FITZHUGH’S LANDING

FITZHUGH’S LANDING (3)
Slaughter Pen parking lot
To begin the spring campaign of 1863 Hooker ordered 1st and 6th Corps to cross the river near here. After crossing the two corps dug in and waited for orders to move. This grand deception orchestrated bh Hooker did little to fool General Robert E. Lee. As Hooker ran into trouble, 1st corps returned to the Falmouth side of the river then marched to support the federal troops at the Chancellor House. 6th corps stayed here until may3 when it made its assault on Marye’s Heights.

About midnight we marched again hoping to surprise the enemy by rushing two regiments in pontoon boats, capturing the rifle pits along the opposite bank and thus clearing the way for a pontoon bridge. For this perilous duty our regiment and the 24th Michigan were selected. The troops moved slowly in the fog, rain and darkness and so much noise was made by the mules in the pontoon train that little hope remained of surprising the enemy, about daylight when the engineer corps had launched only half of their boats into the river, they were opened by the musketry of the enemy posted in rifle pits beyond the river. A panic ensued in the pontoon train. There was a grand skedaddle of mules with lumbering pontoon boats, negroes and extra-duty men. We cleared a track and let them by us in their frantic and ludicrous flight. We had completely failed to surprise the enemy.

A fog hung over the river and as soon as it cleared away and order from General Wadworth to Colonel Bragg to move the regiment to the bank of the river and fire across the enemy. We double-quicked forward in line, threw ourselves flat upon the ground and commenced firing but w could gain nothing. The rebels were on higher ground and in rifle pits and their fire was more destructive than ours could be on them.
Rufas Dawes, 6th Wisconsin 4th Brigade 1st division First corps


On the morning of the April 29th I was on camp-guard while the thirteenth Georgia regiment was on picket and was guarding the river crossing. We heard a few guns fire at the picket post, and soon a very heavy volley. This was just at day break. This shooting immediately put the whole command in a stir. The drum was beating the long roll and officers were shouting, “Fall in line.” I and the rest of the guards around the line received orders to go t o out tens, pack up and follow the brigade. We caught up with them while they were forming in line at the foot of the Mary’s Heights, on the R. &F. R.R. . We built breastworks nearly all day.
G.W. Nichols, 61st Georgia Infantry, Gordon’s Brigade, Early’s Division

It now seemed the Rappahannock must be reddened with out blood if the crossing was to be forced. The river was about two hundred yards wide and very deep and the banks were high and steep. Pontoon boats enough to carry about four hundred men were lying in the water at a landing place called Fitz Hugh’s crossing or Pollock’s Mill, with one end caught upon the shore and oars to row the boats were lying in the bottom of them. Of course they were directly under they were directly under the enemy’s fire. About nine o’clock the sixth Wisconsin and twenty fourth Michigan regiments were ordered to cross the river in these boats and attack the rifle pits. I confess that a shrinking from the proffered glory came over us. To be shot like sheep in a huddle and drown in the Rappahannock appeared to be the certain fate of all if we failed and os some if we succeeded. The regiment was ordered to into line at once to prepare for the rush. Knapsacks were unslung and piled upon the ground. We selected men from each company who were to row the boats and instructed them in their duty. Colonel Bragg briefly and plainly stated to the regiment what was expected of them and the plan for the execution of the movement. The plan was simple and fully comprehended by the men. A line of troops was to be moved forward to the edge of the river bank who would fire over our heads at the enemy while we crossed the river in the boats. Batteries of artillery were planted on the hills back on the plain, which would also fie upon the enemy.

We had to pass over an open field and down a sloping bank to reach the boats, and during this time, we received the fire of the enemy. When our battle line appeared the rebels turned their fire upon us. “Now for it boys. By the right of companies to the front. Run, march,” came the sharp jerky emphasis from colonel Bragg. The men plunged into the boats and threw themselves upon the bottom of them as they had been instructed. Her was our only mistake; the men were on the oars. “Whiz” came the bullets. To halt or flinch in the deadly storm was disgrace if not death. Nervous and quick orders were given something line this:” Heave off your boats! Up with the oars!” Here fifteen of our men were shot. When we got across the river, we jumped into the mud and water, waist deep, waded ashore, crawled and scrambled up the bank, lying hold of the bushes. Very few shots were fired before they were throwing down their arms or running over the plain.
Rufas Dawes, 6th Wisconsin 4th Brigade 1st division first corps

The wooded hills about a mile back from the river were well fortified by General Lee, and in these our brigade was led when the news came that the enemy had crossed. A fine old road runs from Fredericksburg down the river. This road had a cedar thicket on each side which almost shut out the view from our breastworks. Through a few openings our men could see the enemy busily engaged in building their breastworks and mounting their guns. The 31st regiment, commanded by Col. Clement A. Evans, was ordered to occupy the road and observe the movement of the enemy. Our position was only a short distance from the breastworks of the Federals, and we had noting to do but watch them at work. They did not have any skirmishers out to annoy us, and at first we had a fine time peeping up over the bank of the road, which afforded us ample protection. Some of the men felt so secure that they made little fires in the road and behind the cedar break toward our enemy and began to warm their breakfasts, for this was early in the day. Suddenly there was volley of artillery from the confederate position in our rear, and shrieking shells brought every man to his feet. This was the beginning of an artillery dual with a federal battery a short distance in front of us. The confederate artilleryman cut the fuses on their first shells too short, and they exploded just over our heads and scattered fragments and shrapnel all around us but did us no harm. The federal guns in their redoubts in our front now began to reply. Some of our men watched the effect of our shells as they fell in and around the enemy, while others observed the solid shot from the Yankee guns as they plunged into the red dirt in from of our works. When the firing was at its hottest, Lieutenant Aree threw up his hands and exclaimed, “That was a good shot.” A shell from our battery cut a Yankee in the redoubt in two. We were in great danger from our shells all the time and were glad when the shelling ceased.
Gordon Bradwell, 31st Georgia, Gordon’s Brigade, Early’s Division, Jackson’s Corps