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debouched upon the plain north of the town, with the object to turn out left and seize Taylor's and Stansbury's hills. Wilcox's artillery, on Taylor's Hill, fired upon them. Lieutenant Hero, of the Washington Artillery, drew out his gun from the earthwork near the Plank road and, galloping up the ridge, opened upon the enemy. Then came two more guns from Lee's Hill, and whirled into battery, accompanied by four regiments of Hays's brigade, double-quicking, sent by General Early to disconcert General Gibbon. Filing into line at the foot of Stansbury's Hill, the Louisianians peppered Hall and Laflin, who lost eighty-one men in a very short time. Brown's Rhode Island battery took position and opened fire close by the Mary Washington Monument, but the shades of that good woman did not protect them. They retired, after losing twenty-three officers and men.

Checked and dismayed, Gibbon turned back into the town.

SEDGWICK PREPARES FOR CONCERTED ATTACK ON MARYE'S AND LEE'S HILLS

General Sedgwick was a soldier of indomitable determination; reverses did not subdue his strong will. He formed in the town, from Newton's division, three "storming columns of two regiments each, and a line of battle of four regiments to assault Marye's Heights in front," and ordered General Howe, who was on the south side of the Hazel, to advance at the same time his two brigades; while Brooks, on the Bowling Green road, in front of Bernard's, threatened the right of our small force on Lee's and Howison's hills, thereby engaging the attention of Gordon and Hoke.

THE BATTLE OF MARYE'S AND LEE'S HILLS

At eleven o'clock five batteriesthirty cannon-opened fire upon Marye's and Lee's hills, while out of

Commerce street and Hanover and Wolf streets Newton's dark columns poured at the double-quick, with bayonets fixed, and orders not to fire. They came like a storm cloud driven by the wind, five thousand sturdy men against our thin line in the road at the foot of the heights. They were only seven hundred men, but they were Barksdale's Mississippians, and behind them on the hills were only eight guns; and now they gave tongue, hurling solid shot and grape, shrapnel and canister, everything they had in store, tearing wide gaps in the advancing lines, plowing deep gashes in their thick columns, while the intrepid Mississippians plied their task industriously. Eleven hundred and nine of the dashing Union soldiers fell, killed or wounded, but those remaining unhurt closed up and pushed forward, carrying the heights and capturing the guns and two hundred of the Mississippians.

Meantime, nine regiments (four

thousand men), Howe's brigade, running across the fields and up in the mouth of the Hazel Valley, between Willis's and Lee's hills, overpowered the small force on Lee's and Howison's hills. There were but three regiments (two of Barksdale's and one of Hays's, and two batteries). They fell back and formed line across the Telegraph road behind Howison's, near Cox's, and checked Howe's men, who presently withdrew to Marye's Hill and followed Brooks's division, that at this time (one o'clock) had come up through Fredericksburg and was marching on the Orange Plank road toward Chancellorsville.

BROOKS IS CHECKED BY WILCOX

When General Brooks reached the summit of the second eminence on the Orange Plank road, the country being open, he formed his division (on Guest's farm, two miles from Freder

icksburg) in column of brigade fronts, with extended line of skirmishers on the front and flanks, in advance, and his artillery on the road, which disposition prepared him to fight the enemy as soon as he was seen.

"The formation was hardly completed when he received the fire of two cannon" (they were Lieutenant Cobbs's guns of the Lewis-Penick's battery, serving with Wilcox).

General Wilcox had hastened from Taylor's Hill to aid General Barksdale in defending Marye's Heights, but, unable to reach him in time, threw his brigade across the Orange Plank road, near the Toll Gate, deployed his skirmishers, and opened his artillery on Brooks. ("These two pieces of artillery checked the advance a great deal," says General G. K. Warren, chief of engineers.)

"Several discharges were fired by the enemy from his artillery, one of which shots struck down Captain Read, A. A. G. of this division, and

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