THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
On the morning of the 10th of December Burnside's pontoon bridges
arrived from Washington, and on the next day an effort was made to
cross the river in front of the town, but the fire from the Confederate
sharpshooters was persistent and directed with such unerring precision
that the place was abandoned; but on the 12th the Federals succeeded
in crossing three miles further down the river. Lee was awaiting the
advance with 80,000 men lying behind the fortifications. "Stonewall"
Jackson commanded on the right, and Longstreet on the left. Of the
Federal force, Franklin was on the left, Hooker in the center, and
Sumner on the right. The battle began at 11 o'clock A. M.: the first
attack was made on the position of General Jackson by Meade with a
brigade belonging to Franklin's grand division. It went into the charge
with 4,500 men, and was instantly hurled back, leaving on the field
1,760 dead and wounded. The battle raged until nightfall, when
Burnside having been repulsed at every point of attack was forced to
recross the river, and on the next morning to abandon his position and
fall back to Falmouth. His loss was 13,711, while that of the Confederates
was only 5,309. The year 1862 closed, and left the two armies
lying as at the close of the battle. Here they went into winter-quarters,
and Burnside having proven himself no more satisfactory to the
Washington Government than his predecessor, was soon after superseded
in the command by Major-General Hooker, who gloried in the
sobriquet of "Fighting Joe."
