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literally line the ground as far as the eye can reach.
We had the advantage of an elevated position and the “stone wall.”
The enemy was therefore compelled to advance in the face of a raking fire up this inclined plain, only to meet the death-dealing fire which our men so surely and steadily poured upon them.
The enemy fought well.
Our forces did better, and the result is, the Yankees, foiled in their “on to Richmond” scheme, lay upon their oars all day to-day without an effort to bury their dead or alleviate the sufferings of the wounded.
The work of “evacuation,” “skedaddling,” or “change of base,” whichever it may be called, was commenced last night about sundown, and was concluded about daylight this morning, at which time they took up the last of their pontoons, and once again achieved a great victory by “falling backwards.”
Their departure gives unmistakable evidences of panic and haste.
About the town are found large numbers of guns, knapsacks, haversacks, crackers, salt pork, and at least one hundred thousand rounds of good cartridges.
They also left behind them, in and about the town, at the very least, six hundred of their dead.
There are one hundred and three of these dead on a space of less than an acre of ground.
The town was largely used for hospital purposes by the Yankees, and, in the haste of departure, some twenty of their wounded were left behind.
The Yankees had essayed a task which no army ever marshaled, or that ever will be organized, could have accomplished.
To have driven our men from their position and to have taken it, was a work compared with which the storming of Gibraltar would be as child's play.
To appreciate the strength of our position it must be seen.
Suffice it to say, that we had “Stonewalls” at both ends of the line — Jackson on the right and the stone fence on the left, at Fredericksburgh.
No other man than Burnside would have attempted so difficult or so foolhardy an adventure.
Truly may it be said, the Yankees slain in battle have been “butchered to make a Lincoln holiday.”
They have failed here most signally.
They may try the Port Royal route; if they do, they will find the same character of obstacles there as here; the same advantages to our side, of brave spirits to oppose them, and choice positions in which our men can arrange to dispute their march.
The wanton destruction of property in town can neither be imagined nor described.
Had so many demons from perdition been unchained and commissioned to wreak vengeance, the ill-fated city could not have fared worse.
All that was edible has been devoured by the hungry Yankees, whilst clothing has been stolen from every house, the furniture recklessly destroyed or thrown into the streets, beds ripped open, pictures disfigured and destroyed, pianos ruthlessly robbed of the keys.
Indeed, every conceivable injury that devilish malice or thieving lust could invent, was freely resorted to during the memorable four days of the last occupation, a time which will never be effaced from the memories of the gallant few who stuck it out. The Baptist church has been nearly riddled by shells, while all the pews have been torn out to make room for the sick, who were spread upon the pew-cushions.
The same condition of things was visible in the basement of the Episcopal church; our informant did not visit the main body of the edifice.
The Orphan Asylum, Dr. Scott's, F. Slaughter's, and S. S. Howison's houses were used as hospitals.
In all, some twenty houses have been destroyed, and the loss of property of one kind and another cannot fall much short of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Brompton, the elegant mansion of John L. Marye, was well-nigh destroyed.
There are some fifty cannon-ball holes through the parlor alone.
the losses.
I have been at some pains to ascertain our loss, and as the result of my effort, have obtained from Dr. J. C. Herndon, the polite surgeon on General Lee's staff, the following statement, which may be relied upon as correct:
The most moderate estimate of the Yankee loss is five thousand, and some put it at eight thousand.
| M'law's division. | |
| Barksdale's and Cobb's brigades, | 111 |
| Semmes's brigade, | 1 |
| Kershaw's brigade, | 250 |
| Straggling cases, | 6 |
| Anderson's division. | |
| Wilcox's brigade, | 9 |
| Mahone's brigade, | 5 |
| Ransom's division. | |
| Cook's brigade, | 295 |
| A. P. Hill's division, about | 600 |
| Early's and Taliaferro's commands, about | 300 |
| D. H. Hill's command, | 10 |
| Washington artillery, | 23 |
| Total, | 1619 |
| Picket's division, | 40 |
| Hood's division, | 100 |
| Total, | 1759 |
London times narrative.
Those who are unacquainted with the delays which invariably attend the movements of very large armies, especially when an attack upon a strong and elaborately chosen position of the enemy is contemplated, confidently looked for the momentous collision between the confederate and the Federal armies this morning at daybreak; but, as was anticipated by more experienced heads, the day wore away without developing a Federal onslaught upon the Southern lines.
The
