486

& Nov.,

1862.

BURNSIDE BEFORE FREDERICKSBURG.

donsville. In accordance with this resolution, his forces began to move toward Fredericksburg on the 16th. Meanwhile Jackson had been making some demonstration north and west of Winchester, for the purpose of detaching a part of Burnside's force in that direction, but failed; while Lee, with the great body of his troops, had retired to Gordonsville.

¿ Nov. 15.

Sumner led the movement' down the left bank of the Rappahannock, toward Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, with the expectation of crossing the river at once, and taking possession of the city and the commanding heights in its rear. A feint was made toward Gordonsville, to mask this movement, but Lee penetrated it, and put in motion a countervailing force down the right bank of the river. The head of Sumner's column arrived at Falmouth on the 17th, and was assailed by a light battery already planted on the heights back of Fredericksburg. This was soon silenced by Petitt's battery, planted on the highest hill back of Falmouth, in the mansion on the summit of which, on his arrival toward evening, General Sumner made his quarters. He was anxious to cross over and seize those heights. The bridges were destroyed, but the stream was fordable just above Falmouth. The town was occupied by a regi Barksdale's Mississippi brigade of sharp-shooters, their leader making his quarters where McDowell had made his, in the fine brick building of the Farmers' Bank, corner of George and Princess Streets. The city and those heights might then have been easily taken, but Burnside thought it best not to do so

ment of Virginia cavalry and

e Nov. 21.

demanded the surrender of

the city. The authorities replied, that while it should not be

1 Without a shadow of truth, General Lee encouraged his troops and the deceived people by solemnly declaring in his official report that "the advance of General Sumner reached Falmouth on the afternoon of the 17th, and attempted to cross the Rappahannock, but was driven back by Colonel Ball with the Fifteenth Vir ginia cavalry, four companies of Mississippi infantry, and Lewis's light battery."

THE CONFEDERATES AT FREDERICKSBURG.

487

used for offensive operations against the National army, any attempt of that army to occupy it would be stoutly resisted. Expecting an immediate assault in response to this refusal, a greater portion of the inhabitants fled, and Barksdale's sharp-shooters were distributed throughout the town in ambush behind buildings.

Immediately after the arrival of the National army before Fredericksburg, a large force was de

tailed to repair the railway between that city and Aquia Creek, its base of supplies. The Confederates had destroyed all of the bridges and much of the track, but it was soon put in sufficient order for temporary purposes. The bridges were rebuilt rudely but strongly of wood, the most notable specimen of which was that

over the Potomac Creek, that traversed a deep ravine. It was four hundred feet in length, and its top was ninety feet above the water.'

a 1862.

Before this line of communication was established, the Confederates had made the seizure of Fredericksburg and the heights behind it impossible without a severe battle. Lee's army, eighty thousand strong, had pushed forward toward the Rappahannock as rapidly as possible, and at the close of November it lay in a semicircle around Fredericksburg, each wing resting on the river; its right at Port Royal, below the city, and its left six miles above the city. Lee's engineers had been very busy, and had constructed two lines of fortifications along two concentric ridges a mile apart, extending from the river, a mile and a half above the city, to the Fredericksburg and Richmond railway, three miles below the town. These had grown without the possible interference of the Nationals, for not until the second week in December were pontoons, which had been ordered, ready for constructing bridges to cross the river. So formidable were their works then, that a direct attack in front, with Lee's main force behind them, would be almost like madness.

Arrangements were made to cross the river at Skenker's Neck, twelve miles below Falmouth, and turn the Confederate right. This was discovered, and Lee sent so heavy a force in that direction that the enterprise was abandoned. Yet those preparations had so engaged Lee's attention, that he kept a large force down the river to prevent such movement; and Burnside felt satisfied that he might successfully make a sudden crossing, and attack Lee's

The picture shows the appearance of that structure. The two stone piers were the remains of the old bridge. A writer of the day said: "It is a precarious thing in appearance, the track simply propped up on trestle-work of round logs, and as the trains creep over the abyss, the impressions of the spectators are not, in the aggregate, comfortable."

488

PERILOUS BRIDGE-BUILDING.

front and fatally penetrate it, while his army was thus divided. Preparations for forcing the passage of the Rappahannock were made accordingly. The topgraphy of the river shores favored the enterprise, for Stafford Heights, where the Nationals lay, were close to its banks, and commanded the plain on which the city stands, while the heights on which Lee's batteries were planted were from three-fourths of a mile to a mile and a half from the banks. Such being the case, there seemed to be nothing to oppose the construction of the bridges but the Mississippi sharp-shooters in the city.

Every thing was in readiness on the 10th of December. During that night Stafford Heights, under the direction of General Hunt, chief of artillery, were dotted by twenty-nine batteries containing one hundred and fortyseven guns, so arranged that they commanded the space between the town and the heights back of it, and might protect the crossing of the troops. Burnside's head-quarters were at the house of Mr. Phillips, on the heights, a mile from the river, from which he could survey the whole field of operations. The Grand Divisions of Sumner and Hooker, sixty thousand strong, lay in front of the city, and that of Franklin, forty thousand strong, two miles below. It was arranged to throw five pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock for the passage of these troops-three of them opposite the city, and two where Franklin was to cross.

