Fredericksburg.

Union Positions. Rebel Positions.
1.French's Division}2d Corps. A.Anderson's Division}Longstreet, 1st Corps.
2.Hancock's"} B.Ransom's"}
3.Howard's"} C.McLaw's"}
D.Pickett's"}
4.Sturgis's"}9th Corps. E.Hood's"}
5.Getty's"}
6.Burns's"} F.A. P. Hill's Division}Jackson, 2d Corps.
G.Ewell's"}
7.Brooks's"}6th Corps. H.Taliferro's"}
8.Howe's"} I.D. H. Hill's"}
9.Newton's"} J.Stuart's Cavalry}
10.Gibbon's Division}1st Corps. K.Lee's Head-Quarters.
11.Meade's"} L.Longstreet Head-Quarters.
12.Doubleday's"} M.Jackson's"
13.Sickles's"}3d Corps.
14.Birney's"}
15.Cavalry.
16.Union Batteries.
17.Bernard's House.
18.Pontoon Bridge.
19.Hamilton's House.
20.Maryee's House.

When the bridge-builders saw the soldiers charge up the hill, they too caught the enthusiasm of the moment, and finished their work. The other regiments of the brigade, before the last planks were laid, rushed down the bank, ran out upon the bridge, dashed up the bank, joined their comrades, and drove the Rebels from the streets nearest the river.

History furnishes but few records of more daring exploits than this action of the Seventh Michigan. Their work was thorough and complete. In fifteen minutes they cleared the houses in front of them, and took more prisoners than their own party numbered.

It was now half past four in the afternoon, one of the shortest days of winter. The sun was going down. The Rebels had delayed the crossing through the entire day. General Burnside was severely censured by some Northern as well as Southern papers for bombarding the town; he had no desire to do injury to the citizens in person or property, but the stubborn resistance of the Rebels made it necessary thus to use his artillery. When General Sumner arrived at Falmouth, three weeks before, he demanded the surrender of the place; but the citizens and the women begged the officer in command not to give it up.

"We would rather have the town burned than given up to the Yankees,"[11] said they.

But now the Yankees were there, marching through the streets. The houses were battered, torn, and rent. Some were in flames, and a battle was raging through the town.

As soon as the bridge was completed, the other brigades of General Howard's division moved across the river. The Rebel batteries, which till now had kept silence, opened furiously with solid shot and shell, but the troops moved steadily over, and took shelter along the river bank. The Rebels were falling back from street to street, and the men from Michigan and Massachusetts were pressing on.

I stood upon the bank of the river and watched the scene in the deepening twilight. Far up the streets there were bright flashes from the muskets of the Rebels, who fired from cellars, chamber windows, and from sheltered places. Nearer were dark masses of men in blue, who gave quick volleys as they moved steadily on, demolishing doors, crushing in windows, and searching every hiding-place. Cannon were flaming on all the hills, and the whole country was aglow with the camp fires of the two great armies. The Stafford hills were alive with men,—regiments, brigades, and divisions moving in column from their encampments to cross the river. The sky was without a cloud. The town was lighted by lurid flames. The air was full of hissings,—the sharp cutting sounds of the leaden rain. The great twenty-pounder guns on the heights of Falmouth were roaring the while. There were shouts, hurrahs, yells, and groans from the streets. So the fight went on till the Rebels were driven wholly from the town to their intrenchments beyond.