Introduction
General George G. Meade commanding the 3rd
Division of the 1st Corps, protested the orders to
attack by division
only, without
supports, exclaiming to his superior, General William B. Franklin, the
mistakes of Antietam would be repeated at Fredericksburg, — heavy
casualties without results. General Meade was correct; and, very
angry. The
battle on the left, at Fredericksburg, could have been won, if the
initial success of General Meade's and General Gibbon's break-throughs
had been
properly supported. But they were not and the two divisions fell
back with heavy casulties. Alas, Burnside, unaware that the
attack on the
left had ceased, kept hurling more and more men into the impregnable
Confederate position on the right, stacking up dreadful casualties
while awaiting news of successful results on
the left. Burnside's plan proved to be sound, (if risky), but it
was ineptly
executed and a total disaster; a Burnside trade-mark perhaps.
This website concerns itself primarily with the
experiences of the “13th
Mass” soldiers, so to that end, page 3 presents reports relavant only
to their part in
the battle. They were skirmishers for
the division and escaped with light casualties. Colonel Leonard's
report of his regiment and a compiled list of casualties is here.
There are also reports for Companies, B, E and G. I have included
General Nelson Taylor's Report for the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st
Army Corps, to which the regiment belonged. And, because the
shots from his 2nd Maine Battery resulted in the wounding and death of
Private George E. Bigelow, Company D, I have transcribed Captain James
A. Hall's report. A few more particulars regarding some “13th
Mass”
soldiers are also here.
Sergeant David Hicks' memoirs were sold at auction
and his thoughts regarding the fight at Fredericksburg happened to be
part of the sales pitch. They are useful to us here, as he is
another voice from the ranks, and hopefully more of his entries will
come my way. George H. Maynard, of Company D, was granted a Medal
of Honor, in part for his actions at this battle. In 1919, his
“13th
Mass” comrade Walter Swan wrote an article about Maynard. Its
interesting to compare this story with the narrative of Bourne Spooner
on page 2. The third new source presented here is a letter
written by C. J.
Taylor, which remarkably came to me a few
months ago while I was in the midst of rebuilding these Fredericksburg
pages.
In June, 2018, a gentleman contacted me via email and
said he had just purchased a letter written by C. J. Taylor at a
Culpeper, VA antiques/flea-market. The regiment of the soldier
was unknown when he purchased it. The letter's author turned out
to be
Charles J. Taylor, Co. D, “13th
Mass,” one of the four men killed at Fredercksburg.
Because of the purchaser's initiative to reach out to me, I can
offer a brief glimpse in to the personality of poor Taylor. He
left behind a wife and two children when killed.
The remaining material on this page is commentary on the
campaign from regimental historian Charles E. Davis Jr., & Sergeant
Austin C. Stearns. And, Harper's Weekly gives a look at the
workings of a
Field Hospital, in “Behind the Lines at Fredericksburg.”
This section of the website concludes with a letter to the army penned
by a distraught President Lincoln, despondent over the results of
Burnside's campaign.
PICTURE
CREDITS: All images are from the Library of
Congress digital images collection, with the following
exceptions: Morton Tower, John Foley, Col. Leonard, Capt.
James A. Hall, from Army Heritage Education Center, Digital Image
database, Mass. MOLLUS Collection; George Emerson,
from collector Scott Hann; Behind the Lines at the Battle of
Fredericksburg from Harper's Weekly on-line, sonofthesouth.net.
ALL
IMAGES
have been
edited in photoshop.
Return to
Top of Page
Memoirs
of Sergeant David F. Hicks, Company B
A post-war journal titled, “Extracts from letters
written while in active service in the Army of the Potomac and the Army
of the Gulf during ‘Our Civil War,’ by David F. Hicks.” appeared
for sale at Heritage Auctions.
Heritage described the document:
“There are 121 pages of
entries that include extracts of documents as well as assorted
anecdotes and reminiscences. It appears these are mostly
transcribed by Hick’s wife, but it seems to have been a collaborative
effort with at least three different hands evident.
“Sergeant David F.
Hicks served in Company B, 13th Regiment Massachusetts
Volunteers. He enlisted at the start of the war in April, 1861
and was mustered out in July, 1864 as a lieutenant, after much illness
and being wounded in battle multiple times. He went on disability
in 1866 and died shortly thereafter.
“Mrs. Hicks spends five pages
towards the end of the journal summarizing her husband’s last few
months in the army, speaking in the third person. Apparently,
the time spent in the Army of the Gulf was fatal to him, as the effects
of malaria, fever and ague resulted in his death from complications of
heart disease after his discharge. This journal was assembled as
a memorial to him and a tribute to his service in a noble cause.”
A few scans of the actual document were presented on the
Heritage Auctions website, including the following summary by Mrs.
Hicks of her late husband’s military career:
“Remarks
The foregoing extracts
are interesting in giving the life in the Army
of the Potomac also in giving the feelings, and observations of a
bright young man, in the flush of youth whilst undergoing new
experiences, and finely deepening into a religious life. We see
him
first as Corporal next as Sergeant and now we find him a Commissioned
Officer a 1[st] Lieutenant just embarking on a U.S. Convoy for
New
Orleans
to join Banks. When he arrived there, he was given a horse, and a
servant and placed on the Colonels Staff. The letters of sixty
one are
missing, also those giving account of the battles of South Mountain,
Chantilly and others. Most all of these letters were written to
his
mother, a few to his sisters.
p. 64.
“One night at the time Burnside got stuck in the mud he
was notified
that his rank would be sergeant Major bringing him right in to the line
of promotion, but the next morning he received a letter from Gov.
Andrew, in which his commission was inclosed, it came from the
President of the United States, per Order of the Sec. of War.
Only
young men of experience and ability were selected to Command colored
troops, as they had never been tried as soldiers. I have
this from
good authority. He had been in the Army two years and they only
allowed him to come home for three days; during that time, he
paid his
respects to the Gov. and Mr. Reed, who was on the Gov. Staff presented
him with a sword, which is now in my possession.
Mrs. David F.
Hicks.”
Another anecdote from the journal [transcribed
from a page scan] sounds like a description of the Battle of Chantilly,
September 1, 1862.
