1s t Fredericksburg

“There Goes Battery “B” to Hell!”

Battery "B' was among the artillery positioned near the Lacy house, to bombard the town of Fredericksburg ,

 On November 7 President Abraham Lincoln replaced General George McClellan with General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside launched a winter campaign against the Confederate capital, Richmond, by way of Fredericksburg, a strategically important town on the Rappahannock River. The Federal Army of the Potomac, 115,000-strong, raced to Fredericksburg, arriving on November 17. There were only a few thousand Confederates on hand to challenge them, yet the Federal advance ground to a halt on the eastern bank of the Rappahannock, opposite the city. Burnside's campaign was delayed for over a week when material he had ordered for pontoon bridges failed to arrive. Disappointed by the delay, Burnside marked time for a further two weeks. Meanwhile, Lee took advantage of the stalled Federal drive to concentrate and entrench his Army of Northern Virginia, some 78,000-strong, on the high ground behind Fredericksburg. With the arrival of the pontoons, Burnside crossed the river on December 11, despite fierce fire from Confederate snipers concealed in buildings along the city's river front. When the Confederates withdrew, Federal soldiers looted the town, from which the inhabitants had been evacuated. By December 13, Burnside was prepared to launch a two-pronged attack to drive Lee's forces from an imposing set of hills just outside Fredericksburg.

General Ambrose Burnside

The main assault struck south of the city. Misunderstandings and bungled leadership on the part of the commander of the part of Federal commanders, limited the attacking force to two small divisions - Major General George G. Meade to lead; Major General John Gibbon in support. Meade's troops broke through an unguarded gap in the Confederate lines, but Jackson's men expelled the unsupported Federals, inflicting heavy losses. Burnside launched his second attack from Fredericksburg against the Confederate left on Marye's Heights. Wave after wave of Federal attackers were mown down by Confederate troops firing from an unassailable position in a sunken road protected by a stone wall. Over the course of the afternoon, no fewer than fourteen successive Federal brigades charged the wall of Confederate fire. Not a single Federal soldier reached Longstreet's line.

"Hazard's Battery," Battery B, under Capt. John G. Hazard, won renown at Fredericksburg by going into position within 200 yards of the Confederates and opening rapid fire against the enemy lines on Marye's Heights while Union infantry made ready to pass through to the attack. Despite heavy losses (most of the horses were killed), the gunners kept to their guns, then brought them safely away as the infantry advanced. "Capt. Hazard's conduct was equal to anything I ever saw on the field of battle' said Gen. Howard, an eyewitness.

The Battery was attached to B to the Right Grand Division, and served with Howard's Second Division of Couch's Second Corps.

On December 10, 1862 the Battery was inspected by Capt. Hazard, and three days' rations, to be kept in the haversacks, were issued. This meant that movement might be ex­pected at any time. That evening Gen. Hunt began to occupy the left bank of the Rappahannock with batteries to cover the crossing of the columns to attack Fredericksburg. The whole riverside thus became one vast battery of 147 pieces.

Capt. John G. Hazard

Battery B was up next morning an hour before sunrise, and "left camp under light marching orders with Capt. Hazard in command. First Lt. G. W. Adams led the right section; 1st Lt. H. S. Bloodgood the left; and 2nd Lt. W. S. Perrin the center section. Second Lt. J. S. Milne was in command of the caissons." The battery reached its posi­tion on a bluff to the right of the Lacy house shortly after 9 o'clock. About 12:30 p.m. it began a rapid fire with all the batteries in the line, and continued for an hour.

The terrific fire, however, failed of its purpose to dislodge and dis­perse enemy sharpshooters killing and wounding engineers laying a pontoon bridge. As has already been told, Gen. Hunt's idea of using volunteers to ferry infantry across in the pontoons to rush and rout the riflemen proved successful; but it was late afternoon before the bridge was ready. After dark Battery B withdrew behind the bluff, refilled ammunition chests, and bivouacked for the night.

Having crossed the river early on the morning of the 12th, the battery spent the day on the river bank to the left of the bridge. Next morning (13th) between 10 and 11 o'clock it marched in column up into Fredericksburg, and "halted on Caroline Street awaiting orders. The accuracy of enemy artillery, compelled the battery to change its position several times to keep out of range. "At about 3:45 p.m. orders reached Capt. Hazard," who at once gave orders to move "Lt. Milne led the caissons into a field at the left of the road, and parked behind the canal." With Capt. Hazard leading, "the pieces continued up the road to within a short range of the enemy line. The left and center sections took position on rising ground to the left of the road while the right section, under Lt. Adams, advanced about thirty yards, halted in the road and began firing into the enemy rifle pits at the foot of the hills.

