Today in History:

184 Series I Volume XXI- Serial 31 - Fredericksburg

Page 184 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.

[CHAP. XXXIII.

4 12-pdrs., D, 1st R. I., Captain Buckley.

With Butterfield's Corps and Whipple's Division.

4 3-inch, I, 5th, U. S. Captain Weed.

4 3-inch, C, 1st, N. Y., Captain Barnes.

6 3-inch, E, 1st Mass., Captain Phillips.

6 10-pdrs., D, 5th U. S., Lieutenant Hazlett.

6 12-pdrs., C, 1st Mass., Captain Martin.

6 12-pdrs., L, 1st Ohio, Lieutenant Dorries.

4 12-pdrs., E and G, 1st U. S., Captain Randol.

6 3-inch, 11th N. Y. Batty, Captain Von Puttkammer.

6 12-pdrs., 10th N. Y. Batty, Captain Bruen.

With Franklin's Grand Division.

4 3-inch L., 1st N. Y. Captain Reynolds.

4 3-inch A, 1st N. H., Captain Gerrish.

4 3-inch, 4th, Pa. Batty., Captain Thompson.*

6 3-inch, 2nd Maine, Captain Hall.*

4 3-inch, B, 1st Pa., Captain Cooper.

4 3-inch, G, 1st Pa., Captain Amsden.*

6 3-inch, A, 1st Md., Captain Wolcott.*

4 3-inch, B, 1st Md., Captain Snow.

6 3-inch, 1st N. J., Batty, Captain Hexamer.

4 10-pdrs.
F, 5th, U. S., Captain

2 12-pdrs.
Ayres.

6 12-pdrs., B, 4th, U. S., Lieutenant Stewart.

4 12-pdrs., C, 5th, U. S., Captain Ransom.

6 12-pdrs., D, 2nd U. S., Lieutenant Williston.

6 12-pdrs., 5th Maine Batty., Captain Leppien.

6 12-pdrs., A, 1st Mass., Captain McCartney.

4 12-pdrs., A, 1st Pa., Lieutenant Simpson.

With Birney's and Sickles' Divisions.

6 10-pdrs., B., 1st N. J., Lieutenant Clark.

6 12-pdrs., K, 4th, U. S., Lieutenant Seeley.

6 12-pdrs., H, 1st U. S., Lieutenant Dimick.

6 12-pdrs., F and K, 3rd U. S., Captain Livingston.

6 12-pdrs., E, 1st R. I., Captain Randolph.

On the left, seventeen batteries, consisting of forty-six light rifles and forty light 12-pounders, were crossed with Franklin's grand division. To complete this number, five batteries of twenty-four rifles (marked*) were drawn from Captain De Russy's command and ordered to rejoin their divisions.

Franklin was re-enforced by Birney's and Sickles' divisions, with which crossed five batteries of six rifles and twenty-four light 12-pounders, making in all twenty-three batteries, of one hundred and sixteen guns, which crossed the river at the lower bridges. The development of the attack on this flank was such that all the batteries were in position, and all but one of them engaged, many of them very severely.

Sumner's and Franklin's attacks (Saturday, December 13) were entirely independent of each other. In Sumner's the front of attack was limited by the Plank road on the right and Hazel Run on the left, and there was but little opportunity for the employment of artillery to advantage until the enemy's skirmishers and sharpshooters were driven off. The divisions accordingly moved out of the town without their batteries, but artillery was soon called for. Dickenson's battery (four 10-pounders) of horse artillery and Arnold's (six 3-inch guns) were then placed in action upon the outer edge of the high ground on which Fredericksburg stands. The first (a horse) battery being very much exposed, within a short distance of the enemy's works, Lieutenant Dickenson himself killed, and a number of his men killed and wounded, I sent, on the application of General Couch, two batteries, of six 3-inch guns each (Kusserow's and Waterman's), under command of Major Doull, Second New York Artillery, inspector on my staff, to replace it. Major Doull placed these guns on the right of the Plank road, about 800 yards from the enemy's batteries, and at short musket range from their infantry, and, preparatory to each infantry attack, the fire was directed obliquely to the left, to take en echarpe the enemy's batteries, and, as far as possible, the stone wall at the foot of the hill, behind which their infantry lay. During this time Arnold had been engaged with the enemy's batteries, but was, from his position, compelled to cease action when our infantry advanced, as at such time it masked his fire. The batteries under Major Doull were on these occasions turned on the enemy's guns, and invariably silenced them.

During the afternoon the enemy brought up a field battery to the assistance of his guns in position; but it was soon driven off by Kusserow's and Waterman's batteries, under the immediate direction of Major Doull.


Page 184 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.