ARMY OPERATIONS. 



169 



unteers joined them from the 8th Connecticut. 

 Some planks were seized and carried out to the 

 end of a string of boats and placed in position, 

 when a galling fire from sharpshooters in rifle 

 pits near the edge of the water again interrupt- 

 ed them, and they were recalled. Meantime 

 the bombardment was continued, and several 

 houses in the city had taken fire. In the after- 

 noon, several pontoon boats, loaded with vol- 

 unteers from the 7th Michigan and 19th Mas- 

 sachusetts, were sent over. They chased the 

 Confederate sharpshooters from their hiding 

 places, and the bridges were finished without 

 further interruption. On the other side a 

 scene of destruction presented itself. The 

 walls of houses were breached, roofs had fallen 

 in, and the interiors were destroyed. 



No sooner were the bridges completed than 

 the troops began to cross, and before dusk 

 Gen. Sumner's grand division had gone over, 

 and a section of Gen. Hooker's. All had ra- 

 tions for three days, and blankets for a 

 bivouac. The grand division of Gen. Franklin, 

 consisting of the corps of Gens. Reynolds and 

 Smith, crossed over at the lower bridge, which 

 was built earlier in the day without interrup- 

 tion, as there was a plain before it which the 

 artillery could easily have swept. The troops 

 commenced crossing again early on the morn- 

 ing of the 12th without molestation. Some 

 sharp resistance had been made by the Confed- 

 erate soldiers to those who crossed on the pre- 

 vious day, but these were driven out of the 

 city or killed. During the afternoon fire was 

 opened upon the city by the Confederate bat- 

 teries on the nearest heights, which was re- 

 plied to by the Federal batteries, and soon 

 ceased. The occupation of Fredericksbnrg had 

 now been successfully made. No greater op- 

 position had been presented by the forces of 

 Gen. Lee than was sufficient to tempt the Fed- 

 eral troops to press forward with greater ardor. 



The next movement was to drive the Con- 

 federate forces from their positions on the 

 heights. These positions consisted of two lines 

 of batteries, one a mile in rear of the other, and 

 both overlooking the city. They extended, in 

 the form of a semicircle, from Port Royal to a 

 point about six miles above Fredericksburg. 

 Their right wing, under Gen. Jackson, extended 

 from Port Royal to Guinney's Station on the 

 Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad; the 

 centre, under Gen. Longstreet, extended to the 

 telegraph road; the left, under Gen. Stuart, 

 was west of Massaponax Creek. A reserve 

 corps was commanded by Gen. A. P. Hill. 

 This was the force which had fought at Rich- 

 mond and in Maryland. 



Friday night and Saturday morning, the 13th, 

 were spent by Gen. Burnside in making a prop- 

 er disposition of his forces. The left was oc- 

 cupied by Gen. Franklin with his grand divi- 

 sion, the centre by Gen. Hooker, and the right 

 by Gen. Sumner. 



The right of Gen. Franklin rested on the 

 outskirts of the city, his centre was advanced 



about a mile from the river, and his left was 

 on the Rappahannock, about three miles be- 

 low. The action commenced on the extreme 

 left by an annoying fire from a Confederate 

 battery, which the 9th New York was ordered 

 to charge and capture. In this attempt they 

 were repulsed. A brigade was brought to 

 their aid by Gen. Tyler, and another attempt 

 made, but the fire was so deadly that it failed 

 of success. The battle now became more gen- 

 eral, and another attempt was made to capture 

 the battery. No advantage was gamed at this 

 time, but a severe loss was suffered. The con- 

 flict now extended along the whole line of the 

 left, and a desperate effort was made to drive 

 the Confederates across the Massaponax Creek 

 by turning their position. The ground was 

 contested most obstinately, but the Confed- 

 erates gradually fell back, occasionally making 

 a most desperate stand, until night, when Gen. 

 Franklin had succeeded in gaining nearly a 

 mile, and his troops occupied the field. The 

 right of Gen. Franklin's division, under Gen. 

 Reynolds, encountered the fire of the Confed- 

 erate artillery on the heights, and although the 

 conflict was most deadly, no advantage was 

 gained. 



On the right, under command of Gen. Sum- 

 ner, the action commenced about ten o'clock 

 and was furious during the rest of the day. 

 The Confederate forces occupied the woods 

 and hills in the rear of the city, from which it 

 soon became evident they could not be driven 

 except at the point of the bayonet. The 

 charge was ordered to be made by the divi- 

 sion of Gen. French supported by that of Gen. 

 Howard. Steadily the troops moved across the 

 plain, until they were within a dozen yards of 

 the ridge, when they were suddenly met by a 

 galling fire from the Confederate infantry post- 

 ed behind a stone wall. For a few minutes 

 the head of the column exhibited some con- 

 fusion ; but quickly forming into line it retired 

 back to a ravine within musket shot of the 

 Confederates. Here they were reenforced by 

 fresh troops who fearlessly advanced to their 

 aid under a most destructive fire of artillery. 

 The line of assault was now formed again, 

 and with bayonets fixed and a double-quick 

 step, they rushed forward to seize the Con- 

 federate artillery. From the first step they 

 encountered a terrific fire of infantry and 

 artillery. Xo veterans could face that shock. 

 They were thrown into confusion and brought 

 to a sudden halt. At this juncture the 

 centre quivered, faltered, and fled in disorder, 

 but was afterward rallied and brought back. 

 Three times was the attack thus made to dis- 

 lodge those batteries. But each time it was in 

 vain. The ranks of the storming party, shrunk 

 to small limits, retired. The entire force of his 

 artillery was now brought by Gen. Sumner to 

 bear upon the enemy, and thus the contest was 

 kept up until dark. At night the Confederate 

 force occupied their original position, and the 

 wounded and the dead remained where they 



