"Toward the close of the afternoon General Howard's division, to
which I belong, crossed the pontoon bridge whose building had
cost us more than one gallant soldier. The distance was short,
for the Rappahannock at this point is not more than a quarter of
a mile wide. In a few minutes we were marching through the
streets of Fredericksburg. We gained possession of the lower
streets, but not without some street fighting, in which our
brigade lost about one hundred in killed and wounded.
"For the first time I witnessed violent death. The man marching
by my side suddenly reeled, and, pressing his hand to his breast,
fell forward. Only a moment before he had spoken to me, saying,
'I think we are going to have hot work.' Now he was dead, shot
through the heart. I turned sick with horror, but there was no
time to pause. We must march on, not knowing that our turn might
not come next. Each of us felt that he bore his life in his hand.
"But this was soon over, and orders came that we should bivouac
for the night.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206