IN FRONT OF THE STONE WALL AT FREDERICKSBURG.

opportunity" passed--a blunder for which we were in no way responsible, but for which we were detined to suffer.

We did not receive the order to leave Berlin, six miles below Harper's Ferry, until late on the seventh day after it was issued.** We took up two bridges, each 1100 feet long, loaded and moved them by canal and land transportation to Washington, where we received 500 unbroken mules. We then fitted up two trains, moved through the mud to Occoquan, where we divided the trains, part going by water and part by land to Aquia Creek, where we again reloaded the entire equipment, and arrived at the Lacy house but six days behind Longstreet's advance, which had made a forced march from the viciity of Culpeper to reach the heights in rear of Fredericksburg. These being the facts, it can hardly be said, with justice, that the engineers were slow in their movements.

The idea of crossing immediately in front of the town seemed to have passed, temporarily at least, from General Burnside's mind, and "demonstrations" on an extensive scale were made to the right and left.
Twice I crossed the river below the town and examined the country for some distance inland, it being rather difficult to find ground suitable for the passage of artillery on both sides of the stream at all stages of the tide. The second time I crossed at "Skinker's Neek," and made a thorough examination of the country for several miles around, pacing off the distances, and furnished General Burnside, in person, with my sketches. These expeditions were, of course, made in the night.

"Skinker's Neck" seemed to me to be the proper place for a crossing. At the time of my visit it was not occupied by the enemy, except by a cavalry patrol, which I easily avoided.

Six or eight miles above, where I made my first crossing, it was somewhat difficult to make my way through the picket lines. General Burnside appeared to be greatly pleased and relieved when I reported favorably on the "Skinker's Neck" crossing. He gave me to understand that we should throw our bridges there, and we made our arrangements accordingly.

What was my surprise when, a few days after, the orders came that mine was to be one of two bridges that were to be thrown across directly in front of the city, near the Lacy house.

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**The "Official Records" show that this order, issued by Captain J. C. Duane, Chief-Engineer of the Army of the Potomac at Rectortown, on the 6th of November, did not reach Major Spaulding, at Berlin, until the afternoon of November 12th. General Halleck's report exonerates the engineers from all blame.--EDITORS.
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IN FRONT OF THE STONE WALL AT FREDERICKSBURG.#BY JOHN W. AMES, BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL, U. S. V.ON Saturday, December 13th, our brigade## had been held in reserve, but late in the day we were hurried to the battle only to see a field full of flying men and the sun low in the west shining red through coloumns of smoke,--six deserted field-pieces on a slight rise of ground in front of us, and a cheering column of troops in regular march disappearing on our left. But the day was then over and the battle lost, and our line felt hardly bullets enough to draw blood before darkness put an end to the uproar of all hostile sounds, save desultory shell-firing. For an hour or two afterward shells from Marye's Heights traced bright lines across the black sky with their burning fuses. Then, by command, we sank down in our lines, to get what sleep the soggy ground and the danger might allow us. Experience had taught us that when the silent line of fire from the shells had flashed across the sky adn disappeared behind us the scream and explosion that followed were harmless, but still it required some effort to overcome the discomfort of the damp ground, and the flash and report of bursting shells, and to drop quietly asleep at an order. We finally slept, but we were roused before midnight, and formed into line with whispered commands, and then filed to the right, and, reaching the highway, marched away from the town. There were many dead horses at exposed points of our turning and many more dead men. Here stood a low brick house, with an open door in its gable end, from which shne a light, and into which we peered when passing. Inside sat a woman, gaunt and hard-featured, with crazy hair and a Meg Merrilies face, still sitting by a smoking candle, though it was nearly two hours past midnight. But what woman could sleep, though never so masculine and tough of fiber, alone in a house between two hostile armies,--two corpses lying across her door-steps, and within, almost at her feet, four more! So, with wild eyes and face lighted by her smoky candle, she stared across the dead barrier into the darkness outside with the look of one who heard and saw not, and to whom all sounds were a terror.

We formed in two lines,--the right of each resting near and in front of this small brick house, and the left extending into the field at right angles with the highway. Here we again bivouacked, finding room for our beds with no little difficulty, because of the shattered forms of those whow ere here taking their last long sleep. We rose early. The heavy fog was penetrating and chilly, and the damp turf was no warm mattress to tempt us to

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#Condensed from the "Overland Monthly," 1869, Vol. III., p. 432, by permission of Fisher Ames. General John W. Ames, U. S. Surveyor-General of California, died in San Rafael, in that State, in 1877.

##The 2d Brigade of regulars (Sykes's division, Fifth Army Corps), commanded by Major George L. Andrews, 17th U. S. Infantry. General Ames was then a captain in the 11th U. S. Infantry.-- EDITORS.
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