I 22
opportunity” passed — a blunder for which we werein no way responsible, but for which we were des-tined to suffer.
We did not receive the order to leave Berlin , sixmiles below Harper’s Perry, until late on theseventh day after it was issued. J We took up twobridges, each 1100 feet long, loaded and movedthem by canal and land transportation to Wash-ington, where we received 500 unbroken mules.We then fitted up two trains, moved through themud to Occoquan, where we divided the trains, partgoing by water and part by land to Aquia Creek,where we again reloaded the entire equipment,and arrived at the Lacy house but six days behindLongstreet’s advance, which had made a forcedmarch from the vicinity of Culpeper to reach theheights in rear of Fredericksburg . These being thefacts, it can hardly be said, with justice, that theengineers were slow in their movements.
The idea of crossing immediately in front of thetown seemed to have passed, temporarily at least,from General Burnside’s mind, and ‘ ‘ demonstra-tions ” on an extensive scale were made to the rightand left.
Twice I crossed the river below the town and
) The “ Official Records ” show that this order, issuedby Captain .T. C. Duane, Chief-Engineer of the Army ofthe Potomac at Rectortown, ou the 6th of November, did
examined the country for some distance inland, itbeing rather difficult to find ground suitable for thepassage of artillery on both sides of the stream atall stages of the tide. The second time I crossedat “ Skinker’s Neck,” and made a thorough exam-ination of the country for several miles around,pacing off the distances, and furnished GeneralBurnside, in person, with my sketches. These ex-peditions were, of course, made in the night.
“ Skinker’s Neck” seemed to me to be the properplace for a crossing. At the time of my visit it wasnot occupied by the enemy, except by a cavalrypatrol, which I easily avoided.
Six or eight miles above, where I made my firstcrossing, it was somewhat difficult to make myway through the picket lines. General Burnsideappeared to be greatly pleased and relieved whenI reported favorably on the “Skinker’s Neck”crossing. He gave me to understand that weshould throw our bridges there, and we made ourarrangements accordingly.
What was my surprise when, a few days after,the orders came that mine was to be one of twobridges that were to be thrown across directly i 11front of the city, near the Lacy house.
not reach Major Spaulding, at Berlin , until the afternoonof November 12th. General HnUcck’s report exoneratesthe engineers from all blame.— Editors.
IN FRONT OF THE STONE WALL AT FREDERICKSBURG . &
BY JOHN W. AMES, BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL, IT. S. V.
O N Saturday, December 13th, our brigade | hadbeen held in reserve, but late in the day wewere hurried to the battle only to see a field full offlying men and the sun low in the west shining redthrough columns of smoke,—six deserted field-pieces on a slight rise of ground in front of us,and a cheering column of troops in regular marchdisappearing on our left. But the day was then overand the battle lost, and our line felt hardly bulletsenough to draw blood before darkness put an endto the uproar of all hostile sounds, save desultoryshell-firing. For an hour or two afterward shellsfrom Marye’s Heights traced bright lines acrossthe black sky with their burning fuses. Then, bycommand, we sank down in our lines, to get whatsleep the soggy ground and the danger might allowus. Experience had taught us that when thesilent line of fire from the shells had flashed acrossthe sky and disappeared behind us the scream andexplosion that followed were harmless, but still itrequired some effort to overcome the discomfort ofthe damp ground, and the flash and report of burst-ing shells, and to drop quietly asleep at an order.We finally slept, but we were roused before mid-night, and formed into line with whispered com-mands, and then filed to the right, and, reaching the
Condensed from tlie “ Overland Monthly,” i860, Vol.III., p. 432, bv permission of Fislier Ames. GeneralJohn W. Ames, U. S. Surveyor-General of California ,died in San Rafael , in that State, in 1878.
highway, inarched away from the town. Therewere many dead horses at exposed points of oufturning and many more dead men. Here stood alow brick house, with an open door in its gable end,from which shone a light, and into which we peeredwhen passing. Inside sat a woman, gaunt andhard-featured, with crazy hair and a Meg Merriliesface, still sitting by a smoking candle, though it wa snearly two hours past midnight. But what womancould sleep, though never so masculine and toughof fiber, alone in a house between two hostil earmies,— two corpses lying across her door-stepS'and within, almost at her feet, four more 1 So,with wild eyes and face lighted by her smoky can-dle, she stared across the dead barrier into thedarkness outside with the look of one who heardand saw not, and to whom all sounds were a terror-
We formed in two lines,— the right of each rest-ing near and in front of this small brick house)and the left extending into the field at right angl eSwith the highway. Here we again bivouacked,finding room for our beds with no little difficulty,because of the shattered forms of those who werehere taking their last long sleep. We rose early-The heavy fog was penetrating and chilly, and tb edamp turf was no warm mattress to tempt us t°
4 The 2(1 Brigade of regulars (Sykes’s division ,Army Corps ), commanded by Major George L. Andrew 8 '17tli IT. 8. Infantry. General Ames was tlieu a capta' 1in tlie lltli U. 8. Infantry.— Editors.