Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 "We were told it was to be a surprise attack," Henry began. "Tens of thousands of Union troops were to march to a town in Virginia — Fredericksburg. We would attack the rebels, take the town, and then march south to capture Richmond, Virginia's capital." Henry explained that the Union needed a victory badly, that people up north were losing faith in their army and their generals. "It seemed like we were sure to win in Fredericksburg." Except that the rebels knew exactly what the Union was planning. And they were ready.

Henry said that the rebels had a brilliant commander, the general Robert E. Lee. Somehow he always figured out where the Union army was going to be, and how they planned to attack. Sure enough, he had figured out the Union plan to attack Fredericksburg. "He sent thousands of soldiers into the hills above the town," Henry said. "He also sent dozens of cannons into the hills." Thomas knew that both sides had these mighty weapons, which were so heavy they had to be pulled by horses, and so powerful they needed at least four men to operate them. Some of the big guns shot cannonballs that were even heavier than Thomas. Others shot shells, explosives that were filled with razor-sharp metal strips, nails, and metal balls. Just one exploding shell could kill ten men in seconds. "The rebels had the high ground," Henry explained. "Anyone trying to get near those hills

was going to get mowed down. And that's exactly what happened." Henry described how the first Union regiment attacked, how lines of soldiers went charging across a field toward the hills. "They didn't even get close," he said. Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Rebel cannons thundered hundreds of blasts every minute. And with every blast, Union soldiers fell. Men who managed to survive the artillery blasts were met with a storm of bullets. "Within minutes, there were hundreds of our men lying dead and wounded in the mud," Henry said. But the Union generals wouldn't admit that their plan was a failure. They sent more regiments out to attack. And every time was the same:

Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! More soldiers dead or wounded, their bodies bleeding and shattered. "And then it was our turn," Henry said. Henry's regiment lined up and started charging toward the hills. "There was so much smoke, we could barely see," he said. "There were bodies everywhere." Halfway through the charge, Henry's leg seemed to get stuck between two rocks. He pulled, but it wouldn't come loose. As the smoke cleared, he saw that it was a fallen Union soldier who had taken hold of his boot, clutching it with all of his might. Henry thought the man wanted help. "But he didn't," Henry said. "He knew he was dying. He was trying to stop me from running into that death trap." Cannons exploded with their deadly fire.

Men fell like stalks of corn cut down by invisible blades. Henry managed to crawl off the field. Other men weren't as lucky. "A hundred and fifty-six of our men died that day," he said. "Over two hundred more were wounded."

Four more regiments were sent in before the generals finally ordered the Union army to retreat. In all, more than 12,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in Fredericksburg. Henry looked at Thomas now. "Our men are worried," he said. "This is our first fight since Fredericksburg. And we need to win it." All around Thomas, men were lining up to march, their faces grim and scared. Something terrible was coming. Thomas could feel it, too.