg and under the river banks,
and their bridges were under the steep also. The two brigades on the right
of the Sixth Corps were to the right of Deep Run; the others, of the First
and Sixth Corps, on the left. The batteries of the corps were under
authority of corps commanders. There were but few shots exchanged during
the 12th, and these not of great damage.
On the Confederate side the First Corps (Longstreet's) was in position
from Taylor's Hill across Deep Run Bottom. The Second Corps was in mass
about the wooded heights at Hamilton's Crossing. His cavalry and horse
artillery were on his right in the Massaponax Valley. General R. Ransom's
division was posted in rear of the left of Marye's Hill; his Twenty-fourth
North Carolina Regiment was advanced to the left of Cobb's line in the
sunken road. His brigade under Colonel Cooke was deployed as
sharp-shooters on the crest of the hill. He was especially charged with
looking after the left of Cobb's line. In front of this line and about six
hundred yards from it was a canal, or large wet ditch, about four hundred
yards out from the city limits. The crossings at the Plank and Telegraph
roads had been bridged, and the bridges were ordered wrecked, but were
only partially destroyed, the string-pieces being left in place. The corps
in position, the Confederate commander prepared to stand and receive
battle.
In concluding this account of the confronting armies on the eve of battle,
let us glance at their relative strength as expressed in numbers.
The Army of the Potomac, as reported by General Burnside, had on December
10 an "aggregate present for duty" of 132,017[110] officers and men (not
including cavalry). The Army of Northern Virginia was reported by General
Lee on the same date to have had an aggregate of 69,391[111] (not
including cavalry).