“In one of the battles, if my memory served me right
under General
Pope, Which General Gordon describes in his “book,” was fought on
an
eminence. It commenced in the afternoon; the cannonading
was
terrific
and there was a dreadful thunder shower going on at the same time, but
they kept on fighting. The Rebels sent word to General Jackson
that
their powder was wet, he sent word back if theirs was wet, the Yankees
must be also, and to keep on. Mr Hicks said that the Rebels were
so
near, that they could feel the smoke in their faces, they fought until
nine o’clock at night, they slept on their Arms, and at sunrise
the
next morning they were up and at it again. At last his
Company was
reduced to a handful. At the foot of the hill ran a little steam
of
water, which was shown
p. 117
on a map in General Gordons book, it had become swollen
and very
muddy, from the recent rains. When they found they were
reduced to a
handful, and it was no use, Mr Hicks said that they ran down this hill,
and plunged in to this stream boots and all and filled their canteens
and drank this water, and it tasted better than any water they had ever
drank, their throats were so dry from the powder.”
Unfortunately only a few brief excerpts from the
entire document were shown. But some of Sergeant Hicks’ initial
comments on the Fredericksburg Campaign appeared unedited. I
offer them here. I can only hope more of this document becomes
available for reference in the future. — B.F.
Letter Excerpt of David Hicks, Company B
Camp near Falmouth, Va
December 17th 1862
We have fought another great battle and I have escaped unhurt.
Our army crossed over the river on to a plain, which was surrounded by
hills, which the enemy held. We attacked along the whole line,
the next day, with uniform result. Repulsed at all points.
It was strictly a drawn battle we gained nothing. The next two
days there was no change in position, with skirmishing along the whole
line. On the night of the fourth day
p. 55
our whole army retreated across to this side of the
Rappahannock.
The result of this battle is the loss of 15,000 men, killed and wounded
and the knowledge that the enemy have quite as large an army as our
own, in front of us, and that they are posted in an almost impregnable
position, if attacked on the front. Our regiment did not suffer
much
as we were deployed as skirmishers. Three killed and twelve
wounded. I wish I could see you all once more. The reaction
on my nerves after a battle most always makes me despondent sometimes a
little homesick. This owing to my temperament which is
imaginative and uneven. I suffer much from this cause. Yet
I have never been away from the post of danger. Truly these
are
times which try mens souls.
Return to Table of
Contents
Regimental
Reports
Two of the following company reports
were found among
Colonel Samuel H. Leonard's collection of personal papers at the
Gilder-Lehrman Institute in New York. Joseph Colburn's report was
discovered in the collections of the Army Heritage Education Center in
Carlilsle, PA. Colonel Leonard's report is in the Official
Records of the War of the Rebellion.
Col.
Leonard assumed command of the Third Brigade on the afternoon of Dec.
13th,
making Lieutenant Colonel N. Walter Batchelder commander of the
regiment. All the company
reports are addressed to him.
1st Lieutenant
Morton Tower's Report,
Company
B, 13th
Mass. Vols.
GLC03393.29
“Report of the Proceedings of Co. B; Lieut. Morton Tower to
N. W. Batchelder.”
(The
Gilder Lehrman Collection.) Not to be reproduced without written
permission.
Reports of the proceedings of
Co. B.
13th Mass.
Vols. on the 12th, 13th,
14th, 15th,
& 16th days of Dec. 1862.
Crossed
the
Rappahannock
River on
the morn. of
the
12th with one commissioned officer and twenty
six enlisted men —
were deployed as skirmishers on the afternoon of the same day — on the
morn. of
the 13th, the Company
were ordered to
assemble on the right, which, was accordingly done. By some
mistake
Company B, and two other companys
were taken to the rear – But were soon ordered back by order of General
Tayler,
when we immediately deployed as skirmishers — in the rear of the 83rd
N.Y. and passed — directly to the front at which time, Privates J. A.
Young &
W. F. Blanchard were slightly wounded — both in the leg — We
were
Engaged with the Enemys skirmishers — until — the — Action commenced —
when we
were ordered to the rear. — On
the night
of the 13th our Division were ordered to the
Left. —
On the 14th
& 15th we laid on our arms all day —
On the night of the 15th we were sent to
the extreme left — and front to strengthen the pickets — where we
remained until
the morning of the 16th We were
ordered to assemble — and fall to the rear — Crossed the Bridge and
Bivouacked on the north side of the Rappahannock river —
Lieut Morton Tower —
Co B — 13th
Mass Vols
1st Lieutenant
John Foley's Report,
Company G, 13th
Mass. Vols.
GLC03393.56
“Report of Lieut. John H. Foley to N.W. Batchelder,
Dec. 1862.”
(The
Gilder Lehrman Collection.) Not to be reproduced without written
permission.
To
Lieut. Col. N.W. Batchelder,
Comd’g 13th
Regt.
Mass.
Vols.,
As 1st
Lieut.
Comd’g Co. G, 13th Mass. Vols. I
would make
the following report.
On the 13th
December 1862, this Company was the
reserve of the right wing of the Battalion who acted as skirmishers.
When the Brigade advanced,
Captain [Eben W.] Fiske ordered
his Company to rear, saying Lieutenant Foley you will take
command. Upon going to the rear I
received a wound
which disabled me for the time. I
then
ordered Sergeant [Samuel C.] Whitney to take command and go
further to the rear.
I learn upon good authority
that
Sergeant Whitney conducted
himself in a creditable manner And would respectfully recommend him for
promotion.
J. H.
Foley
1st Lieut
Comd’g Co. G.
Captain Joseph
Colburn's Report, Compay E;
13th Mass.
Vols.
The following report was found in the
collection of papers for the 13th Massachusetts Infantry at the Army
Heritage Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Friday Dec. 12th, 62
Marched at daylight, to the banks of the Rappahannock, crossed between
the hours of 7 & 9 o’clock A.M. ordered to take position on the
left Regiment deployed as skirmishers, until
dark
on Picket during the night
Saturday Dec. 13th 62
Moved forward about daylight as skirmishers driving in the Rebel
Pickets and unmasking their Batteries, held our position until the
general engagement commenced when we were ordered to the rear for
Ammunition. Went to the front again about dark lay in line
until about 4 A.M. Sunday then took position further to the left
which we held until
p. 2
about 8 P.M. Monday December 15th when we recieved [sp]
orders to recross
the river. The Privates and Non Commissioned Officers of my
command conducted themselves in a brave and soldier like manner and to
my entire satisfaction
J.
