He urged Lee to this attack. Lee
demurred. He could not know the extent of the enemy's losses. It was
inconceivable to the Southern Commander that Burnside with his one
hundred and thirteen thousand picked soldiers, could be repulsed with
such slight losses to the South. Only a small part of the army under his
command had been active in the battle and their losses were
insignificant in comparison with the records of former struggles.
Burnside would renew the attack with redoubled vigor. He refused to move
his men from their entrenchments into the open field where they would be
exposed to the batteries beyond the river.
Jackson turned his somber blue eyes on Lee:
"Send my corps into Fredericksburg alone to-night. Hold the hills with
the rest of the army. I'll do the work."
"You cannot distinguish friend from foe, General Jackson--"
"I'll strip my men to the waist and tie white bands around their right
arms."
"In this freezing cold?"
"They'll obey my orders, General Lee--"
"It's too horrible--"
"It's war, sir," was Jackson's reply. "War means fighting--fighting to
kill, to destroy--fighting with tooth and nail--"
Lee shook his head. He refused to take the risk. