THE BOMBARDMENT OF FREDERICKSBURG. 231 menced in earnest. The engineers had attempted to lay six pontoon bridges, four opposite the city and two about four miles below, but they had not got more than twothirds of the distance laid before they were driven off by the enemy's sharpshooters posted in the houses of the town. To dislodge these, one hundred and fortythree guns were put into position, the larger portion of which opened upon the town. The sight was a magnificent but sad one, and just before dark it became grand in the extreme. The town was on fire in several places, the flames and smoke ascending high into the heavens, while shells were seen bursting in almost every quarter. During this time the enemy's sharpshooters kept up a vigorous fire upon the cannoneers and officers who lined the bank, their bullets at that long range whizzing wickedly by. Finding it impossible to drive the sharpshooters away with artillery, the pontoon boats were filled with infantry and run quickly across the river under a heavy fire, and landing, the men rushed up into the streets and houses and drove the enemy away, killing, wounding, and taking many prisoners. In fifteen minutes after the detachment landed, our men began building the bridges, and in half an hour more they were completed. When the boats first went over, Joseph Cline, a boy of sixteen, belonging to Company C, being where they started from, could not resist the temptation and went over with them, capturing a Mississippi rifle and accoutrements from a "Grayback" he killed. CHAPTER XXI. BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. Loss OF OUR ARMY. INCIDENTS. RE-CROSS THE RAPPAHANNOCK. THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG, DECEMBER 13TH.— Early on the 12th, we marched down to the lower pontoons, and at eleven A. M., crossed, halted and formed in line of battle on the bottom land beneath the elevated plain. Here the men commenced making coffee and eating dinner, as no one could tell when they would have an opportunity to build fires again. While they were thus engaged and every one was expecting in a short time to go into battle, four young boys were quietly seated, playing cards upon a blanket. For two of them it was their last game. Soon after we were moved up on the plateau, and the whole army was formed into line of battle, with the artillery and cavalry all posted. It was one of the most magnificent sights the eyes of man ever rested upon. Some slight picket skirmishing took place in our front, and on the right, the enemy opened with artillery, but soon retired. The "Bucktails" were ordered to the extreme left for picket duty, and our regiment sent to occupy the buildings and out-houses at Smithfield, and to hold the bridge across Deep run, near where it emptied into the river. The main building was Dr. Thomas Platt's large brick house, which, being unoccupied, we entered through a window, and found it very handsomely furnished. Around this building the men were posted, and it was occupied by us during the night. Upon our arrival, Colonel McCandless caused the arrest of the overseer and two other white men, and sent them to General Meade's head-quarters, who caused them to be detained until the battle was over. With the exception of the exchange of a few shots every thing passed quietly through the night. THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. 233 The field upon which the battle of Fredericksburg was fought, consisted of a plateau, extending from the bluffs of the river to a range of heavily-wooded heights, commencing on the Rappahannock, above and in the rear of Fredericksburg, and extending to the valley of Massaponax, a distance of between four and five miles, its greatest breadth being two miles. On this plateau was drawn up the Union army, Major-general E. V. Sumner, commanding the right grand division, Major-general Joseph Hooker commanding the centre grand division, and Major-general William B. Franklin commanding the left grand division. Early on the morning of the 13th, the enemy threw out foot and mounted skirmishers, on our left, and Colonel McCandless ordered Companies B, Captain McDonough, and H, Captain Mealey, to the support of the "Bucktails," and it soon after becoming evident that the enemy meditated an attack upon that point, the balance of the regiment was moved up. Soon after the remainder of the Pennsylvania Reserves, under General Meade, moved forward, and Doubleday's division passing to our left, we advanced and formed the first line of battle with Gibbons' division on our right. Crossing the Bowling Green road, we advanced to within about one thousand yards of the base of the mountain and laid down on the crest of the field, behind the batteries we were to support. Our division formation was, the First brigade in line of battle, with the Sixth regiment deployed as skirmishers; the Second brigade in rear of the First, three hundred paces: the Third brigade by the flank, its right flank being a few yards to the rear of the First brigade, having the Ninth regiment deployed on its flanks as skirmishers and flankers; the batteries between the First and Second brigades. This disposition had scarcely been made, when the enemy opened a brisk fire from a battery posted on the Bowling Green road, the shot from which took the divi sion from the left and rear, As there were indications of an attack from that quarter, the Third brigade was faced to the left, thus forming, with the First, two sides of a square. Simpson's battery was advanced to the front and left of the Third brigade, and Cooper's and Ransom's batteries moved to the knoll on the left of the First brigade. These batteries immediately opened on the enemy's battery, and, in conjunction with some of Doubleday's batteries in our rear, on the other side of the Bowling Green road, after some twenty minutes' firing, silenced and compelled the withdrawal of the guns. During this artillery duel, the enemy advanced a body of sharpshooters along the Bowling Green road, under cover of the hedges and trees at the roadside. General Jackson, commanding the Third brigade, promptly sent out two companies of marksmen from his brigade, who drove the enemy back, and no further demonstrations were made on our left and rear. During this time a dense fog, which had hung over the field, was dispelled by the rays of the sun, and revealed to the enemy our magnificent lines drawn up in battle array. As our division had been chosen by General Reynolds, who commanded our corps, to storm the heights, Ransom's battery was moved to the right and front of the First brigade, and Amsden's battery was posted on the right of Cooper's, and the Third brigade changed front, and formed in line of battle on the left of the First brigade, its left extending so as to be nearly opposite to the end of the ridge to be attacked. The formation was barely executed before the enemy opened a sharp fire from a battery posted on the heights to our extreme left. Cooper's, Amsden's and Ransom's batteries were immediately turned on it, and, after about thirty minutes rapid firing, the enemy abandoned the guns, having had two of his limbers or caissons blown up, the explosions from which were plainly visible. It was now twelve o'clock, M., and we had been lay THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. 235 ing under a terrifie fire of round shot and shell for over three hours, which plowed up the earth in deep furrows, or went howling and bursting over our heads, filling the air with iron hail and sulphur. Though this is the most trying position soldiers can be placed in, there is little danger from it, not a man of our regiment being hurt, though the flagstaff was cut in two. But we were tired of lying still and being shot at without returning the fire, and when the order came for us to advance, it was received with joy by all. Upon the explosion of the caissons, the order to advance was given and received with loud cheers, the First brigade advancing over the field into the woods, driving the enemy before them. Having passed through a severe flanking fire from a rifle pit, which lined the base of the woods and mountains, we crossed the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad and drove the enemy from behind the embankments, and then making a half wheel to the left, gained the rear of the pit, and poured into its occupants a most destructive fire, by which they were slaughtered like sheep. Many of them attempted to escape by running the gauntlet in front of our regiment, they becoming perfectly wild with fright, not heeding our calls to halt, but with their arms up to shield their heads, some of them staggered to and fro up the hill, within a few yards of us, meeting certain death. The balance of our brigade being on our right, and a heavy fire being received from that direction they obliqued over to that side, and our regiment pushed on to the front. In the mean time, about one company of scattered men were pouring into the rifle-pit, at the distance of fifty yards, a murderous fire, to which no response was given, but unfortunately the Seventh Reserve were in the field in front of the pit, and pouring into it a heavy fire, which harmed not the foe, but was received by our men, who in the excitement of the battle supposed the shots came from the pit. It was therefore almost impossible to stop the fire of our boys, until at last the adju |