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the estate of a planter named Bernard. At the first of these points two, at the second one, and at the third three bridges were to be laid. Upon these six bridges the army was to cross the Rappahannock, occupy the town and move rapidly to the assault. The left, by a vigorous and decisive attack, was to pierce the enemy's line near Captain Hamilton's crossing, seize the road in the rear and compel the evacuation of the works upon the crest. Then the right and centre, in support of the left attack, were to force the enemy from the heights in front and pursue along the telegraph or the plank road, according to the direction of the enemy's retreat. The success of the plan of attack was to depend upon the celerity and vigor with which the troops were pushed to its execution.

The morning of the 11th dawned raw, cold and foggy. The engineers--among whom were volunteers from the 8th Connecticut regiment of the Ninth Corps--were promptly at work upon the bridges. But little opposition was made to the operations of General Franklin's working parties below the town, and after considerable labor, his three bridges were laid, secured and strengthened. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon he reported to General Burnside that he was ready to cross his grand division. But operations immediately opposite the town had not proceeded so satisfactorily as General Burnside had hoped, and General Franklin was ordered to hold his bridges, but not to cross the main body of his troops till the upper bridges were completed. The latter work was destined to meet with considerable opposition. As the day came on the design of crossing was revealed to the enemy's forces in the town. About two thirds of the work of laying the bridges had been accomplished, when the sharpshooters of General Barksdale's Mississippi brigade posted in the houses and streets directed a destructive fire upon the working parties. Then our artillery opened along the whole line opposite the town. Amid the deafening roar of cannon, the shrieking and bursting of shells, the crash of falling timbers, as solid shot pierced the walls, our men attempted to finish the bridges. Soon the exploding shells

set several houses on fire, and a portion of the city broke out into flames. But the persistent sharpshooters of the enemy obstinately held their position, and poured in a withering fire. Our engineers were brave, but they were unable to work, exposed as they were to the deliberate aim of riflemen that rarely missed their mark. General Woodbury reported to General Burnside that the bridges could not be built. "They must be built," replied the chief. "Try again." Once again our men engaged in the useless endeavor. Once again they were obliged to desist. Once again General Woodbury reported his inability to complete his task. Our artillery could not dislodge those Mississippian riflemen from their position in the town.

At noon the fog lifted, and the enemy's fire became, if possible, more deadly. General Burnside had been at the Lacy house through most of the morning, anxious and impatient to put his troops across the river. Upon receiving the last report of General Woodbury, he immediately went down to the riverside himself. He at once saw the difficulty. He also saw the remedy. Consulting with his chief of artillery, General Hunt and other officers, he decided to call for volunteers to cross the river in boats, drive out its defenders and hold the town till the bridges should be built. Soldiers from three regiments-the 7th Michigan, the 19th and 20th Massachusetts-sprang forward at the call. Men of the 50th New York were ready to take the place of oarsmen. With the flag of the Union floating in the van, the brave fellows turned the prows of their boats towards the enemy and pushed off from the shore. A few minutes' strong pulling through the storm of death, and the opposite shore was reached. A party from the 89th New York, of General Getty's division, crossed at a point where the middle bridge was thrown, and our troops soon had the enemy in flank and rear. They rushed eagerly up the bank, along the streets, through the rifle pits, into the houses, and in half an hour's time the city of Fredericksburg was in our possession. The remnants of the Mississippi brigade, with the exception of a few that managed to escape, fell into our hands as prisoners

of war.

The engineers immediately proceeded in their work and the bridges were laid.

It was now four o'clock in the afternoon. The precious day had been almost wasted. Nothing more could be done than to cross a portion of the troops to hold the bridge heads. General Devens's brigade of General Smith's corps-the 2d Rhode Island regiment in advance-crossed by the lower bridges, and brushing away the enemy's skirmishers, held the position. Colonel Hawkins's brigade-the 46th New York in advanceand General Howard's division crossed by the upper bridges and occupied the town. By this time the night had settled down, and our troops, after establishing their picket lines well out towards the enemy, bivouacked in the streets and gardens of Fredericksburg. No soldiers were allowed to enter the houses, and the provost guard was vigilant. Still, some cases of plunder occurred, but they were so few as to speak well for the discipline of the army.