Colburn
Lieut. cmdg. Co E
13th Regt. Mass. Vols.
Colonel Samuel
H.
Leonard's Report, 13th Mass. Vols.
Colonel Leonard's report is found in the
Official Records of
the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 21, p. 504-505.
Report
of Col.
Samuel H. Leonard, Thirteenth Massachusetts Infantry.
[December —, 1862.]
Sir:
I have the honor to make the following report of the doings
of the regiment in the late action across the river near Fredericksburg
:
In obedience to orders, we
crossed the river at the head of
the brigade, about 10 a.m., and soon after were marched nearly 2 miles
to the left, beyond the Bernard mansion, when the regiment was deployed
as
skirmishers, covering the entire left flank to the river.
After advancing about half a mile, crossing a
ravine, the direction was changed to the right, and the left wing
brought up
toward the Bowling Green
road. When approaching near it, the
enemy’s pickets were discovered posted in the road. They
slowly fell back as we advanced, and
possession of the road was gained without firing a shot, covering the
front of
the brigade, and extending nearly a quarter of a mile to the left,
where
we
joined pickets established by General Meade’s division.
The regiment remained in that position all
night.
About 9 A.M., Saturday, the 13th
General Meade’s
division changed position to the right, and were placed with the front
resting
on the road, when I asked to have my left wing rallied to the right,
which was
granted. Before the movement was completed,
an advance was ordered, and the right wing was moved to the front
about five
hundred yards, into an open field, where the enemy’s pickets
were.
They fell back as we advanced, exchanging
shots, to the woods in our front. This
ground was held until 1 P.M., when the ammunition was
exhausted. At that time the brigade was
advanced over the line of skirmishers toward the woods, and we were
ordered
to the
rear to get ammunition, when the engagement became general.
The skirmishers were assembled on the right
and left, and retired in good order. I
remained on the left of the line of skirmishers, covering the battery
(Captain Hall’s)
with four companies, until there appeared to be
a general retreat, when I marched them to the rear, near the Bernard
mansion,
and re-formed the regiment and obtained a supply of
ammunition. At this time (about 4) I was ordered to
assume the command of the brigade. The officers and men, I am
pleased to say, performed their duties promptly and faithfully.
A report of the casualties has
been made in full.*
Hoping that my actions meet
with your approval, I am, very
respectfully, your obediant servant,
S.H.
LEONARD,
Colonel, Commanding
Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers.
Capt. W.T. Hartz
Assistant Adjustant-General, Third Brigade.
Casualties
*The list of wounded mentioned was incorporated into a
chart for the brigade totals. Colonel Leonard reported 1 officer
and 12
enlisted men wounded, & 3 enlisted men killed for a total of 16
casualties. Searching the rosters of the regiment and other
sources I compiled the following list, one soldier short of the
total.
Names in red were fatalities. You can see all the men
killed were recruits who joined the regiment in August, 1862.
WILLIAM F. BLANCHARD; age, 23; born, Boston;
tailor;
mustered in as
priv Co. B, July l6, '6l; wounded, [accidentally]
Nov. 28, '6l,
[& again] Aug. 30, 62, [& again] Dec. 13,
'62. This is Blanchard's record through the Battle of
Fredericksburg, but he would continue to have a long and interesting
military career. He was captured at Gettysburg, escaped, and
would be captured and escape again during Grant's Overland
Campaign. Later he gained a commission in a Colored Regiment,
where he continued to serve with distinction.
JAMES A. YOUNG; age, 18; born, Boston; fisherman;
mustered in as priv., Co. B, July 16, '61; mustered out, Aug. 1, '64;
wounded at Fredericksburg, December 13, '62; residence, Newport street,
Dorchester, Mass. (1894).
CHARLES ARMSTRONG; age, 22; born,
Boston; clerk;
mustered in as priv., Co. D, Aug. 6, '62; killed, December 13, '62.
GEORGE E. BIGELOW; age, 22; born,
Boston;
clerk; mustered in as
priv., Co. C, Aug. 5, '62; died of wounds, December 19, '62.
George left behind a wife and infant child.
EDMOND H. KENDALL; age, 30; born,
Sterling,
Mass.; clerk; mustered in as priv., Co. D, Aug. 4, '62; killed
December 13,
'62, at Fredericksburg. Edmond left behind a wife and
child.
His younger brother, James T. E. Kendall, was in the 13th Mass, and
died of wounds received at the Battle of Antietam.
CHARLES J. TAYLOR; age, 30; born,
Boston;
teacher;
mustered in as priv., Co. D, Aug. 13, '62; killed December 13, '62, at
Fredericksburg. Charles left behind a wife and two children.
WILLIAM R. CHAMPNEY; age, 26; born, Boston;
brass-finisher; mustered
in as priv., Co. D, July 16, '61; mustered out as Corp., May 7,
'63, on
account of wounds received at Fredericksburg;* residence, Winter
Hill,
Somerville, Mass. (1894.) [*Roster mistakenly said Antietam —
B.F.].
GEORGE A. LYFORD; age, 23; born, Boston;
carpenter;
mustered in as priv Co. D, July 16, '61; mustered out as Corporal, for
wounds
received at Fredericksburg, December 13, '62; Washington, Jan., —
'63;
promoted to Corp., July, '61; residence, Rouseville, Pa. (1894).
WALTER C. THOMPSON; age, l8; born, Woburn, Mass.;
clerk;
mustered in as private, Co. D, July 20, '61; mustered out as sergeant,
Aug. 1, '64; wounded, December 13, '62.
JOHN H. TOWNE; age, 23; born, Brighton,
Mass.;
sailor; mustered in as private, Co. D, July 16, '61; mustered out, Jan.
10, '63; wounded at Fredericksburg. December 13, '62; residence,
Greenbush,
Mass. (1894).
JOHN H. FOLEY; age, 23; mustered in as 2d lieut.,
Co.
G, July 16, '61;
mustered out, March 29, '63; promoted to 1st lieut., July 26, '62;
wounded December 13, '62; afterwards served as 2d lieut. in Mass. H.A.
DANIEL B. GRAY; age, 23; born, Broomfield, Me.;
powder
merchant; mustered in as priv., Co. H, Aug. 31, '62; mustered out, Aug.
1, '64; wounded, December 13, '62.
