Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 edition. Excerpt: ...Corps, (p. 141) that the authorities at Washington had promised General Burnside that pontoon boats to enable him to cross the Rappahannock should be sent to Falmouth and arrive there as soon as the army. General Sumner's advance reached Falmouth, November 17th, the whole army was up on the 20th; the pontoons did not come until the 25th. General Burnside's first care was for his supplies, and these were soon arriving regularly. A great depot was built at Acquia Creek Station where that stream empties into the Potomac, and big sea-going vessels could land or dock at that station. Then the railroad between the station and Fredericksburg was soon put in full running order, and supplies reached Burnside's army as regularly as if it had been encamped at Washington. After thorough consideration, involving several days, General Burnside decided to cross the river and attack the Confederates on the high ridges west of Fredericksburg. CHAPTER XXIX. THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. PASSING over many of the preliminaries to the battle of Fredericksburg, it is necessary, in order that the great conflict be intelligently understood, to describe briefly the natural situation. At Fredericksburg the Rappahannock flows through a huge trough-shaped valley, resembling portions of the Minnesota Valley in our own state. A high ridge runs along either side, the river flowing in a general direction from northwest to southeast. On the south or west side, the ground at the river is flat and slopes gradually back to the crest of the ridge. A portion of this crest is called Marye's Heights (local pronunciation, Maree's Heights) or Marye's Hill, because the ground was then owned and partly occupied by the fine house and premises of a Colonel Marye. On these heights and...