The Confederate forces fire from behind breast works along the foot of Marye's heights, Battery "B' closed to within 300 yards.

By this time casualties—men and horses—began to mount, still the cannoneers kept the guns blazing. The drivers of the caisson limbers came up with chests full of ammunition, and hurried back with the empty chests to fill and return. They never faltered; until the guns ceased fire there was plenty of ammunition always on hand.

"The battery's position, only 150 to 200 yards in front of the enemy rifle pits, was a perfect hornets' nest. Minie balls were flying about thick and fast, but the men were too busy to dodge." Keeping the guns blazing was their one and only concern.

They continued steadily for "about three-quarters of an hour" or until the order came to cease fire so that "the infantry could pass through to charge on the enemy's lines stone wall." As soon as the infantry had advanced, "the battery with­drew in good order in the face of the enemy, taking all its guns and caissons save one limber on the field." (After the battery parked "in an open lot on Caroline Street near its old position," Lt. Milne and a detail, all volunteers, went back to the field, and returned with the limber.)

Casualties were "sixteen men wounded and evacuated. It was re­markable, considering the close action with the enemy that none of the batterymen was killed. . . . Officers and men were very thankful that they had passed through the ordeal so fortunately." Fifteen horses were killed; the mounts of Capt. Hazard, Lt. Bloodgood, and Lt. Milne were shot under them.

Hot work for Hazard's Battery.

In his official report Gen. Couch, commanding the Second Corps in this action, wrote of Battery B: "Away went the battery down Caroline Street, turning to the right into Hanover Street and passing Battery A of Rhode Island . . . who saluted with ‘There goes Battery B to hell” Taking no notice of the salute, the bat­tery proceeded on the double quick out toward the Heights; and heard the hearty cheers of the men of Gen. Gorman's old brigade as it went by.

"While Humphreys' was at work, Getty's Division of Willcox's Corps was ordered about 3 o'clock to the charge on our left by the unfinished railroad. I could see the men were being dreadfully cut up although they had not advanced as far as my own. I determined to send a battery upon the plain to shell the line that was doing them so much harm, so I ordered an aide to tell Capt. Morgan (Chief of Brigade Artillery) to send a battery across the canal and plant it near the Brick House.

"Morgan came to me and said: 'My God, General, you will lose your guns, a battery cannot live there, My reply was: 'Then it can die there. I would rather lose my guns than so many of my men. Put them in!'

"Hazard's Battery B, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, was the one to be sacrificed. Without a murmur, Capt. Hazard dashed with his 12-pounders into the street, over the bridge, and getting into action on the left of the road, opened fire with a rapidity which well served my purpose to hearten our men lying down in front, and create in the mind of the enemy the expectation of a new assault, which would draw their fire and relieve the pressure on the Ninth Corps.

"The right section of Hazard's Battery under Lt. G. W. Adams, a cool and capable officer, is still further advanced in the road in line of the Brick House. Three number ones are struck down in quick succession at the muzzles of the guns, but still the pieces were served in that perilous place as steadily as if at a review.

"Men never fought more gallantly. When Gen. Hooker returned to the field he ordered Frank's Battery (G, New York) to the ridge on Hazard's left in support. But this last effort did not last long. Never before, I believe, was artillery so far advanced in plain sight without cover against an entrenched enemy. The object of the daring enterprise was accomplished, and the guns were ultimately withdrawn without the loss of a single piece; and Battery B, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, Capt. John G. Hazard commanding, was placed on record."

(Signed) D. N. couch

Maj. Gen. Commanding

On 14 December the battery re-crossed the Rappahannock, and halted in the rear of the Lacy house, when it refilled ammunition chests, examined all equipment and harness, and received rations as well as eighteen infantry recruits, temporary replacements for the wounded, and spare horses brought from Falmouth. Two days later, with the battery again ready for action, the march to Falmouth began.

On December 15, Burnside ordered his beaten army back across the Rappahannock. The Union had lost 13,000 soldiers in a battle in which the dreadful carnage was matched only by its futility. Federal morale plummeted, and Burnside was swiftly relieved of his command. By contrast, the morale of the Confederacy reached a peak. Their casualties had been considerably lighter than the Union's, totaling only 5,000. Lee's substantial victory at Fredericksburg, won with relative ease, increased the already buoyant confidence of the Army of Northern Virginia, which led subsequently to the invasion of the North the following summer.