CHARLES E. PAGE; age, 22; born, Norridgewock, Me.;
shoemaker; mustered in as priv., Co. H, Feb. 12, '62; wounded at
Fredericksburg, December 13, '62; promoted to 2d
lieut., 4th U.S. Colored Troops, March 5, '63; was captured at New
Orleans, while on detached service, June 23, '63. Page studied
medicine after the war and became a doctor.
JOHN F. BATES; age, 26; born, Weymouth, Mass.;
shoecutter; mustered in as priv., Co. K, July 16, '61; mustered out,
Aug. 1, '64; taken prisoner December 13, '62; again at Gettysburg;
residence, Weymouth, Mass. (1894). [The Roster says "taken
prisoner" not wounded, but as the incident occured at Fredericksburg,
perhaps Bates was wounded. — B.F.]
GARDNER R. PARKER; age, 24; born, Lowell, Mass.;
freightman mustered in as priv., Co. K, July 16, '61; mustered out,
April 20, '63; wounded, December 13, '62; residence, Worcester, Mass.
(1894).
Return to
Table of Contents
Captain
James A. Hall's Report; 2nd Maine Battery
It was a discharge from Captain Hall's
2nd Maine Battery
that fatally wounded Private George E. Bigelow of Company C, 13th
Mass., while
the regiment was skirmishing, December 13th. Colonel Leonard also
retained four companies of the regiment to protect Hall's battery
during the fight. For these
reasons I include his report with the others.
From the Official Records of the War of
the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 21, p. 483.
Report of Captain James A. Hall, Second
Maine Battery.
Near
Falmouth, Va., December 18, 1862.
Captain: I
beg leave to submit the following, as a report of the
operations of my battery in the engagement on the south side of the
Rappahannock, on Saturday, December 13, 1862:
The battery was ordered into position by Colonel
Wainwright, at 9 a.m.,
in the corn-field on the south of the Plank road, and on the left of
General Gibbon’s division, to support its left flank. A battery
of the enemy at the time was playing upon us, and did us considerable
harm for a short time; but, as we opened upon them with shell, they
soon ceased firing, or turned their fire in another direction.
This battery was 1,600 yards diagonally on our right flank. As
there was considerable smoke, it was difficult to tell the effect of
our shots upon them. As the heavy mist which hung over the field
cleared away, I found I was exposed to a cross-fire from a battery of
the enemy, 700 yards directly on our left flank, which opened with a
rapid and well-directed fire of solid shot, which was very
galling. After firing for some thirty minutes, I was ordered to
cease, by order of General Reynolds, as we were firing over our own
infantry.
We did not open upon the battery on our left flank,
there being a mass
of our own troops intervening; besides, there were other batteries
farther to our left, which opened upon it, and soon caused it to change
position.
By order of General Gibbon, I sent my caissons back
across the road,
under cover; not, however, until a limber chest of one of them had been
blown up. The guns were kept in position, firing only
occasionally into the woods, until 2 p.m., when we commenced shelling
the woods in front of us, where our infantry were about to advance, and
also fired some 60 rounds at the battery which was playing upon General
Meade’s left flank as his division advanced.
This battery of the enemy opened with ten guns, which
were engaged by
some forty from our lines, making it difficult to tell the effect of
any one of our batteries, but the enemy’s guns were soon silenced, and
three of their caissons blown up. This battery was 1,300 yards
diagonally on our left flank.
When General Gibbon’s line went forward, he ordered the
battery to
advance, posting it within 200 yards of the woods, into which he
directed a rapid fire of shell, continuing it until General Gibbon’s
division fell back, retiring some distance to my rear.
I now discovered a body of the enemy advancing from the
woods, in front
of my left, and opened upon them with case shot and canister at 200
yards distance. The effect of this last fire was very effectual,
cutting down men and colors. My last round of ammunition being
fired, I was obliged to retire, and, in limbering to the rear, five
horses were shot from my left gun, and I was obliged to leave it upon
the field for a time, as I had only horses enough to get the others
away. As soon as I had got from under the fire of the enemy’s
musketry, I halted my guns, taking four horses from one of them, and
with 6 men I returned to my abandoned piece and dragged it safely off
the field. My horses had become so reduced, I could only move
with three pieces, and with them, by order of Colonel Wainwright on the
14th instant I reported to general Doubleday, on the extreme left of
the line, and took a position assigned me by Captain Reynolds, chief of
artillery, where we remained for a short time only, when we were
withdrawn 200 yards by General Reynolds, as the enemy’s skirmishers
were annoying us somewhat. We occupied the last named position
until 7 p.m. of the 15th, when, by order of General Reynolds, I
recrossed the river, and took position on the hill covering the bridge
on which General Franklin’s troops were crossing.
My casualties during the engagement were 2 men killed,
14 wounded; also
25 horses killed and 6 wounded.
Eleven hundred rounds of ammunition were expended.
I have the honor to be, captain,
with respect, your obedient servant,
JAMES A. HALL,
Captain, Commanding Second Maine Battery.
Capt. George F. Leppien,
Acting Chief of Artillery, Second Division.
NOTES. Captain Hall was dueling with Confederate
Captain John B. Brockenbrough's Artillery battalion of 12 guns.
Though Union artillery made an easy target for the better concealed
Confederates Captain Hall kept his composure during the
bombardment. While he was chatting with Colonel Adrian Root, a
Rebel shot blew up one of his limbers. Hall “dismounted and
sighted the nearest gun. When he ordered it fired, a shell
shrieked across the sky, and the ensuing blast revealed the captain had
blown up a limber. Hall, with calculated sang froid, resumed his
conversation.” —From The Fredericksburg Campaign by Francis Augustín
O"Reilly, LSU Press, Baton Rouge, 2006; p. 158 - 159. The
Confederates blasted in the woods by Hall's battery were probably
those of James A. Walker's Brigade of Virginians, Ewell/Early's
Division.
Return to Top of Page
Brigadier-General
Nelson Taylor's Report;
Its nice to see Lieutenant-Colonel N.
Walter Batchelder complimented in General Taylor's Report. The
soldiers of the “13th
Mass.” always insisted that they received excellent
training from Colonel Leonard, and practiced their drills incessantly,
much to their dislike, but their training paid off on the battle-field.
The following is from the Official
Records, Series 1, Volume 21, p. 502-504.
Report of Brigadier-General Nelson
Taylor, U.S. Army, commanding Third Brigade.
