FREDERICKSBURG.

Looking east, we see Stuart's cavalry and artillery drawn up on the level plateau, flanking Meade's position. One of his guns is a long-range rifled piece. From his position he will pour an enfilading fire upon the Union lines whenever they advance.

The sun was just It was nine o'clock when Meade began to move. beginning to clear away the fog. Meade moved towards the Bowling Green Road, but was obliged to halt while the pioneers cut away a hedge and bridged a ditch so that the cannon could cross.

Suddenly there came the roar of a cannon breaking the stillness of the morning.

I looked at my watch, and saw that it was just half-past nine. Meade, apprehending an immediate attack on his left flank, halted. He had three brigades-Sinclair's, Magilton's, and Jackson's-and four batteries.

Sinclair's brigade was in the front line, Magilton's six hundred feet in rear, followed by Jackson's--in all, six thousand men.

When Stuart's solid shot came along the lines Meade halted Sinclair and swung Magilton up to his left, forming two sides of a square.

"Plant your cannon there," said Meade, pointing to a knoll, and three batteries sent their shells across the level fields.

His Doubleday, seeing the flashes of Stuart's cannon, pushed down the river, extending his line towards Meade, his troops facing Stuart.

batteries opened fire. With Meade's batteries it made a cross-fire, which was so uncomfortable that Stuart was obliged to withdraw his guns.

While this was going on the Confederate skirmishers crept along the hedges and opened fire, but two companies sent out by Meade drove them back. Stonewall Jackson, seeing Doubleday's movement, and thinking that it was Franklin's intention to turn his left flank, sent D. H. Hill's division to Stuart's aid.

Double

I rode out upon the plain and had a full view of the scene. day was well advanced towards Stuart, his batteries in full play. Meade was across the Bowling Green Road, in the open field, marching towards the railroad. Gibbon was forming his division along the Bowling Green Road. Nearly all of Franklin's batteries had advanced towards the road, and were sending solid shot and shells into the woods upon Jackson's troops. Sixty heavy cannon were sending missiles over the army, across the plain into the Confederate lines.

Jackson's guns were thundering in response-Lathain's, Johnson's, McIntosh's, Pegram's, and Crenshaw's batteries.

The cavalry, under General Bayard, is by Burnard's house. The men stand by their horses, waiting orders. Their commander is sitting beneath a tree, gazing upon the scene, smoking his pipe. I salute him, and he returns it with a smile of recognition. A solid shot comes across the field, and he who a moment ago was bidding me good-morning is speechless evermore. He lives but a few moments.

As Meade's troops marched they came to a hollow before reaching the railroad, halted a moment, and then moved on. It was a clear field to the railroad embankment, behind which they could see the sunlight glistening from the bayonets of the Confederates.

The direction of Meade's advance brings him against Lane's and Archer's Confederate brigades along the railroad. There is a gap between the brigades, and there Meade drives his entering wedge.

It is a fierce and bloody contest. The fourteen cannon on the hill pour their shells into the advancing Union line, firing over the Confederates; but up to the railroad, over it, rush the Pennsylvanians, capturing two hundred prisoners and several standards. Archer and Lane are driven up the hill, followed by the Pennsylvanians. Archer shifts the Fifth Alabama from his right to his left, but is not able to stop Meade. He sends to General Gregg, who is in the woods, for help, and to Ewell, who is near Hamilton's house, and Trimble's and Lawton's brigades come upon the run.

It was Sinclair's brigade which had struck the first blow, and now

Jackson's and Magilton's came in against Gregg's South Carolina brigade, pouring in a fire which struck down nearly three hundred South Carolinians, among them General Gregg, who clung to a tree and waved on his men till he dropped unconscious upon the ground. Lawton's brigade came, followed by Trimble's, Hays's, Field's, and Walker's-an overwhelming force which curled around Meade's flank, capturing a large number of his men, and driving him back over the railroad.

General Gibbon was to support Meade. He advanced to the railroad. The embankment was a breast work, behind which the Confederates were lying. The fight was so severe that Gibbon, instead of supporting Meade, could not even hold his ground. Some of his regiments gave way, but the Ninety-seventh New York, the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania, and the Twelfth Massachusetts made a brave fight. Root's brigade came up, charged with the other regiments upon the embankment, captured some prisoners, and drove the others into the woods; but Meade was being driv en. Gibbon was wounded, and compelled to leave the field. Together the two divisions fell back, the Confederates following with exultant cheers; but Birney advanced to meet them, while General Ayre, commanding the artillery, wheeled thirty guns into position and hurled canister into the faces of the Confederates, sending them in turn back to the woods.

It was mid-afternoon when the troops returned from the unsuccessful attack on the left. Meade had struck a vigorous blow, and had lost more than one-third of his men.. It was a brave and energetic charge across the open field, over the railroad, into the woods, sweeping back Archer and Lane, and striking a blow upon Gregg.

Of the sixty thousand men at Franklin's disposal, only from twelve to fifteen thousand had been engaged. Franklin had obeyed Burnside's order, but his own judgment would have put forty thousand in at the

outset.

While the sun was going down the Confederates advanced upon Howe's and Newton's divisions; but it was a feeble attack. The artillery fire was too destructive for them to face; besides, Lee, secure in his position, was standing on the defensive.

I rode up to the right to see the movements there. The order issued to General Sumner was to move out on the Orange Court-house plankroad with a division and seize Marye's Heights. General French's division of the Second Corps was selected to make the attack, to be supported by General Hancock's division.

Let us survey the ground, that we may see the difficulties and obstacles to be overcome. Walking up Princess Anne Street, we reach the

outskirts of the town, descend a hill, and come to the canal, filled with water. We are on the road leading to Orange Court-house. We cross a piece of marshy ground to a bank which, in the coming battle, is to be

a blissful resting-place and shelter to thousands of Union troops. There are fences dividing the meadows into fields and pastures. Fifty rods up the turnpike brings us to the foot of Marye's Hill, to the road which leads off to the left, sunken three feet below the surface of the field.

The skirmishers advanced. Through the forenoon the Confederate cannon on the heights had been for the most part silent, but when the head of the column appeared, solid shot and shell came from the heights. The Eighth Ohio, marching up Hanover Street, was the first to feel the tempest, but without faltering it crossed the bridge and filed left into the meadow. At the same moment the First Delaware appeared on Princess Anne Street. At the instant most of the Confederate cannon were aimed at the Eighth Ohio, and the First Delaware was crossing the bridge before the storm came. It filed right, and went on with little loss. Not so fortunate the Fourth Ohio.

There were one hundred and fifteen of this regiment detailed as skirmishers, and in a very few minutes five officers and forty-three men were killed or wounded; but they cleared the ground, driving the Confederates from their hiding places, advancing across the meadow, halting beneath the ridge, there finding partial shelter from the storm.

General Nathan Kimball, the commander who defeated Stonewall Jack

MARYE HOUSE.

son at Kearnstown, in the Shenandoah Valley, is selected to lead the attack. He forms his brigade in Caroline Street, which runs parallel with the canal. I see the columns as they cross the bridges and deploy on the west bank of the canal in the meadow. The cannon which have been aimed at the skirmishers are turned upon the brigades, firing more rapidly than before. And now the Union cannon on the Stafford hills--the longrange guns-begin to send solid shot and shells with long-time fuses over the town. Some of the shells burst high above the Confederates, throwing out handfuls of white cloud upon the clear blue sky, or, striking the embankments, toss cart-loads of earth into the air.

General Cobb's Confederate brigade is in the sunken road, the men lying down close behind the stone wall. They bide their time.