Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/242

 234 Southern Historical Sockty Papers.

time in mustering his 116,000 men and 350 pieces of artillery on the plateau north of the Rappahannock, and known as Stafford Heights, from which he could look down upon the historic town of Freder- icksburg, which trembled in expectancy of destruction between these two powerful contending foes.

BURNSIDE WAS CONFIDENT.

While awaiting the development of Burnside's movements and watching the ways by which he might move to Richmond, Lee sent D. H. Hill's division of Jackson's corps to watch the crossing of the Rappahannock at Port Royal. Ewell's division, now commanded by Early, was in camp next to D. H. Hill's division, while the divi- sions of A. P. Hill and Taliaferro were placed near the railroad lead- ing from Richmond, where they could move either to the aid of D. H. Hill or Longstreet, as the exigences of the occasion might demand. Jackson established himself near Guiney's Station, on a road which led both to A. P. Hill's headquarters and to the head- quarters of General R. E. Lee the latter being established on the old Telegraph road leading to Fredericksburg. Burnside issued twelve days' rations to his army, and confidently expected to make the next issue at Richmond. On the morning of the nth of De- cember, under the cover of a dense fog, Burnside attempted to throw a pontoon bridge across the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg, in order to permit Franklin's corps to cross the Rappahannock.

CROSSED IN THE NIGHT.

Barksdale's brigade of Mississippians was assigned the duty of defending the crossing of the Rappahannock in front of Fredericks- burg. These brave and daring fighters well performed their duty, and shot down many of the Federal pontoon-builders, and frustrated nine successive attempts to lay the bridges. Burnside, becoming irritated and exasperated by the delay, turned loose his heavy guns, and soon the city of Fredericksburg was in flames and one body of infantry crossed the Rappahannock. But Barksdale's division of riflemen had snatched one day of anticipated victory from the over- confident Burnside. Under cover of the darkness of the night of the nth of December, and assisted by the heavy winter fog of the next morning, about 45,000 infantrymen and 1 16 guns, under Frank- lin, crossed the pontoon bridges below Fredericksburg, and were spread a few miles along the line of the railroad towards Richmond,