The

The 12th was occupied in crossing the remainder of the troops, with the exception of General Hooker's grand division, which was held in reserve on the hither side of the river. residue of General Franklin's grand division, consisting of the balance of General Smith's corps, the whole of General Reynolds's corps, and General Bayard's brigade of cavalry, began the crossing at daylight, and completed it at one o'clock in the afternoon. The troops were put in position-two divisions of Smith's s corps in line of battle and one in reserve near the old Richmond road, Reynolds's corps nearly at right angles with Smith's, en potence, as it were, his right resting on Smith's left and his left on the river. These dispositions were made in the face of a spiteful but almost harmless fire from the enemy's skirmishers and artillery. The road was bordered by an earthen parapet and ditch, but the ground was generally level. In front of General Reynolds's right was a considerable tract of forest land, traversed by the railroad, and bordered nearer the hills by the old Richmond road. General Sumner, on his part, sent across the river the remaining part of the right

grand division, the balance of General Couch's and General Willcox's corps. General Couch held the town, and General Willcox connected with General Franklin's right. These movements were made under an occasional fire from the enemy's batteries on the heights, but without any material loss. General Hooker moved General Butterfield's corps and General Whipple's division of General Stoneman's corps to the support of General Sumner's movement, and the remainder of General Stoneman's corps to the support of General Franklin. Another day was thus consumed. General Burnside visited and inspected his lines and conferred with his grand division and some of his corps commanders during the night of the 12th, and returned at a late hour to his headquarters on the Falmouth side of the river. General Lee made his dispositions for defence. He brought General Jackson up from Port Royal, and massed his troops somewhat heavily upon the right of his line.

At an early hour on the 13th, written orders were issued to the several grand division commanders, in accordance with the plan of battle adopted by General Burnside and after full verbal instructions. General Franklin's order was despatched at fifty-five minutes past five o'clock. It was carried to him by General Hardie, who remained at General Franklin's headquarters during the day. The principal part of the order was as follows: "The general commanding directs that you keep your whole command in position for a rapid movement down the old Richmond road, and you will send out a division at least, to pass below Smithfield to seize, if possible, the heights near Captain Hamilton's, on this side of the Massaponax, taking care to keep it well supported and its line of retreat open. He has ordered another column of a division or more to be moved from General Sumner's command up the plank road to its intersection with the telegraph road, where they will divide with a view to seizing the heights on both those roads. Holding those two heights, with the heights near Captain Hamilton's, will, he hopes, compel the enemy to evacuate the whole

ridge between these points. Two of General Hooker's divisions are in your rear at the bridges, and will remain there as supports." General Sumner's order was sent at six o'clock, and was as follows: "The general commanding directs that you extend the left of your command to Deep River, connecting with General Franklin, extending your right as far as your judgment may dictate. He also directs that you push a column of a division or more along the plank and telegraph roads, with a view to seizing the heights in the rear of the town. The latter movement should be well covered by skirmishers, and supported so as to keep its line of retreat open. The column for a movement up the telegraph and plank roads will be got in readiness to move, but will not move till the general commanding communicates with you." General Hooker, at seven o'clock, was simply ordered to "place General Butterfield's corps and General Whipple's division in position to cross at a moment's notice at the three upper bridges, in support of the other troops over the river, and the two remaining divisions of General Stoneman's corps in readiness to cross at the lower bridges, in support of General Franklin." General Burnside was to meet both Generals Sumner and Hooker at the Phillips house at an early hour, and accordingly deferred completing his orders until he could deliver them at a personal interview. In General Sumner's case, the reservation was made in regard to moving the troops, in order that such movement should be withheld until General Franklin's attack should have been sufficiently developed to promise a complete success. The artillery, under the direction of General Hunt, was distributed among the different corps, and the batteries moved in connection with their respective commands. The watchword of the day, given in order to prevent collision among our own forces in the fog, was "Scott." Each general of grand division received a copy of the orders given to the others.

General Franklin established his headquarters near the Bernard house, or Mansfield, as it is sometimes called; General Sumner's headquarters were at the Lacy house; General

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