CHAPTER XXIII.
BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG (CONTINUED).
The Battle-field veiled by a Heavy Fog—Terrific Fighting of the 13th of December—Forlorn Hope of the Federals—General Meade’s Division of Franklin’s Command makes the First Advance—General French leads against the Confederate Left—Hancock follows—General Cobb killed—The Sunken Road and Stone Wall below Marye’s Hill—Desperate Advances and Determined Repulses—Humphreys’s Heroic Assault—The Stone Wall “a Sheet of Flame”—General Jackson loses his Opportunity to advance—The Charge of Meade’s Divisions compared with that of Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble’s Columns at Gettysburg—Forty Per Cent. killed in charging Lines here, and Sixty Per Cent. at Gettysburg—Total Losses—Peace to be declared because Gold had gone to 200—Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia.
On the morning of the 13th of December the confronting armies, which were destined that day to clash in one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war, stood completely veiled from each other’s sight by an impenetrable mist. The entire Confederate army was now for the first time upon the field, for General Jackson had during the night brought up his scattered divisions from down the river.
Before daylight I rode to view my line and troops from right to left. Hood’s division on the right was found on the alert, as was the enemy near that point. The voices of the Union officers as they gave their commands were carried to us with almost startling clearness by the heavy fog that covered the field and surroundings. So heavy was this fog that nothing could be seen at a distance of ten or twelve rods, and yet so distinctly were the voices of the officers brought to us that they seemed quite near at hand, and General Hood was looking for assaulting columns against his front. He was told that such move would put the enemy’s column in a cul-de-sac, and therefore his position was in no danger of attack; that the attack would be aimed against Jackson’s front; that in case it broke through there he should swing around to his right and take the attacking forces in reverse; that Pickett’s division would be ordered to a corresponding move on his left, with the batteries of the two divisions in the plain off the left; that my front would be attacked, but it was safely posted, and not likely to need other than the troops on that ground. Pickett’s command was under arms, expecting orders. They were given instructions similar to those just mentioned for Hood. The divisions of McLaws, Ransom, and R. H. Anderson were in readiness, as were all the batteries. But the fog, nothing abated, hung so heavy that not a sight for a cannon-shot was open till a late hour of the morning.
The front of the Second Corps was occupied by A. P. Hill’s division, the brigades of Archer, Lane, and Pender on the first line; those of Thomas, Gregg, and Brockenbrough on the second. A third line was occupied by Taliaferro’s and Early’s divisions. D. H. Hill’s division was off to the rear of the right. Lieutenant-Colonel Walker posted a fourteen-gun battery of the division artillery on A. P. Hill’s right, and two other field batteries on the plain on his left. Stuart’s horse artillery and cavalry were on the plain on the right, in the valley of the Massaponax, supporting the Second Corps.
About 7.45 in the morning General Hardie, of Burnside’s staff, reported to General Franklin that his orders would reach him in a few minutes by the hands of an aide-de-camp. Hardie was ordered to remain near General Franklin’s head-quarters. At eight o’clock the order came, and at 8.30 Meade’s division moved towards the general direction of Jackson’s position.
At ten o’clock the fog lifted and revealed Meade’s lines, six batteries on his left and four on his right, Gibbon’s division supporting the right and Doubleday’s covering the left. The order for the commander of the Left Grand Division was to make the advance by at least one division. The divisions of the First Corps were thought to fully meet the terms of the order.
Meade’s lines advanced in handsome, solid ranks, leaving heavy reserves of the Sixth Corps and two divisions of the Third that had been called over from the Centre Grand Division. The fire of Stuart’s horse artillery against their left caused delay until some of the batteries of the left engaged and drove off the fire. After half an hour’s delay the advance was resumed, the batteries thrown to the front to shell the field in search of the Confederate batteries. The latter had been ordered, for the most part, to reserve their fire for infantry. After an hour’s heavy artillery practice Meade’s march was resumed, and with great vigor, the batteries ploughing the way for the infantry columns. At the same time the fourteen-gun battery of A. P. Hill’s right and his left batteries replied with equal spirit and practice, though with unequal metal.