General Birney has taken command of our division and we are ordered to the front again, having had a very much needed rest and all feel recruited. We march up the Potomac on the Maryland side in forced marches. It is a very wet and muddy time. I do not pretend to give day and date for every place where we halt, for it would be too voluminous. But it is my intention to bring back to mind as near as memory will serve, the many battles and principal events that occurred in a four years stay with the Grand Army of the Potomac. We pass by Monocacy, Falling Waters, Leesburg in Virginia, and pull up at the famous village of Harper's Ferry, where the great John Brown made his raid, and for which his body was swung in mid air and his soul sent marching away to realms of bliss. But, as the song goes, he still keeps marching on to that bourne from whence no traveler returns. Winding our way around the Maryland heights, and over the bridge that spans the Shenandoah river, get on the sacred soil once more, camping for the night among the hills and feeling happy. Next day we resume our march and go through some nice country, where either army did not reach before. We are in Loudon county, one of the richest in the state. The people hereabouts are said to be leaning towards the Union, and so we deal as gently with them as we can. There are plenty of nice fence rails. Of course we must have our coffee and a fire to cook it; so I hope the good people of Loudon county can spare a few rails from their fences. There are some nice turkeys too, and a gobbler is gobbled up and brought to camp, where he is very much welcomed. Now the good people will remember us, for we spared them the trouble, in a good many instances, of feeding the corn to their turkeys and chickens, which they may need before this cruel war is over. It is rumored when we arrive at Warrington that McClellan is removed again now Lee is back in Virginia, and the authorities feel safe. Well let them fire away; they will soon see where they will pull up. Burnside now takes command. I don't think there is a better man in the army than he, but of course we all think with himself that he is not capable of commanding the Army of the Potomac. The feeling in the army at this time is better imagined than described, and I do believe, if he only said the word, McClellan and his army would march on Washington, and chastise those who are intriguing against our noble commander, and doing their best to destroy our army. But no; he bows his head with resignation, and amid the tears of his comrades, takes a sad farewell, November 7th, in the following noble address to his much cherished army. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC: An order of the President devolves upon Major General Burnside the command of this Army. In parting from you I cannot express the love and gratitude I bear to you. you As an army have grown up in my care. In you I have never found doubt or coldness. The battles you have fought under my command will probably live in our Nations' history. The glory you have achieved over mutual perils and fatigues, the graves of our comrades fallen in battle and by disease; the broken forms of those whom wounds and sickness have disabled; the strongest associations which can exist among men unite us by an indissoluble tie. We shall ever be comrades in supporting the Constitution of our country and the Nationality of its people. GEO. B. MDCLELLAN, Major General U. S. A. CHAPTER XXI. A RACE FOR FREDRICKSBURGH-THE ENEMY IN SMALL FORCE While Burnside is organizing and fixing things to suit him, we halt for a few days. The enemy is making towards Fredricksburg on the south side of the Blue Ridge, and if he gets there before us he will have the inside track to Richmond. Accordingly we strike tents and start for Fredricksburg, where we arrive after several forced marches. The enemy has taken up a position on the heights in the rear of the city. When we arrived there were only a small force before us, but we go quietly into camp and make ourselves comfortable. Here is the same routine of camp life; camp guard, picket duty, fatigue duty and drill. All of Lee's army now is encamped and in position in and around Fredricksburg. If McClellan had been in command when we first arrived here and lay idly by, what a cry of on to Richmond would be heard by his enemies; but he is not in command, and what anyone else does is all right; they can take their time and no cry of on to Richmond is made. Both armies are encamped in plain sight of each other, and their pickets are stationed along the Rappahannock, within a stone's throw of each other. There are no hostilties between them, and generally all is quiet along the lines. But our friendships are soon to be broken, for about Dec. 10th we get the order to be be ready to march with three days rations in our haversacks, and accordingly, on the 11th of December we are up bright and early, ready for an onward move. The morning is clear, cold and frosty. About 7 A. M. a tremendous artillery fire from our batteries is opened on the city and rebel works. The reverberations of the sound, as it passes along the river, makes it seem to us as though there were five thousand dogs of war barking all at once. Our engineers are busy laying down pontoon bridges for the troops to cross over. It is plain to us now that a forward movement is going to be made. The enemy's sharp-shooters are making sad havoc among the pontoon builders, for they are firing from the houses in the city at our men. Something must be done to remedy this, and a detail is made from the gallant Seventh Mich. Infantry to cross and clean out the rebel sharpshooters. Those few who crossed in those open boats have earned for themselves a crown of glory, and that little party will be remembered as long as their country will last, for performing one of the most daring feats of the war. They push out from the shore, bearing the starry flag aloft. The enemy pour their deadly missles into the midst of them, and many a brave hero is tumbled into the turbid waters of the Rappahannock. Can it be possible that any of them can cross with their lives? They have a very poor way of defending themselves, but they still keep on, and are about to land, when the house skulkers pour their deadly lead among the devoted band. They strive to keep a foothold, and commence firing. Some more troops are crossing in boats to reinforce. They make a desperate charge on the buildings occupied by the enemy, whom they drag forth from their cover. We have a foothold now, and the bridges are quickly built. The army moves to the front, and night ends the operations. During the night many cross, while our corps move to the left. On the morning of Dec. 13, 1862, the battle of Fredericksburg commenced. Our men advance and dislodge the rebels from their front line of works. They open up a a tremendous fire on our men from their artillery, and we cross the river on the double-quick, the shells bursting like hail all around. The gallant Fifth are already engaged, and our regiment join them on the left. A fearful fight is now taking place all along the line, both armies holding their ground. A battery of artillery pull up in line with us and are soon making sad havoc in the enemies ranks. The rebel infantry don't like to have the canister poured in among them, so they form in the valley to charge and take the battery. They are four lines deep, and await the order to charge. Cease firing, is the order of the Captain commanding the battery, and double shot your pieces with canister. Lieutenant Colonel Ed. Peirce of the old Third gives the command to be ready. We feel sure if they take our glorious battery they will pay dearly for every piece. Ha, they are in motion, coming as cool as if on parade. Steady boys, don't fire yet, is heard in a firm voice from our brave Colonel. They set up a hideous yelling, and are close to us. Why don't we get the order to fire we ask ; but they are not near enough yet. The captain of the battery gives his order to fire, and six guns open with their double-shotted mouths into the advancing masses. Ha, that is enough for them. They break in confusion and fly to the rear, satisfied that they don't want that battery. The fight rages terribly along the lines for eight miles. The rebels try hard to drive us into the river and to break our lines in every available spot; first with a right flank |