Headquarters
Third Brigade,
Camp near Fletcher's Chapel,
Va., December 22, 1862.
Captain: I have the
honor to submit the following
report of the part taken by the Third Brigade in the action of the 13th
instant, together with the reports of the commandants of the regiments
composing the brigade:
On the morning of
the 13th, by
direction of Brigadier-General
Gibbon, commanding division, I formed line of battle south of and
parallel to the Bowling Green road, about two miles south-east of
Fredericksburg, Va. This was executed under cover of the
Thirteenth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, then deployed as
skirmishers. My command was arranged as follows (Thirteenth
Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, deployed as skirmishers),
commencing from the right of the line: First, Eighty-eighth
Pennsylvania Volunteers; second, Ninety-seventh New York Volunteers;
third, Eighty-third New York Volunteers; fourth, Eleventh Pennsylvania
Volunteers. Having the line formed, I was then (about 9 A.M.)
ordered to advance it to within about 300 yards of the skirt of a wood
covering a range of hills immediately in our front and the grading of
the Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad.
In the execution of this order
I drew the fire of the enemy,
whom I found strongly posted in force in the wood and behind the
railroad track. The skirmishers being within good range, a
lively fire was kept up by them with effect on both sides.
The line not being in range, I caused the men to lie down, to
avoid as much as possible the effect of the enemy's artilllery, which
had opened upon my line from right to left.
Finding the right of my line exposed to two or three of
the enemy's guns, using grape and canister, I ordered the
Eighty-eighth Regiment forward under the cover of a slight
elevation of ground, with directions to fire a volley at the
battery. This was executed, and had the desired effect. The
pieces were silenced and immediately withdrew, but most singular to
say, apparently frightened at the noise they had made themselves, with
a few exceptions the whole regiment turned and ran toward the
rear. With the assistance of my aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Post,
and an intervening ditch, I succeeded in stopping this disgraceful and
causeless retrograde movement, and getting the regiment back upon the
brigade line again, where it remained during the rest of the
engagement, and fully retrieved itself by its firmness and steadiness
thereafter.
At about 1 P.M. I was ordered to
advance my line, which I did, to within a
short distance of the wood, when the whole line became briskly engaged.
The enemy seemed to concentrate the most of his fire on the
two regiments on the left of my line (the Eleventh Pennsylvania and
Eighty-third New York), which, from casualties and other causes, soon
melted away, when the Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel Lyle, was
advanced and took their places on the left of the regiments on the
right (the Ninety-seventh New York and Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania),
which regiments were marched a short distance to the right to make room
for and unmask the advancing line.
The two last-named regiments remained on the line and
sustained themselves to the last, and did not leave the field until the
whole division retired, which was about 2.30 p.m. The troops,
generally, composing this brigade displayed a great deal of bravery and
courage; none more so than the Ninety-seventh New York, commanded by
Colonel Wheelock. This regiment stood firm from first to last.
Lieutenant-Colonel Batchelder, [pictured] commanding the right
wing of the
Thirteenth Massachusetts, deployed as skirmishers, is
entitled to much
praise for the skillful manner in which he maneuvered his
command. Colonel Coulter, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania; Captain
Hendrickson, commanding Eighty-third New York, and Capt. J. A. Moesch,
of the last named regiment, are also entitled to honorable mention for
their brave and gallant conduct on the field. There are many
others in the command equally entitled to a classificaction with the
above list, with whose names and persons I was not sufficiently
familiar to remember, and trust that the omission of any deserving name
will, in consequence, be overlooked.
The especial attention of the commanding general is
called to the regimental reports, herewith submitted, and to the
honorable mention of names contained therein.
In conclusion, I should feel that I failed to do my duty
if I omitted to acknowledge my great indebtedness to my two aides,
Captain Hartz, assistant adjutant-general, who was wounded, and
Lieutenant Post, aide-de-camp, for their able and timely assistance,
particularly to the latter, whose gallantry and intrepidity in
assisting to execute and to convey my orders could not be excelled.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
NELSON TAYLOR,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Capt. J.P. Wood,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Division.
Return to
Top of Page
Behind
the Lines at Fredericksburg
The following
picture essay comes from Harpers Weekly, December 27, 1862.
Sketch by Thomas Nast for Harper's
Weekly titled “Behind the Lines at Fredericksburg.”
The drawing represents a
general view of the battlefield as
seen by the reserves, the line of battle off in the distance, next the
artillery and second line of infantry. To the right there is
a battery planted on a little hill. Across the road fresh
troops are seen rapidly marching into the woods toward the front to
reinforce our worn-out soldiers. Near the centre are
generals, with their staffs, watching the fate of the day. The
road is
blocked up with cavalry, infantry, artillery, and ambulances, going to
and fro, carrying their burden of wounded to the rear. On the
house seen near the centre are stationed officers with signal flags.
To the left is a house used as a hospital, and still further
are a batch of prisoners taken off by a file of our men.
“All this and more is seen by
the reserve, patiently waiting
until their turn shall come to take part in the struggle of the day.
The wounded are brought past them, carried so that their
injuries are terribly apparent to those who are forced to stand still
and coolly view their sufferings, not knowing how soon the same fate
may be theirs. The air resounds with shrieks of agony, and
the ground near the surgeon's table is strewed with amputated limbs.
Such sights as these make some hearts sicken and sink
despairingly, while in others it makes the desire to be avenged burn
only the more fiercely, especially whenever and anon passes by the
familiar form of a late comrade in arms, fearfully mutilated or
crippled for life, or perhaps dying. One poor soldier is
borne along, who, in spite of his pain, renders his last tribute of
respect to his commander and cheers him as he passes.
“Out of the ambulance
and supply-wagon, nearest the hospital, the wounded are lifted one
after another, and laid side by side to wail wearily until the surgeon
can attend to them. One loyal soldier, who has charge of the
prisoners, has captured a rebel flag, and is significantly trailing it
in the dust as he walks along.” December 27, 1862.
Return to
Table of Contents
George
Maynard Medal of Honor
The
following
article written by Walter E. Swan, Secretary, Thirteenth Regiment
Association, appeared in Circular #32, 1919.
