Vermont in the civil war. A history of the part taken by the Vermont soldiers and sailors in the war for the Union, 1861-5 (1893) (14760308514)

Identifier: vermontincivilwa01bene (find matches)
Title: Vermont in the civil war. A history of the part taken by the Vermont soldiers and sailors in the war for the Union, 1861-5
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Benedict, G. G. (George Grenville), 1826-1907
Subjects: Vermont. Militia Vermont -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Regimental histories Vermont
Publisher: Burlington, Free Press Association
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
tween theridge and the river, here from three hundred to four hun-dred yards wide, stood and stands the quaint old town ofFredericksburg, the place of the death and burial of themother of Washington, and a town of 4,000 inhabitantsbefore the war. The ground on the north bank is of some-what similar formation to that on the south, though theheights are lower, and much nearer the river. The groundon the north side favored a crossing, for it was easy to postbatteries enough to command the points selected for thebridges. But the crossing effected, Burnside was just whereLee wanted him; and the latter must have witnessed witha stern pleasure the preparations which were made by theFederal commander to dash his army against the terracedheights along v/hich lay the Confederate lines. The Union generals, on their part, were not blind to thehazards of the effort, and many of them viewed it with Surgeon Stevens, Seventy-seventh Nevf York. His aggregate present for duty December 10th, was 78,238.
Text Appearing After Image:
DEC 13 th 1862 1, ^ 4 THE NEV/ YORK ymuc LIBRARY ASTOR, LENOX ANBTILOBN FOuNOaTIONS. THE FIRST BRIGADE. 339 strong forebodings of disaster. Hooker strongly advisedBurnside not to attack. The vagueness and fluctuations ofBurnsides plan, the confusion and contradictions of orders,the want of concert of action, and other causes of his failure,have long been fruitful subjects of discussion ; but they neednot be discussed here. The battle was chiefly fought on the 13th of December,though the various movements of advance and retreat occu-pied five days. On the 11th, the pontoon bridges, five innumber, were laid, not without serious annoyance, delayand loss from the enemys sharpshooters, especially at thebridges opposite the town. A striking feature of this daywas a bombardment of the city by a hundred guns, postedon the crests on the north bank. This fired the townin various places, but had little other effect. The 12tli wasconsumed in marching the various corps across the bridges,taking po