Before daylight on the morning of the 11th the engineers were quietly but vigorously at work making the bridges, covered by the Fifty-seventh

and houses on the city side of the stream. At the same time a signal-gun was fired to call the Confederate hosts to arms, for General Lee had expected this movement, and was prepared for an attack. The fire was so severe that the engineers were driven away. Several attempts to renew the work were foiled by the sharp-shooters. Nothing could be done while these remained in the town, and only artillery might effect their expulsion. So, at about ten o'clock in the morning, Burnside ordered the batteries on Stafford Heights to open upon the city, and batter it down, if necessary. The response to that order was terrific. More than a hundred guns fired fifty rounds each before the cannonade ceased, when the city was awfully shattered, and on fire in several places. Under cover of this cannonade a fresh attempt

1 This is a view of the Phillips House in flames, taken by the photographic process by Mr. Gardiner, of Washington City, while it was burning.

PASSAGE OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK.

489

was made to finish the bridges; but, strange to say, the sharp-shooters were there yet, and the effort failed. These must be dislodged. Volunteers were called for to cross the river in the open pontoon-boats, and drive them from their hiding-places, which cannon on the heights could not reach. The Seventh Michigan and Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts, of Howard's division, offered their services for the perilous undertaking. These dashed across as rapidly as possible, and as soon as a sufficient number had landed, they rushed up the bank, drove the Mississippians from their shelter, captured nearly one hun

dred of them, and took possession of the riverfront of the town.' The pontoon-bridges were soon completed; but at the loss, at this point and at Franklin's crossing-place, nearly two miles below, of three hundred men.2

That evening Howard's division of Couch's corps crossed the river, drove the Confederates (Seventeenth and Eight

PLACE OF FRANKLIN'S PASSAGE OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK.

eenth Mississippi and Eighth Florida) out of Fredericksburg, and occupied the battered and smoking city. Fortunately for the Nationals, there was another thick fog the next morning, and under its cover, and the wild firing in the mist from the Stafford Hills, the remainder of Sumner's Right Grand Division crossed to the city side of the Rappahannock. A large portion of Franklin's Left Grand Division crossed at the same time, while the Center Grand Division, under Hooker, remained on the Falmouth side, in readiness,

4

1 In this gallant exploit a drummer-boy of the Seventh Michigan, named Robert H. Hendershot, distinguished himself. It was his twelfth birthday, having been born on the 11th day of December, 1850. He volunteered to go, and with his drum slung to his back he jumped into one of the boats. His captain ordered him out, telling him he was too small for such business. "May I help push off the boat, Captain ?" said the boy. "Yes," was the reply. He purposely let the boat drag him into the river, and, clinging to it, he so crossed the stream. A large number of the men in the boat were killed, and as the boy climbed up the bank his drum was torn in pieces by the fragment of a shell. He seized a musket belonging to one of his slain companions, and fought gallantly with the rest. Ilis bravery was brought to the notice of Burnside, who warmly commended it. It was published abroad. The Tribune Association of New York presented him with an elegant new drum, and the proprietor of the Eastman Business College, at Poughkeepsie, offered to give him a home, a full support, and a thorough education, without charge; which generous offer the boy accepted, and he at once entered that institution.

2 Franklin was opposed by sharp-shooters in rifle-pits in front of his bridges, near the mouth of Deep Run. These he soon dislodged, and by noon his bridges were ready for use. The above view of the place where Franklin's pontoons were laid is from a sketch made by the author in June, 1866, from the right bank of the river, and nearly opposite the site of the residence of Washington, when he was a boy. For a picture of that residence, see Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, ii. 219. The river here is much wider than in front of the city.

extreme.

Eye-witnesses describe the scene in Fredericksburg after the bombardment on the 11th as sad in the Several buildings which had been set on fire were yet smoking, and very few had escaped wounds from the missiles. The streets were filled with furniture, carried out to be saved from the flames only to be destroyed by other causes. Fortunately, the few inhabitants who remained took refuge in cellars, and not one was killed. The picture in the text on the next page is from a sketch by Henry Lovie, made on the morning after the bombardment.

4 See note 3, page 485.

Gordon, and Richardson and French bore down upon the foe more to the left, when the corn-field, already won and lost by both parties, was regained by the Nationals, who held the ground around the Dunker Church. Victory seemed certain for the latter, for Jackson and Hood had commenced retiring, when fresh troops under McLaws and Walker came to Jackson's support, seconded by Early on their left. These pressed desperately forward, penetrated the National line at a Gap between Sumner's right and center, and the Unionists were driven back to the first line of woods east of the Hagerstown road, when the victors, heavily smitten by the National artillery, and

menaced by unflinching Doubleday, withdrew to their original position near the church. Sedgwick, twice wounded, was carried from the field, when the command of his division devolved on General O. O. Howard. Generals Crawford and Dana were also wounded.

It was now about noon, and fighting had been going on since dawn. The wearied right needed immediate support. It came at a timely moment. Franklin had come up from below, and McClellan, who remained on the east side of the Antietam, sent him over to assist the hard-pressed right. He formed on Howard's left, and at once sent Slocum with his division toward the center. At the same time General Smith was ordered to retake

1 This was the appearance of the scene when the author sketched it, at the beginning of October, 1863. The view is from the grove, mentioned in the text, from which McClellan watched the battle, according to the statement of Mr. Pry, who accompanied him. The birds in the picture are over certain localities. The single bird on the left is over Alfred Cort's barn, whose house is seen in the middle ground. The two birds are over the Dunker Church; the three birds denote the place of Mumma's house; the four birds indicate the position of a burying-ground, and the five birds are over the spot at the edge of the woods, in the extreme distance, where General Mansfield was killed.