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TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE LINES DURING A TRUCE.

WITH JACKSON AT HAMILTON’S CROSSING, j

BY J. H. MOORE, C. S. A.

^He morning of the 13th [of December] dawnedof j? a ^ euse fog enveloping the plain and cityof ,, re d er icksburg, through which the brilliant raysIn <T 6 suu straggled about 10 in the morning.

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of the right of the Confederate army

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i^g ^splayed the vast force of Franklin, march-pl a aiM ^- countermarching, hastily seeking thea v s as signed for the coming conflict. Here wasof Plain, now peopled with an army worthyStl0 'W yp ai1 ^ dimensions. A slight but dazzlings ified beilea i'l 1 ! and a brilliant sun above, inten-gl e .^e leaping reflections from thousands ofrn s p * n § bayonets. Officers, on restless horses,arfiij ^ 10m Point to point in gay uniforms. Field-lie , ei y 'was whisked into position as so many frag-a hd fi " ^ an l t an( l Ale, I°°t and horse, small-armspag e „ ®M-ordnance presented so magnificent ati 0ll ®t as to call forth the unbounded admira-fp'aad ^eir adversaries. In a word, this was the^etwe 6 ^ mai 'tial scene of the war. The contrast^UcM 1 - ^ onewa ll Jackson’s corps and Franklin’spea r „ Wision was very marked, and so far as ap-a cari l0eS Wen t the former was hardly better than'VV’he^' 11 ' 6 ^ le l a tt ei ’-

the f ro U , a ^ was m readiness, adjutants stepped toof fjj e 'w a nd, plainly in our view, read the ordersblairi o a ^‘ ^is done, the fatal advance across thetae htal 0mtnenced ' With gay pennants, State, regi-’ an d brigade standards flying, this magnifi-

cent army advanced in three closely compactedlines of battle. At intervals, in front, precededby horse-artillery and flanked on either side bynumerous field-pieces, hundreds of heavy field-pieces from the north bank of the Rappahannockbelched forth their missiles of destruction andswept the plain in advance of Franklin’s columns,while at the same moment his smaller field-piecesin front and on the flanks joined in to sweep theopen space on all sides. This mighty cannonad-ing was answered by the Confederate ordnance.Onward, steady and unwavering, these three linesadvanced, preceded by a heavy skirmish line, tillthey neared the railroad, when Jackson’s right andright center poured iuto these sturdy ranks adeadly volley from small-arms. Spaces, gaps, andwide chasms instantly told the tale of a most fatalencounter. Volley after volley of small-arms con-tinued the work of destruction, while Jackson’sartillery posted on the Federal left and at rightangles to their line of advance kept up a witheringfire on the lessening ranks. The enemy advancedfar in front of the River road [and crossing therailroad charged the slopes upon which our troopswere posted], but at length wavered, halted, andsuddenly retreated to the protection of the railroadembankments. The struggle was kept up by sharp-shooters for some time, when another generaladvance was made against a furious cannonade of

I Condensed from an article In the “ Southern Bivouac ” for August, 1886.

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