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History of Cambria County, V.2

HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. 313
always been a query why Lee permitted a defeated army to recross as it did; why did he not destroy it?
    The losses to Burnside were 1,180 killed, 9,028 wounded and 2,145 missing, making an aggregate of 12,353. The Confederat records are very imperfect and are in such a condition that the losses cannot be seperated from the total, which was 4,576.
    Capt. Daniel D. Jones' Co. A, 11th Reserves:
December 18, 1862.
    * * * The command * * * broke camp near White Oak church, about 11:30 p. m. of the (Wednesday) 10th instant, and moved to a point on the Rappahannock river about 3 miles below Fredericksburg, Va., where it arrived at 2 o'clock the next morning. The orders being to cover the pontoniers while constructing bridges across the river, the 12th (Penna. Reserves) Regiment , with two companies of the 10th and the batteries, were posted so as to protect the working party, the balance of the command (Co.A. 11th) being held in reserve. Two bridges were thrown across and the work of constructing them accomplished about 11 o'clock without interruption, except in one instance, when the enemy appeared in small force and fired upon the working party, wounding 6. They were immediately driven off by the artillery, and did not again make their appearence.
    The brigade remained in position until the next morning (Friday, 12th), when it crossed the river in rear of the Second Brigade, and, moving down the river, bivouacked for the remainder of the day and the following night about 1 mile below the place of crossing, the left resting on the river.
    At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 13th, being under orders to that effect, the command was under arms and ready for action. Moving forward a short distance, it crossed a deep ravine near a burned mill, and, marching by flank across a broad, open field and crossing a road, formed in line of battle, perpendicular to the 1st Brigade, the right resting upon the left of the 1st Brigade, and the 9th (Penna. Reserves) Regiment deployed in front as skirmishers. This position was hardlly assumed when the enemy opened quite a destructive fire from a battery posted in fornt of our left. The brigade remained in this position for several hours, losing a number of men by the enemy's artillery.
    About 1 o'clock orders were received to change front forward and form on the left of the First Brigade, which being accomplished, the line moved forward, receiving as it advanced a heavy artillery fire. The course taken was across a clear field toward a hill, the crest of which was covered with a wood. The enemy's skirmishers were about 200 yards in advance of our batteries and were driven in. The rebels, strongly posted


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Created: 24 Mar 2003, Last Updated:
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