254 MAGNITUDE OF THE BATTLE FOUGHT. when the various Regiments were quietly ordered to fall in, they supposed it was for a night attack. The Thirty-third re-crossed about 9 o'clock, and before morning the entire army was over. Thus terminated the first battle of Fredericksburg, the greatest we had yet fought, and surpassing in magnitude that of Waterloo. General Lee had three hundred guns in position, and one hundred thousand men (see London Times' Correspondence); General Burnside nearly the same number of guns, and one hundred and thirty thousand men; whereas the combined forces of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, before the arrival of Blucher, amounted to only one hundred and fifty thousand; two hundred and forty pieces covering the whole amount of their artillery. We were repulsed, but not dispirited. "The strife Was not inglorious, though the event was dire." Such brave, heroic fighting as the Union Soldiers performed on that bloody Saturday, has never been surpassed, and will ever redound to the glory of our arms. For nine long hours they stood upon an open plain, exposed to the cross fire of hundreds of hostile cannon, unprotected by shelter of any kind, and fought an enemy concealed in forests, behind breastworks and in rifle-pits. Had no delays occurred at the outset, the assault would undoubtedly have proved successful, but after the enemy had had time to withdraw all their forces from below and mass them in front, defeat was a foregone conlusion. REBEL OFFICERS PUT TO FLIGHT. 255 Officers and men were disposed to believe that the movement had been peremptorily ordered from Washington, until the appearance of General Burnside's frank and manly letter, assuming the entire responsibility. From that time forward, the army questioned his military capacity, but could not refrain from admiring his qualities as a man. After re-crossing the river, the Thirty-third bivouacked in the dense woods near by, where it remained two days. Tuesday morning, a squad of rebel officers rode down over the battle-field to the Bernard House. This brought them within range of our guns planted on Stafford Heights, and Battery C, Fifth Regulars, immediately dropped a shell among them, which exploding, killed two, and sent the others fleeing back to the hills. The riderless horses dashed down to the river, and were shot by our men, employed in digging rifle-pits on this side. 256 FAMILIES ON THE PICKET LINE. Friday, December 19th, the left Grand Division moved back to White-Oak Church, and the Thirtythird re-occupied the camp which it had left on the Thursday previous. Once more the men applied themselves to the labor of building log-huts and fitting up winter quarters. The "Cabins" were arranged in long rows fronting on the road, and protected from the wind by the grove of hemlocks. The weather continued very warm and pleasant, and but little sickness prevailed in the Regiment. Christmas was devoted to mirth and hilarity, the Colonel giving a dinner party to the officers at his tent. Marching orders were again received on the 30th, but were almost immediately countermanded. General Burnside had arranged another plan of attack, but the details having been ferreted out by rebel sympathizers at Washington, he was compelled to relinquish it. The Regiment frequently went on picket, and as a general thing enjoyed the change. The Fitzhughs, Balls, and several other families who lived near the picket line, always welcomed the officers and men to their houses. Though confessed rebels, many pleasant hours were spent in the society of the daughters, whose brothers and lovers were absent in the rebel army. There was in fact hardly a corporal's guard of young men left between the Potomac and Rappahannock, so effectually had the conscription act been enforced. Among other maidens who were accustomed to entertain the Regiment, was the betrothed of COURAGE OF A FEMALE. 257 Geo. B. Davis, a nephew of Jeff.'s. One afternoon a cavalryman, after vainly ransacking the out-buildings of her father's plantation for corn, approached the door in which the young lady was standing, and insisted that some of the grain, "which he knew was concealed in the house, should be given him." "We have none, was the reply." "Stand aside until I go in and see for myself," he rudely retorted, at the same time whipping out of its sheath a heavy Colt's Revolver. No sooner done than the fair girl planted herself firmly in the door way, drew a small repeater from her bosom, and deliberately aiming it at the rascal's head, exclaimed, "Approach one step further towards this house, and you are a dead man." Cowed and baffled by this exhibition of bravery, the trooper turned on his heel and left. This incident illustrates the coolness and courage with which some of the Virginia women are endowed. The following changes, in addition to those already mentioned, had occurred in the Regiment up to this time. Captain Theodore Hamilton, Co. G, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, 62d N. Y. Captain G. Murray Guion, Co. A, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, 148th N. Y. Captain A. H. Drake returned to duty from Salisbury, North Carolina, October 6th. Captain H. J. White, Co. B, resigned. First Lieutenant H. J. Draime, Co. B, promoted to Captain B. 258 CHANGES IN THE REGIMENT. First Lieutenant E. J. Tyler, Co. A, promoted to Captain A. First Lieutenant John W. Corning, Co. B, promoted to Adjutant. First Lieutenant G. A. Gale, Co. G, promoted to Captain G. First Lieutenant E. E. Root, Co. I, promoted to Captain I. John Gummer, Co. E, promoted to First Lieutenant E. Charles D. Rossiter, appointed First Lieutenant D. Otis Cole, appointed First Lieutenant H. First Lieutenant R. C. Niles, Co. H, resigned. First Lieutenant H. G. King, Co. F, resigned. Second Lieutenant G. W. Marshall, Co. G, promoted to First Lieutenant G. Second Lieutenant Ira V. Germain, Co. G, dismissed. Second Lieutenant Pryce W. Bailey, Co. A, promoted to First Lieutenant A. Second Lieutenant Jefferson Bigelow, Co. D, resigned. Second Lieutenant J. Marshall Guion, Co. H, resigned. Second Lieutenant C. H. Howe, Co. I, resigned. Second Lieutenant William H. Long, Co. I, promoted to First Lieutenant I, and since on Brennan's, Davidson's and Neill's Staff's successively, Assistant A. G. Second Lieutenant L. C. Mix, Co. C, promoted to First Lieutenant B. |