CONFRONTED by sheets of flame, the Union Army made its attack on Fredericksburg on the morning of the thirteenth of December, in 1862. The Confederates occupied the Heights with a line five and a half miles long and fortified with earthworks and artillery. The Federals moved through the town under a heavy fire of Confederate batteries. Marye's Hill was protected at its base by a stone wall, back of which was a sunken road, occupied by two brigades of Confederate infantry. The charging columns of the Union Army were rushing across the open ground under a fierce artillery fire when suddenly they were confronted by a rain of lead from the sunken road back of the stone wall. Nearly half of the charging column was shot down and the remainder fell back. Five thousand more charged in the same manner. Some of them approached within twenty yards of the wall, but fell back, leaving two thousand of their number on the field. Twelve thousand men were again charged against Marye's Heights, but scarcely four thousand returned. The Union ranks were depleted by 12,355, while the Confederates held their position with a loss of but 4,576, and the Federal Army withdrew across the Rappahannock and Lee held Fredericksburg. [Illustration: ARTILLERY DEFENSES ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF FREDERICKSBURG IN 1862] [Illustration: FIGHTING GROUND ALONG THE CHICKASAW BAYOU] [Illustration: POISONED SPRING OF CHICKASAW BAYOU] [Illustration: MEDICAL CORPS OF ARMY OF POTOMAC IN CAMP UNDER SURGEON JONATHAN LETTERMAN]