08/20/2026
As a part of Gen. Lewis A. Armistead’s brigade, the 57th Virginia Infantry did not do much fighting at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Serving in Maj. Gen. George Pickett’s division, they were located in the center of the Confederate line, just south of Howison Hill. Witnessing the spectacle of the Federal assaults at Slaughter Pen Farm, the lieutenant colonel for the 57th, John Bowie Magruder, “had a fine view of the battle which raged very fiercely, a little to the right of our front. . . .”
In a letter to his father, Lt. Col. Magruder provided a word picture and soundtrack: “The Federal column . . . suddenly moved up from near the river bank . . . on they moved in battle array—a splendid sight to behold. . . .” As they neared the Confederate positions the southerners let loose their weapons, “and scarcely has the sound reached you before your ears are deafened by the long loud rattling musketry, the booming of fifty cannon at once, the bursting of shells and the dull “thug” of grape and canister.” Staggered, the Federal host halts, wavers, falls back, is rallied and brought up again . . . and just now such a yell as almost rends the earth is heard above the rattling of musketry and the booming of cannon—the Confederates emerge from their ditches just in the edge of the woods and charge—the Federal host fall back. . . .”
Over and over, “again and again did the Federals move up and as often were they driven back—it was by far the most exciting scene I ever witnessed and I grew more excited then than I ever did while engaged myself,” Magruder claimed.
Image courtesy of Find A Grave.
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