Major George H. Maynard, one
of the oldest living members of our regiment, has with some reluctance
consented to my giving an account of some of his experiences during the
Civil War which led to his being awarded a Congressional Medal of
Honor:
The major informs me that the
main features connected with his military service are a matter of
record in the War Department at Washington. It seems that
George had
military aspirations from his earliest days, for as a boy of four, in
the school house at Waltham, Mass., a wooden sword with which he was
playing, and which was evidently a specimen of his Yankee skill with
the jack-knife, attained an appearance of being blood
stained. The
teacher, watching the little fellow, saw him cut gashes in his fingers
and squeeze the blood upon the wood. “As clearly as if it were
but
yesterday,” she writes, “I remember how the sight of the child's
blood
made my woman's heart feel pale, and I exclaimed; 'Why,
George, you
must not cut your fingers !' Turning his dark, curly head
and upturning
his bright face to me, he replied: 'It don't hurt.'
He was by no means
a cruel-hearted boy, but affectionate, though a plucky little fellow.”
When
the Civil War broke out and the regiment was being recruited, George
enlisted in Company D, and he participated in every march and
engagement in which the regiment took part until February 17, 1863,
when he was commissioned as lieutenant in the 5th U. S. Volunteers.
He
was promoted to Captain January 17, 1864, and was later brevetted Major
to date from March 13, 1865, for distinguished and meritorious
services, being mustered out of the service with his regiment at New
Orleans, La., September 21, 1866.
At Antietam, when our
regiment
was within a few hundred feet of the Confederate alignment, none
got it more hotly than Company D, then under Lieut. [Abel H.]
Pope's command.
When the rapidly thinning line and the failing ammunition led
the
brigade commander to order a retrograde movement by the left flank into
the woods and thence to the rear, Private Maynard, with Corporal Geo.
N. Emerson of Company B, (pictured,
right) remained at the front, each taking cover
behind
a tree, having still some ammunition in their boxes. Suddenly
Maynard
heard a cry from Emerson and sprang to his aid, though the minnies were
zipping and shell and round shot tore across the field. He
succeeded in
taking the corporal off in the face of the fire to the cover of the
woods and thence to the rear. While passing through the trees
both
heard a cry for help from another wounded soldier, and Maynard,
depositing the corporal, promptly returned and was fortunately able to
bring away his comrade Edward A. Pearson, of his own company.
After
giving the helpless soldier water obtained from canteens taken from
dead comrades, Maynard returned to the front and continued the fight,
joining General Mansfield's line.
At Fredencksburg, December 13,
1862,
the regiment was deployed as skirmishers, advancing several hundred
yards toward woods in the front, and having driven the rebel skirmish
line to cover behind trees and a railroad embankment, and, having held
its ground for four hours, the skirmish line was ordered to lie down to
escape the storm of grape and canister sweeping over it.
Private
Charles
Armstrong, lying nearest to Maynard, sprang to his feet to
fire and was immediately shot. Maynard crept over to him and with
his
Blanket strap effected a tourniquet which stopped the flow of blood
from a wound just above the knee. He could do no more at the
time, and
returned to his position in the skirmish line. Becoming
drowsy for a
few moments from exhaustion, he was awakened by the advance of the line
of battle and the tramping of men over him. Getting upon his feet
he
discovered his own company moving to the rear and followed it back
nearly to the Bowling Green Road, when the recollection of Armstrong,
helpless out there in the line, turned, him back.
He
returned to find the line of battle hotly engaged and only a hundred
yards in front of his former position. With great difficulty
he found
his comrade and it required considerable effort to drag him back to the
rear of a battery. There Maynard left him till he could bring
help and
a stretcher, which he did. Finding Captain Harlow of his
company and
stating the case, the captain ordered him to remain with Armstrong
until he could send an ambulance. Armstrong died that
night.
During
the Major's service he took part
in twenty engagements, among them the battles of Manassas, Antietam and
the siege of Port Hudson. After the surrender of Port Hudson
he was
appointed assistant provost marshal of that post, and later provost
marshal and provost judge of the District of West Florida, serving in
that capacity until relieved to take part in the advance on Mobile,
Ala. After the taking of Mobile his regiment was ordered to
Appalachicola, Fla., and he was appointed provost marshal and acting
mayor of that city. When the regiment was ordered to Dry
Tortugas
he was appointed provost marshal of the post. Later he was in
command
of Fort Barrancas, Pensacola Harbor, and then was assigned to the
headquarters of the department of Florida for special secret service by
order of the Secretary of War to send an officer through the State to
determine the truth or falsity of the reported kidnapping of negroes
and their being taken to Cuba and sold into slavery; also to
learn to
what extent smuggling was being carried on at the different ports on
the coast.
While a captain in the 82nd U.
S. Volunteers Maynard was
brevetted major for gallantry in action. At the battle of
Marianna,
when the colored soldiers would have killed Confederate cavalrymen whom
they had taken prisoners twice, because, the troopers opened fire upon
them after having once surrendered, he by his own force and courage
prevented at the muzzle of his revolver a general massacre of the
Confederates.
The main road entering Marianna
was narrow, said brother
officers of the 82nd and officers of the 2nd Maine cavalry, with houses
on both sides of the street. About 300 yards from where the
Federal
troops halted was a barricade across the street of wagons and carts of
all sorts. Captain Young, 7th Vermont Infantry, A. A. A.
General, and
Captain Maynard, Provost Marshal, were at the head, and one side, of
the column. General Asboth in command ordered two companies
of
the cavalry to charge. They advanced about two-thirds of the
way to the
barricade when the enemy opened fire upon them, and they came rushing
back pell-mell. This was a sore disappointment to the general
and as
the retreating cavalry rushed past he exclaimed, "For shame! For
shame!" and as soon as they had reformed, he said, “Follow me,” and
gave the order to charge.
General Asboth, Captain Young
and Captain
Maynard led the charge and just as they leaped the barricade on their
horses (all three being bunched together) the enemy fired, wounding
General Asboth through the face and arm, and instantly killing Captain
Young by Maynard's side. Captain Maynard drew rein, faced the
blacksmith shop full of the enemy, and shot their major commanding
through the shoulder.
The cavalry were detained
somewhat by the
barricade, and General Asboth's horse ran away when he was shot.
For
the time being Captain Maynard was alone. When the cavalry
came up he
directed them regarding the General and the location of the enemy.
