e to escape from, that for the time
we were obliged to desist. Before anything could be effected it became
clear that the sharpshooters must be dislodged.

"Then opened the second scene.

"A deluge of shot and shell from our side of the river rained upon the
city, setting some buildings on fire, and severely damaging others. It
was a most exciting spectacle to us who watched from the bluffs, knowing
that ere long we must make the perilous passage and confront the foe,
the mysterious silence of whose batteries inspired alarm, as indicating
a consciousness of power.

"The time of our trial came at length.

"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. You will not wonder that I lay awake nearly the whole night. A
night attack was possible, and the confusion and darkness would have
made it fearful. As I lay awake I could not help thinking how anxious
you would feel if you had known where I was.

"So closed the first day.

"The next dawned warm and pleasant. In the quiet of the morning it
seemed hard to believe that we were on the eve of a bloody struggle.
Discipline was not very strictly maintained. Some of our number left the
ranks and ransacked the houses, more from curiosity than the desire to
pillage.

"I went down to the bank of the river, and took a look at the bridge
which it had cost us so much trouble to throw across. It bore frequent
marks of the firing of the day previous.

"At one place I came across an old negro, whose white head and wrinkled