Decr. 15th 1862 Field Near Fredericksburg
My Dear Father
I have an opportunity to write a few lines
to-day – The papers will announce to you before
this reaches you that a battle has been fought – not
a decisive one however, though a fierce one. The enemy
of course was the attacking party. The situation I think
give as well as I can in a few words. Just above the
town the high hills on this side reach nearly to the river,
then receding rapidly they leave a flat about two miles wide
between them & the river, at the widest point perhaps – 2 ½ miles. Then
running parallel to the river for some distance they again
appear to the eye to approach it – The town is on the
upper end of this basin on the river bank. The hills
on this side are very steep frequently nearly perpen-
dicular.
On the 11th (Thursday) the enemy commenced shelling the town with
great vigour – the pieces used I suppose numbering some
60 0r 80 – some of them quite heavy, apparently 30 pounder.
That evening our company was ordered to its present posi-
tion, which commands is a commanding view of nearly the
whole scene battle field – The next day, (Friday) the firing was
renewed & continued with equal vigour the greater part of the
day, destroying, a citizen tells me, two whole squares totally
by fire & of course battering many houses down & burning
them elsewhere than in these two squares. The town is now nearly a wreck. During
this time the enemy were laying down pontoon bridges opposite to
& below the town, which was feebly resisted by one or two
pieces of brigades at the several points. They entered the
town late that (the 12th) evening. I do not think we could well
have prevented them from crossing – the hills on the other
side of the river been running much nearer to it & brist-
ling with artillery. They commenced moving their
[page 2]
forces over in heavy bodies that evening across the different
bridges & continued doing so until late the next day. They
came almost without number. The Hills are cleared of
wood on the other side & we could have seen every thing that was
going on, but for a fog which obscured almost every
thing in the early part of the day. On the 13th. the battle began &
ended. The town was shelled this day as furiously by us as it had
been before by the enemy . Their (the enemy’s) troops, foot & artillery, occu-
pying the town in numbers, must have suffered intensely from
our artillery, many pieces (85 it is said) keeping up an inces-
sant firing on it. These pieces were many of them on the
bluffs almost overhanging the town. One hill, a position
of great strength, was five times attacked by the enemy,
who were signally repulsed with immense loss. Our
infantry were in a road winding around the foot of
the bluff upon which our batteries were stationed, pro-
tected by a rock fence about 4 or 5 feet high & several
feet thick. The enemy had to advance through an
open space to attack this & were slaughtered by our sol-
diers, while they were suffering very lightly. When night
closed upon them the enemy was being repulsed with his
last time. Of course fresh troops made each separate
charge, I mean of the enemy. Ours never changed their po-
sition & did not have to be relieved, but were reinforced
until the road was full of men each all loading & jumping
up & shooting as soon as they were loaded. This battle
was on our left wing. Our centre was not attacked –
consequently along here, & I am situated in the centre, there
was no fighting save with artillery. On the right the
attack was equally vigorous – and as signally repulsed, but
I am sorry to say with much greater loss to us. The
R Road on [word lined out] leaving town runs down the
river flat for some 3 miles or more & then runs
up a ravine to the right turning around the foot
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of a steep hill in doing so. Just at this point the
enemy made the fight. We had some troops stationed along
the railroad – one or two brigades – we who were looking
on could not tell at the distance what the exact force was, but
could always tell nearly the amount. The enemy having
massed heavy bodies of infantry in front of this position opened along there with
a large number of artillery. One of the General’s
staff says there were 64 pieces. I thought it about that
number. The artillery, of ours opposite, of course replied.
After this had continued some hours, & heavy infantry
skirmishing had been all the while going on, the ene-
my threw forward a brigade which marched up &
fought handsomely. It was soon forced to halt
however by those of our troops along the railroad.