Colonel Zularsky, who had dismounted some of his men, then
came up on
the flank, and was told the situation by Captain Maynard. The
enemy
were posted behind houses on one side of the street and on the opposite
side behind gravestones, in the blacksmith shop and behind, and in the
church. The engagement lasted about three-quarters of an hour
when the
enemy, made signs of surrender and orders were given to the Union
troops to cease firing. Immediately the enemy commenced
firing again
and in the second firing shot a colored soldier.
The escape of the major during
this encounter was certainly
miraculous.
Illustration of George Maynard in Action at Marianna, from “Deeds
of
Valor" painted by 13th Mass. comrade, artist Henry Bacon.
The
above described record led the Major's comrades in arms to exercise
their influence to obtain proper recognition of his services before he
should have passed the final muster. Brevet Maj. Gen. George
L.
Andrews (U. S. A. Retired), Maj. Henry A. Harris and officers of the
82nd U. S. Vols., Gen. Samuel H. Leonard, Lieut.-Col. Hovey, Capt.
Livermore and officers and enlisted men of the 13th regiment petitioned
the authorities in Washington, and the result was a letter from Gen.
Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War, dated March 22nd, 1898, which said:-
“You
are hereby notified that, by direction of the President and under the
provisions of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1863, providing for
the presentation of medals of honor to such officers, non-commissioned
officers and privates as have most distinguished themselves in action,
a Congressional Medal of Honor has this day been presented to you for
most distinguished gallantry in action, the following being a statement
of the particular service, viz: —
“At Fredericksburg,
Va., December 13, 1862, this officer, then private Company D,
Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, was with his regiment, the advance
skirmish line of the division, when a general advance of the troops was
ordered, and the skirmishers assembled in the rear.
“It was then
found that a wounded and helpless comrade had been left on the former
skirmish line, but Private Maynard voluntarily returned to the front,
under a severe artillery and infantry fire, and brought his
helpless friend to a place of safety.”
Return to
Table of Contents
The Death
of C. J. Taylor
The death of Charles J. Taylor is described in some
detail by Private Bourne Spooner. The 30 year old recruit joined
the “13th Mass” in August, 1862. He was among the first batch of
70
or so recruits to find the regiment camped near Cedar Mountain, on
August
18, and marched the next morning in General John Pope’s hasty retreat
to Rappahannock Station. (The second batch joined the regiment
while it was on the march into Maryland some weeks later).
Remarkably, a letter written by Taylor was discovered in
June of this year, [2018] at an antiques/flea market shop outside
Culpepper, VA — a most unlikely place. The purchaser wrote to me
and sent a
scan of the letter! It was illegible because 1/3 of it had torn
off and
been scotch-taped back together, — backwards! That problem
was resolved with Photoshop. Here is a brief
glimpse into the life of
recruit Charles J. Taylor, writing from Hall’s Hill, September 5, 1862,
where the regiment had a short rest following the battles of
Thoroughfare Gap, 2nd Bull Run, and Chantilly. He had been in the
service just over 2 weeks. The letter addresses his parents,
Daniel and Phoebe Taylor.
Halls hill Va Sep 5 1862
Dear perants
I take my pen in hand
to direct a few lines
to you, to let you know that I am getting so that I think that
soaldering is not much fun for since we got to the regiment we have not
staid in the same camp two nights till last night and then we martched
out about a mile and a half to meet the the rebels but they
either got scared and run or there weren't any there to run and we have
got martching orders
p. 2.
again to night and are expecting to starte evry minute
and so I am in a very grait hurry. I wrote to you about the
battle on saturday in my other letter so I will onley state that there
has a good many of the boys came in since I wrote but there is a
good many that is missing yet we all stand it very
well but
the martching so mutch rather takes the tuck out of
us but I think that
I stand it about as well as any of them for I haven't lost but
about a lbg since I commenced haying but I am a
little worried
out martching so mutch tho I have got a pretty sore mouth and
I want you to send me some golden seal fast as soon as you can
you must tell jims folks to write to me and be sure to tell gillberts
folks to be sure to write to me for I am very anctious to hear from
all know I have found out where to direct to tell them all that
they must excuse me from writeing for I cannot get hardly
time to write to you and I could
p. 3.
and I could not have wrote this if I had not wrote by a
fire built side of an old stump but meby we wont bee hurried so al
ways
I hope not at any rate I wrote to you that we had no
chaplain but we had the good fortain to meet one to day, but I have not
found out what denomination he belongs to yet but what I
have seen of him I guess that he is a good man his name is
clarke he is from tienesty I want you to send
me six or
eight envelopes and a few stamps for it is almoste impossible to get
them here I maid out to get some papers to day
I got 40 cts worth of
stamps for change and put them in the center of my testament and one
very warm day when we was on a martch I sweat so that I wet it clear
threw and all of them
p. 4
or else I would have had enough to lasted me a good
while all of them things that mother put up for me is gone to ashes but
the testament and that I keeps closte by me but I would rather lost
that
than to have lost that handkerchief of mothers I wish that you would
get wilbers likeness taken and also mothers and send them to me and
finally
boath of yours and the babies and send them to me to I saw
William sharpe this morning for the first time he has ben up to
the hospital since the regiment left harrisons landing I
must close for it is getting late and my fire is getting lo tell
aunt marry and uncle John that they must write to me give my
respect to all
Truly yours C J Taylor
Charles left behind a wife and two
children when he was killed at Fredericksburg. He had been
married
since 1854.
It was then that 23 year old Charles, of Boston, married
23
year old Artemisia Ann Howe, at the pretty little village of Newfane,
Vermont. On December 11 1854, their first child was born, a
daughter named Mary Abbie Taylor. Two years later the couple had
a son, Edwin C. Taylor, born on September 9, 1856. The children
were 12 and 9 years old respectively, when their father was
killed. Their mother filed for a widow's
pension in January, 1863 and was granted $8 month starting in March,
1863. A year later, on March 4, 1864, Artemisia married again.
She married Alured P. Newell, age 36, of
Wardsboro, Vermont. In 1866 Alured and Artemisia applied for and
received an additional pension of $2 per child, payable until the
children were age 16, according to an act of Congress dated July 25,
1866.
I would like to be able to add that the children of
Charles J. Taylor thrived into adulthood, and had many descendants of
their own.
Such was the case of Private George E. Bigelow, another “13th Mass”
casualty of
Fredericksburg whose tragic death had a bitter-sweet
epilogue in the proliferation of his line. Unfortunately that is
not the case here.
