were notified the line was to be changed, and the regiinents were formed soon after daybreak and an aid-decamp to General Meade came to conduct us. A snow of six inches had fallen through the night, which made our marching through the heavily ladened pines any thing but agreeable, but after plodding on for a couple of miles we reached the left of the new line and commenced dropping out the companies and regiments in their position. The line was about three miles long, and when we reached the right of it, where our regiment was stationed, we found ourselves about a half mile from camp. It is unnecessary to observe that the aid received many blessings upon his head of a questionable character.

A diagram of the line was given to an officer to establish the new line by,, who, after consultation with the proprietor of the property, proceeded to do so, being assured that there was but one road through the plantation. After the pickets were posted, however, he was dissatisfied with the line as its right rested on no natural obstruction. Finding no further information could be obtained at the house, he proceeded to examine the woods, and following what at first was supposed to be a ravine, in a half mile Aquia creek was found. The cause of the proprietor's deception was very apparent, as a small barn, several stacks of hay, a number of cows, calves, and chickens were found in this out-of-the-way place, and a large fishing house was located on the creek. The line was immediately changed, to the infinite disgust of our friend, who of course, aside from his own interest, would like to have had it defective. It is unnecessary to observe that no account of stock was taken upon our arrival or departure.

The field and staff of our regiment and the Eighth, made Mr. S's house headquarters, where, in despite of circumstances, they were soon on most sociable terms with the family. This is a matter most easily accomplished if rightly managed; all that is necessary being

to show a due respect to their feelings and sentiments. and to get the right side of the old lady. Before we had been in the house long, some of the officers were bustly engaged in assisting in the household affairs, cutting wood, cleaning the clock, white-washing the parlor chimney, and chasing the sheep back into the per. In fact we made ourselves at home and generally useful, and only one incident occurred to mar our pleasure, and that was, at precisely eight o'clock, P. M., the old gentleman bid us good-night, and with his family retired. This was equally annoying to the young ladies as it was to us, and was a serious evil that required remedying. Many were the plans of operations devised during the ensuing week, but our picket turn came before any was matured. To turn the clock back was a stale trick that probably the old gentleman had had played upon him before, and something new must be devised. But "fortune favors the brave" and luckily the old gentleman was slightly indisposed. Of course he applied to our most estimable surgeon for relief, and then it was that a bright idea entered the doctor's head. After due examination a couple of opium pills were administered, with a good glass of old Cognac to rinse them down. About seven o'clock the old gentleman commenced nodding, and soon afterwards showed decided symptoms of drowsiness, and every few minutes rallying himself he would inquire the time, and fearing we reported wrongly he got up frequently and examined the clock himself. He then tried to walk the floor, but all to no purpose, and at last with eyes half closed and unable hardly to speak, he retired much to the satisfaction of all.

Mr. S had three daughters, the oldest possessing an excellent education and most fascinating manners, she being the lady of the family, and the others were almost her reverse, though all possessed honest and warm hearts. They told us frankly they were secessionists at heart, and that they had two brothers in the Confederate army, but situated as they were, they had no objection to entertaining Union officers whose duty placed them upon their property. They conversed freely about the war, sung "My Maryland," "The Bonny Blue Flag," "Dixie." and other Confederate songs for us. The mother showed us many times the daguerreotype of her darling "Charley," a boy of sixteen, who belonged to the Forty-seventh Virginia infantry, whom we promised, if we caught, to spank and send home to her.

We remained at Brooks' Station until December the 8th, when we struck tents and marched at six o'clock in the morning; the weather being clear and cold, and the roads so hardly frozen that the artillery and trains did not cut them up much, but the horses being smooth-shod, slipped continually, and were much worried in their march of eight miles, which the infantry accomplished by noon. Our encampment was in a meadow not far from White Oak Church. While we laid here all the detailed men were ordered into the ranks and sixty rounds of cartridges supplied to each man.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF FREDERICKSBURG, DECEMBER 11TH-At three o'clock on the morning of the 11th, our bugles sounded the reveille, awaking the boys from their slumbers on the hard frozen ground, and soon the valleys and hills for miles around were lit up by innumerable fires, around which they gathered to prepare their coffee. In half an hour we took up our march, the bright stars in the blue vault of heaven lighting us on our way, and, as the columns defiled through the gorges and woods, the steady tramp of men alone disturbed the death-like stillness of the morning. Soon the booming of heavy guns in front announced that the ball had opened, and moving on to within a mile of the river we halted, loaded, and stacked arms in a piece of heavy pine woods, where we laid for the day and night.

In the mean time the roar of artillery had become incessant along the river bank in our front, and the men clustering on the neighboring hills had a fine view of the bombardment of Fredericksburg, which had com

THE BOMBARDMENT OF FREDERICKSBURG.

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menced in earnest. The engineers had attempted to lay six pontoon bridges, four opposite the city and two about four miles below, but they had not got more than twothirds of the distance laid before they were driven off by the enemy's sharpshooters posted in the houses of the town. To dislodge these, one hundred and fortythree guns were put into position, the larger portion of which opened upon the town. The sight was a magnificent but sad one, and just before dark it became grand in the extreme. The town was on fire in several places, the flames and smoke ascending high into the heavens, while shells were seen bursting in almost every quarter. During this time the enemy's sharpshooters kept up a vigorous fire upon the cannoneers and officers who lined the bank, their bullets at that long range whizzing wickedly by. Finding it impossible to drive the sharpshooters away with artillery, the pontoon boats were filled with infantry and run quickly across the river under a heavy fire, and landing, the men rushed up into the streets and houses and drove the enemy away, killing, wounding, and taking many prisoners. In fifteen minutes after the detachment landed, our men began building the bridges, and in half an hour more they were completed.

When the boats first went over, Joseph Cline, a boy of sixteen, belonging to Company C, being where they started from, could not resist the temptation and went over with them, capturing a Mississippi rifle and accout rements from a "Grayback" he killed.

CHAPTER XXI.

BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. LOSS OF OUR ARMY. INCIDENTS. CAUSES OF THE DEFEAT. RE-CROSS THE RAPPAHANNOCK.

THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG, DECEMBER 13TH.-Early on the 12th, we marched down to the lower pontoons, and at eleven A. M., crossed, halted and formed in line of battle on the bottom land beneath the elevated plain. Here the men commenced making coffee and eating dinner, as no one could tell when they would have an opportunity to build fires again. While they were thus engaged and every one was expecting in a short time to go into battle, four young boys were quietly seated, playing cards upon a blanket. For two of them it was their last game. Soon after we were moved up on the plateau, and the whole army was formed into line of battle, with the artillery and cavalry all posted. It was one of the most magnificent sights the eyes of man ever rested upon.

Some slight picket skirmishing took place in our front, and on the right, the enemy opened with artillery, but soon retired. The "Bucktails" were ordered to the extreme left for picket duty, and our regiment sent to occupy the buildings and out-houses at Smithfield, and to hold the bridge across Deep run, near where it emptied into the river The main building was Dr. Thomas Platt's large brick house, which, being unoccupied, we entered through a window, and found it very handsomely furnished. Around this building the men were posted, and it was occupied by us during the night. Upon our arrival, Colonel McCandless caused the arrest of the overseer and two other white men, and sent them to General Meade's head-quarters, who caused them to be detained until the battle was over. With the exception of the exchange of a few shots every thing passed quietly through the night.