Two more of the enemy’s brigades were then
double-quicked forward to its support; these two
however soon faltered, & became a disorganized mass,
straggling to the rear. Still for a while the first
brigade stood manfully up & now they begin to
retire slowly – soon they too became entirely disorganized
& fly for the rear. These troops were met by a thick
line of the enemy’s skirmishers who tried in vain to stop
their rearward course with the bayonet. I have called
there three bodies of the enemy brigades – they, are
generally estimated to have been much larger
forces. But now the real attack was made. A long
line of the enemy, extending farther than the smoke
could allow the eye to reach, advanced, drove our
few troops who had fought so gallantly, from
the rail road & disappeared in the woods. Soon however
large numbers of men were seen coming out,
straggling to the rear & soon the whole line was
falling rapidly back in a good deal of disorder
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which became worse & worse every moment as our artillerists
redoubled their efforts & cut them up terribly as they went
off towards the river concealed from view by the smoke
of their artillery & protected by its fire. Along our lines one
battery was conspicuous for the rapidity of its firing,
the accuracy of its shots & the fortitude with which it
sustained the concentrated fire of the enemy. This was
Captain Braxton’s battery from Fredericksburg. A
better cause never nerved men to better fighting. From this
time (about three P.M.) there was no more fighting at this point.
But farther down, the enemy’s fire was truly terrific. So much
is entire reliable. I have written so far only what I know
for I saw it. It is said, I have no doubt truly, that this
latter cannonading was to protect or assist another
attack still farther to our right where the enemy was as
easily repulsed. It is also stated that Jackson who com-
mands the right reports to General Lee that he has re-
pulsed the enemy easily. Another brilliant little fight,
between a brigade or ours & apparently a force of the same
size took place on our right still nearer to us. This was
Toombs former brigade. In this little fight I am disposed
to think we helped considerably as we opened with rapidity
at a pretty range & some apparent effect. Our battery was
engaged also the day before. The enemy was attempt-
ing to mass & mask their troops in a ravine just
to our right & front when the fog suddenly blew over &
5 or six of our batteries opened & they ske-
daddled to the rear. Our, I mean the confederate artillery,
very rarely attempt to fight the enemy’s batteries at long
taw. But whenever their infantry or artillery get well
within our range we open on them. We had yesterday
one of our battery very slightly, apparently wounded.
The loss on either side I am entirely unable to state.
The enemy’s probably as large or larger than at
at any one days fight during the war, if the reports
[Written in the top margin on page 3.]
which I hear of the battle of the right of our right wing be
true. Yesterday & to day only artillery firing on our extreme right
& left & a little picket firing has been going on. Yesterday
they sent about a dozen shots up here from a battery. What
[Written in the top margin on page 1.]
they are waiting for I can of course only conjecture – Appar-
ently their troops are still on the right & left wings. Tho’
I cant see as many. They may be concealed. You
see our position is a very strong one. The enemy’s troops
[Written in the top margin on page 2.]
are in position in the flat but seem to tend down to
our right. They do not seem to be fortifying much. We
have our infantry in rifle pits at the foot of the hills,
in front of us. They say all Yankeeland could not drive
them out & I believe them. I have not yet gotten a letter from you.
[Written in the side margin on page 2 and on page 3.]
The last was the 18th of last month. The position which our battery holds is comparatively safe & I do not think they will reach our position, so you need not feel uneasy.
[Written in the top margin on page 4.]
I am quite anxious to hear that you are all well
but attribute the delay in your letters exclusively to postal
deficiencies. Excuse haste, my very best love to all. Ever dear father
most affly yr son. W. H. Perry Jr. I think the enemy’s Check
was quite a serious one.
[Fragment dated 15 Dec. 1862.]
Since writing this morning evening I
learn upon reliable authority that
the hills do not reach the river
below here, but our lines leave
the hills & run to the river about
six miles below here. So that
the enemy can’t leave the low-
grounds below here coming this
way, I mean in the south side
without a fight. I don’t know
when I will have an opportunity
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to send this. I have written in
haste the minutiae of the things oc-
curring around – too minutely perhaps –
If I had time I, perhaps, could
select things which would interest
you more, as it is I can’t. It is
thought by some that the enemy
is waiting for Seigle’s corps. It
is also said that the prisoners
taken say it was “fighting Joe Hooker”
who was so badly whipped on our
right. Generals T. Cobb & Maxy Gregg
were killed.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 7786-d
