Today in History:

580 Series I Volume XXI- Serial 31 - Fredericksburg

Page 580 OPERATIONS IN N. VA.,W. VA.,MD.,AND PA. Chapter XXXIII.

the entire front under the hill. During that night the scouts took 15 prisoners.

On the 12th instant, close and heavy skirmishing was kept up, but no real attack was made.

On the 13th, skirmishing commenced at early dawn, the enemy shelling in that direction until about 11 o'clock, when the advance of the enemy drove in our pickets, and his column, approached the left of the line by the Telegraph road and deployed to our right, planting their stands of colors along our front. Before their deployment was completed, our fire has so thinned their ranks that the survivors retreated, leaving their colors planted in their first position. Soon another column, heavier than the first, advanced to the colors, but were driven back with great slaughter. They were met on retiring by re-enforcements and advanced again, but were again repulsed with increased loss. About 1 p. m., General Kershaw was directed to send two regiments from his brigade to the support of General Cobb, who reported that he was getting short of ammunition. The Sixteenth Georgia Regiment was sent forward at the same time. Not long after his, General Kershaw was directed to take his whole brigade. Just as his command was moving, he was ordered to hasten forward in person and assume command of the position under Marye's Hill, as General Cobb had been wounded and disabled. The South Carolina regiments were posted-the Second and Eighth, Colonel [J. D.] Kennedy and Captain [E. T.] Stackhouse commanding, in the road doubling on Phillips' Legion, Colonel [B. F.] Cook, and the Twenty-fourth Georgia, Colonel McMillan, and the Third and Seventh South Carolina, Colonel [James D.] Nance and Lieutenant-Colonel [Elbert] Bland, on the hill to the left of Marye's house. The Seventh was afterward moved (on a call from the Fifteenth North Carolina Regiment for re-enforcements) to the right and front of Marye's house, the three left companies being on the left of the house, the Fifteenth South Carolina, Colonel De Saussure, in reserve at the cemetery. The Third Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Rice, was posted at Howison's Mill, to resist any attack the might have been made up Hazel Run. The Eighth and Seventh Regiments arrived in time to assist in repelling a heavy assault made on the left at 2.45 p. m. The Third and Seventh Regiments suffered severely while getting into position, especially the former. Colonel Nance, Lieutenant-Colonel [W. D.] Rutherford, Major [Robert C.] Maffett, Captains [R. P.] Todd, [John C.] Summer, and [W. W.]

Hance were shot down in succession, Captain Summer killed, the others more or less dangerously wounded, leaving the regiment under the command of Captain John K. G. Nance, assisted by Lieutenant [A. E.] Doby, aide-de-camp to General Kershaw. Colonel Nance, although badly wounded, declined being removed at the time, and continued to encourage and direct his men, and after he was removed back to Marye's house ordered that his regiment take a new position, where the men would be less exposed, and sent direction to have them resupplied with ammunition.

In the mean time the enemy deployed in a ravine which was between us and the city, and distant about 300 or 400 yards from the stone wall, and advanced with fresh columns to the attack at intervals of not more than fifteen minutes, but they were repulsed with zeal and driven back with much loss on every occasion. This continued until about 4.30 p. m., when the enemy ceased in their assaults for a time, and posting some artillery in front of the town on the left of the Telegraph road, opened on our position, doing but little damage. The batteries on Marye's Hill of Colonel Walton were at this time silent, having exhausted their am-


Page 580 OPERATIONS IN N. VA.,W. VA.,MD.,AND PA. Chapter XXXIII.