Content deleted Content added
m Reverted edits by YourboyTim (talk) to last version by CWenger |
m →Marye's Heights, December 13 {{Anchor|Marye's Heights}}: corrected grammar |
||
Line 185:
The fog lifted from the town around 10 a.m. and Sumner gave his order to advance an hour later. French's brigade under Brig. Gen. [[Nathan Kimball]] began to move around noon. They advanced slowly through heavy artillery fire, crossed the canal in columns over the narrow bridges, and formed in line, with fixed bayonets, behind the protection of a shallow bluff. In perfect line of battle, they advanced up the muddy slope until they were cut down at about 125 yards from the stone wall by repeated rifle volleys. Some soldiers were able to get as close as 40 yards, but having suffered severe casualties from both the artillery and infantry fire, the survivors clung to the ground. Kimball was severely wounded during the assault, and his brigade suffered 25% casualties. French's brigades under Col. John W. Andrews and Col. Oliver H. Palmer followed, with casualty rates of almost 50%.<ref>Rable, pp. 218–28; O'Reilly, pp. 246–73; Goolrick, pp. 73–77; Welcher, pp. 709–10.</ref>
Sumner's original order called for the division of Brig. Gen. [[Winfield S. Hancock]] to support French and Hancock sent forward his brigade under Col. [[Samuel K. Zook]] behind Palmer's. They met a similar fate. Next was his [[Irish Brigade (US)|Irish Brigade]] under Brig. Gen. [[Thomas F. Meagher]]. Who, equipped with outdated Springfield Muskets, could not deliver
The commander of the II Corps, Maj. Gen. [[Darius N. Couch]], was dismayed at the carnage wrought upon his two divisions in the hour of fighting and, like Col. Miles, realized that the tactics were not working. He first considered a massive bayonet charge to overwhelm the defenders, but as he surveyed the front, he quickly realized that French's and Hancock's divisions were in no shape to move forward again. He next planned for his final division, commanded by Maj. Gen. [[Oliver O. Howard]], to swing to the right and attempt to envelop the Confederate left, but upon receiving urgent requests for help from French and Hancock, he sent Howard's men over and around the fallen troops instead. The brigade of Col. Joshua Owen went in first, reinforced by Col. [[Norman J. Hall]]'s brigade, and then two regiments of Brig. Gen. [[Alfred Sully]]'s brigade. The other corps in Sumner's Right Grand Division was the IX Corps, and he sent in one of its divisions under Brig. Gen. [[Samuel Sturgis]]. After two hours of desperate fighting, four Union divisions had failed in the mission Burnside had originally assigned to one. Casualties were heavy: II Corps losses for the afternoon were 4,114, Sturgis's division 1,011.<ref>Goolrick, pp. 80–84; Welcher, p. 710; O'Reilly, pp. 324–54; Rable, pp. 237–43.</ref>
| |||