Charles and Artemisia's children quickly drop from sight. There
is
no
subsequent information on Mary. Edwin Charles Taylor shows up in
1880 living in Brattleboro, VT, occupation; Sailor. And the
story ends there.
Artemisia and Alured had a child of their own, Norman
Newton Newell,
born July 15, 1868. He lived until November, 1949, a resident of
Brattleboro, VT. Artemisia's second husband Alured
died
at age 57 on May 5, 1885, also at Brattleboro. In 1900, August
25, Charles' widow passed away at age 68.
Return to Top of Page
Commentary
From
the Regimental History “Three Years in the Army,” by
Charles E. Davis, Jr., Boston, Estes & Lauriat, 1894.
There was a strong impression
among the men of the Thirteenth
that General Franklin had not given that cordial suport to General
Burnside that became a general who was determined to win. As
we retreated to the north bank of the river, crestfallen and disgusted,
very emphatic expressions of condemnation were made on his apparent
lack of sympathy with Burnside's movement. The following is
the order sent to General Franklin about which there has been so much
criticism :
Headquarters
Army of the
Potomac,
Dec. 13, 1862, 5:55 P.M.
Major-General Franklin, Commanding Left Grand
Division, Army
of the Potomac :
General Hardie will carry this
despatch to you, and remain
with you during the day. 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 at once 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 divison 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 of 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. I
make these moves by colunms distant from each other, with a view of
avoiding the possibility of a collision of our own forces, which might
occur in a general movement during the fog. Two of General
Hooker's divisions are in your rear, at the bridges, and will remain
there as supports.
Copies of instructions given
to
Generals Sumner and Hooker will be
forwarded to you by an orderly very soon.
You will keep your whole
command in readiness to move at once, as soon
as the fog lifts. The watchword, which, if possible, should
be given to every company, will be “Scots.”
I have the honor to be,
General, very respectfully, your obediant
servant,
JNO. G. PARKE,
Chief of Staff.
General Franklin says that in
the state of facts existing when
it was received, “General Burnside's order, though incongruous and
contradictory on its face, admitted of but one interpretation ; viz.,
that he intended to make an armed observation from the left to
ascertain the strength of the enemy, an interpretation also given to it
by both of my corps commanders.”
The Following is
from “Three Years
with Company K”
by Sergeant Austin C. Stearns, Deceased, Edited by Arthur Kent; 1976,
Associated-University Press; (p. 149 - 150); Used with
permission.
The causes for
the disaster at
Fredericksburg are several and
were freely discussed as usual by the boys, and many were the theories
advanced. Some laid the blame to this cause and some to that,
and after a free exchange of ideas, it was decided that as far as the
left was concerned, Gen'l Franklin was responsible. And these
are [the] reasons. The old spirit of McClellanism was still
in the army, and of all the old officers, Franklin was the most
devoted; he either would [not] or could not give up the idea of
McClellan greatness, and [t]hen Burnside ordered him to attack and take
the enemies position, and if he wanted more troops, to send for them.
Let us go more into particulars.
[Maj.-Gen.
William B. Franklin, pictured]
These are the facts, for we
were there and saw what I now write and to a certain extent
participated in them.
The grand division of Franklin
were composed of the 1st and 6th corps in the following order on the
left: the 2nd division, Gibbons, on the right of the corps joining the
left of the sixth, the 3d division, Meade, on the left of the second;
and the 1st, Doubledays, on the left of the 3d and reaching back to the
river.
In front of the old 1st corps
commanded by John F. Reynolds stood the veterans, tried in many a
battle of Stonewall Jackson, his men partialy sheltered by the railroad
and the timber.
When the advance was ordered
and the old division of Gibbon, the Pennsylvania Reserves of Meade,
with
the Iron brigades of the 1st, there was fighting of the highest order;
on they went, driving the rebs from the railroad and through the woods,
advancing the line a good half mile, but all this had not been done
without a fearful loss in killed and wounded, and so when
Stonewall hurried up his reserves, the weakened lines of Gibbon and
Meade after a most stubborn resistance was forced back. The
golden opportunity for Franklin was to send the division at the bridge
into the fight; if that had been done the story of Fredericksburg would
have had a different ending. That division thrown into the
fight at that most critical moment would have turned defeat into a most
splendid victory.
But instead, he (Franklin),
sent away to Burnside three miles away for reinforcements, which the
gallant hero quickly sent, but before they could reach the field,
although they double-quicked it almost all the way, the day was lost.
To show the desperation of the fight, and how our boys tried
to gain a victory, let me tell what some of the 16th Maine said.
One said when they had driven
the rebs through the woods, they could see just beyond the teams
parked, and the teamsters were making frantic efforts to get away,
while farther up the valley a large mass of rebel troops could be seen
coming at the double quick; soon they were upon them, and as no help
was near they were forced to fall back, fighting all the way.
Another said, when speaking of
how near they were, that “Old Mr. Libbey his chum speared three of
them,” thus showing how near we sometimes got.
But such was the fate of war;
the gallant Burnside took the whole cause of the failure upon himself,
blameing no one, and the battle of Fredericksburg passed into history.
Pictured
above, Artist Arthur Lumley sketched General Burnside visiting with
General Franklin, December 14th
1862, giving him the order to
evacuate his position on the
battlefield.
Return to Top of Page
Letter of
President Lincoln to the Army of the Potomac
After hearing of the battle, a very
depressed President
Lincoln issued this ambiguous letter of thanks to the army.
Author George C. Rable states in his book “The president's
letter boosted neither military nor public confidence.”*
Executive
mansion
Washington, December
22, 1862.
To the Army of the Potomac:
I have just read your Commanding General's preliminary
report of the
battle of Fredericksburg. Although you were not successful,
the attempt was not an error, nor the failure other than an accident.
The courage with which you, in an open field, maintained the
contest against an entrenched foe, and the consummate skill and success
with which you crossed and recrossed the river, in face of the enemy,
show that you possess all the qualities of a great army, which will yet
give victory to the cause of the country and of popular government.
Condoling with the mourners for the dead, and sympathizing
with the severely wounded, I congratulate you that the number of both
is comparitively so small.
I tender you, officers and soldiers, the thanks of the
nation.
Abraham
Lincoln.
*Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! by George C. Rable, UNC
Press Chapel Hill & London, 2002. This is a wonderful
book on the Campaign.
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