| Before settling down into winter quarters, the Mississippi
Brigade and the rest of Lee's army had one more fight in 1862. General
Burnside was now in charge of the Union army and was threatening against
a town in Virginia named Fredericksburg.Burnside's Union army was across
the Rappahannock river from Fredericksburg.In trying to determine the intention's
of Burnside, Lee sent three full units and several parts of other units
into the Virginian town.Lee's plan was to deter the Union Army from crossing
the Rappahannock into Fredericksburg as long as possible, at least until
he could gather up the rest of his forces.The Confederate Units sent were
the 13th, 17th, and 21st Mississippi, 3 companies from the 18th Mississippi,
and a batallion from the 8th Florida.At this time of the war, the 13th
Mississippi was part of Barksdale's Brigade (which consisted of the 13th,
17th, 18th, and 21st Mississippi and was also known as the "Mississippi
Brigade" ), Evander McLaws Division, Longstreets Corp.
The Mississippi Brigade and the Floridians arrived in the town on November 23, 1862, and occupied the buildings, rifle pits, and walls nearest to the Rappahannock where they awaited the move of the union Army.Finally, on December 11 in the early hours of the morning (around 2 a.m.) the 50th New York engineers began building the pontoon bridges at the center of Fredericksburg, and the 15th New York began building the pontoons at the lower end of the town, to allow the crossing of the Union army.Immediately, Barksdale's men heard the sounds of bridges being built, and at sunup the Mississipians made their presence in the town known. "The enemy opened up a galling fire upon us, killing one captain and two men and wounding several others.The infanty supporting us on the flanks were at long range, and could do little damage to the enemy.My men were working without arms, had no means of returning fire, and were driven from the work." Major Spaulding, the Union Army Soon after driving the engineers from their work the Union opened up with artillery at the positions of Barksdale's men.At first 36 guns were ordered to close range by Brigadier General Henry J.Hurt to fire at close range.After the barrage, the engineering units went back to work and were once again fired upon and repulsed from their duties.Finally, around 1 p.m. the Federals brought up proximately 100 guns to fire upon the hapless town.Over the next few hours the union gunners sent over 5000 shells into the town of Fredericksburg destroying houses, roads, and setting portions of the town on fire.After the din of the artillery died down, Barksdale's men came from their well protected positions and once again reigned fire upon the engineers. General Burnside, under supervision of others, finally, decided to put some infantrymen on the opposite side of the river to chase Barksdale's men away.Volunteers from 7th Michigan, 19th and 20th Massachussettes, and 89th New York, made the dangerous crossing using portions of the bridges as makeshift assault boats.The crossing took the men holding the town by surprise, and after the first wave of Union troops breached the confederate lines, more troops crossed to help push Barksdale's men away.Fierce fighting took place throughout the town, as Barksdale's men and the Union boys skirmished from house to house.Around 5 p.m. General Longstreet ordered Barksdale's men to fall back to the safety of Marye's Heights which overlooked Fredericksburg, where the rest of the Confederate army layed in wait. Barksdale's men fought street to street, and tooth and nail every inch of the way.Within a stretch of 75 yards the Union troops lost approximately 100 men and officers.Barksdales men, finally, gained the protection of the Heights only after doing a superb job of holding off the Union Army from crossing the Rappahannock for almost a full day. Pvt. James Dinkins of the 18th Mississippi remembers seeing Barksdale's men returning from the, then in flames, town of Fredericksburg in "perfect order and steadiness, and the entire army was struck with it. As they emerged into the valley, a great cheer went up from Marye's Heights." For the rest of the battle of Fredericksburg, Barksdale's brigade helped defend the Heights.Most of the brigade's casualties were suffered while fighting in the town, and although there are no positive figures, it is presumed the losses were light ( aproximately 100 men wounded, killed, or captured). During the fighting on December 13,twenty days after Barksdale's men had been ordered to defend the town and delay the crossing of the Rappahannock by the Union army, the Mississippi brigade took part in repulsing the 14 charges up Marye's Heights by the Union army, and helping claim victory that day.  |