Wednesday, December 12, 2012

1862 December 13 Fredericksburg, Va.


Dec Fairdeay 13th
the arttlery cormence
this moning at 10
oclock and it strifeak
the Batle became
Genaral in 30 minets
after the fireng began
and affter one hore the fireng
slaking as if Rebeles
Was given way   the
firingen was terrffer for
one hour Bouth  of
artlire  and mustecket
*the gun Boats in*
the Rever assisted the
Soud force in this
*Days Batle*
                this is a
verey Nise Day – the
Sun Shine Butfill  the
Batle Was With left
Greand Divrhon
Gen Franklin   the
firingen is more


Reapitt  at 11 ½ oclock
at 12 the muscket
firing was trifice  on
the Right and then
on the left   the Senter
ape[a]ring to not be
in gastge at this time
at 15 minets affter 12
the Batle apers to be
Come Generel all long
the lines   the musket
firng on the Right verey
houve  at 20 minets
affter 12 the musket
firing is the hardes
on the left and is
tricfice all along lines
and apers to be verey
Generel all aglong the
lines on the left   the
Rebs apere to fall Back
at 30 Minets the firrin
apers to Slaken some
3
the musket firing is not
so fast   the artillery is
verey trffic  at 35.
minets   the Rebs apere
to be given Back all a
long ther lines   the
artilery slacken a litle
at 40 minets   the[y] must
of made a charge on the
Right and left as
musket firing became
verey triffic on both
Right and left   this
most triffic Batle that
I have ever seine   it
is verey heveay on
the left now and
most trriffic on the
Right and Senter   it
is offoull [awful]   it now
becomes offoull all a
long the lines
                                     4

for one hour the
the musket seces
for a short time
it be came verey
havey  on the left
and then on the
Right   the Rebs
apeare to faull
Back on the left
it now apeare the
Rebels are gevene
Why  all along the
lines it apeares to
be the be verey
on the Senter and
on the Right for
a Short time but
the Rebs must be
given Back for the
left apeare to a
firene Dorscerce from
Wher I am at
10 minets letter


5
it appears to be
heaver on the left
it now apeares to
be haver  on the
Right   the sentrally
must be Driving
the Rebs Back
at 1 ½ oclock the
battle Was triefick
all along the lines
at 2 ½ oclock I Was
Sadsfide  the Rebeles Was
going Back   the fireng
Was father of[f]   all
thought it was verey
hard on the Right
the left having
Drove the Right of
the Rebles at 4 am
it aperd [appeared] to be verey
livey  on the right
the Rebs going Back
fast at this time

                 6                       6
it has bing verey hard
for the last 4 hours
both artilery and
Infrantery  4.15 minets
the firing Slackens
some and get father
of[f]   at 10  minets affter the
Infantry firing becomes
verey trifick at a
father Distanc of[f] on
the Right    at 4:30 minets
the firing on the Right
s[l]ackens  some at this
time   I chould not
herea  aney firing on
the Left and it
gating father of[f] on the
Right   at 35 affter
I here firing no [on] the
left along whay of[f]
the firing on the
left was trifick


Just as at Sun
Down it Seme  to
Slaken on the Right
And Was verey hevist
on the left   at
50 the firing of
artillery is verey
have  all aglong
line   the fightng
Did not Stop untll
7 oclock   ther was
a good Dill  of musket
fighting affter Dark
oure Bridge Was order
under fier about
2 ½    Genl Jackson
of Pittburgh Was
Kill to Day and
Genl Bayard   the P V
Recevers Sufferd verey
much in this Days
Batle at Freckburgh

8
it is Reported that
Whe hav lost in
thei Batle fiftane
thousand man 15000
In kild and wonded
and the Rebls lost
by ther hone  account
fore thousand 4000
But it must have
bing mare  it Was
Jackson that faught
aganct Franklin on
the left   the 62
PV Col Blacks
Regt lost 78 Killd
and wonded and
missingin   Gen
Burnside Reaport
is in Killd 1152,
and wonded about
9000 missing   about
900   the have al
bing Proulld
ther is in the

Hospotle  abut
Six thousand
Wonded at the
Batle of Freckburgh
Akorden  to
Gen Burnside Afushal
Report    our lost
Will not be over
ten thousand

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards whose amended version follows:

Dec Fairdeay [Friday] 13th
the arttlery cormence
this moning at 10
oclock and it strifeak
the Batle became
Genaral in 30 minets
after the fireng began
and affter one hore [hour] the fireng
slaking as if Rebeles
Was given way   the
firingen was terrffer for
one hour Bouth [both] of
artlire [artillery] and mustecket

*the gun Boats in*
the Rever assisted the
Soud force in this
*Days Batle*
                this is a
verey Nise Day – the
Sun Shine Butfill [beautiful] the
Batle Was With left
Greand Divrhon [Division]
Gen Franklin   the
firingen is more


Reapitt [rapid] at 11 ½ oclock
at 12 the muscket
firing was trifice [terrific] on
the Right and then
on the left   the Senter
ape[a]ring to not be
in gastge [gauged] at this time
at 15 minets affter 12
the Batle apers to be
Come Generel all long
the lines   the musket
firng on the Right verey
houve [heavy]   at 20 minets
affter 12 the musket
firing is the hardes
on the left and is
tricfice [terrific] all along lines
and apers to be verey
Generel all aglong the
lines on the left   the
Rebs apere to fall Back
at 30 Minets the firrin
apers to Slaken some


3
the musket firing is not
so fast   the artillery is
verey trffic  at 35.
minets   the Rebs apere
to be given Back all a
long ther lines   the
artilery slacken a litle
at 40 minets   the[y] must
of made a charge on the
Right and left as
musket firing became
verey triffic on both
Right and left   this
most triffic Batle that
I have ever seine   it
is verey heveay on
the left now and
most trriffic on the
Right and Senter   it
is offoull [awful]   it now
becomes offoull all a
long the lines
                                     4

for one hour the
the musket seces [ceases]
for a short time
it be came verey
havey [heavy] on the left
and then on the
Right   the Rebs
apeare to faull
Back on the left
it now apeare the
Rebels are gevene [giving]
Why [way] all along the
lines it apeares to
be the be verey
on the Senter and
on the Right for
a Short time but
the Rebs must be
given Back for the
left apeare to a
firene Dorscerce[?] from
Wher I am at
10 minets letter [later]


5
it appears to be
heaver [heavier] on the left
it now apeares to
be haver [heavier] on the
Right   the sentrally
must be Driving
the Rebs Back
at 1 ½ oclock the
battle Was triefick [terrific]
all along the lines
at 2 ½ oclock I Was
Sadsfide [satisfied] the Rebeles Was
going Back   the fireng
Was father of[f]   all
thought it was verey
hard on the Right
the left having
Drove the Right of
the Rebles at 4 am
it aperd [appeared] to be verey
livey [lively] on the right
the Rebs going Back
fast at this time


                 6                       6
it has bing [been] verey hard
for the last 4 hours
both artilery and
Infrantery [Infantry]. 4.15 minets
the firing Slackens
some and get father
of[f]   at 10  minets affter the
Infantry firing becomes
verey trifick [terrific] at a
father Distanc of[f] on
the Right    at 4:30 minets
the firing on the Right
s[l]ackens  some at this
time   I chould not
herea [hear] aney firing on
the Left and it
gating [getting] father of[f] on the
Right   at 35 affter
I here firing no [on] the
left along whay of[f]
the firing on the
left was trifick [thick]


Just as at Sun
Down it Seme [seem] to
Slaken on the Right
And Was verey hevist
on the left   at
50 [5 o’clock] the firing of
artillery is verey
have [heavy] all aglong
line   the fightng
Did not Stop untll
7 oclock   ther was
a good Dill [deal] of musket
fighting affter Dark
oure Bridge Was order
under fier about
2 ½    Genl Jackson
of Pittburgh Was
Kill to Day and
Genl Bayard   the P V
Recevers Sufferd verey
much in this Days
Batle at Freckburgh




8
it is Reported that
Whe hav lost in
thei Batle fiftane
thousand man 15000
In kild and wonded
and the Rebls lost
by ther hone [own] account
fore thousand 4000
But it must have
bing mare [been more]  it Was
Jackson that faught
aganct Franklin on
the left   the 62
PV Col Blacks
Regt lost 78 Killd
and wonded and
missingin   Gen
Burnside Reaport
is in Killd 1152,
and wonded about
9000 missing   about
900   the have al
bing Proulld [parolled?]


ther is in the
Hospotle [Hospital] abut
Six thousand
Wonded at the
Batle of Freckburgh
Akorden [according] to
Gen Burnside Afushal [official]
Report    our lost
Will not be over
ten thousand]

MSS 12913



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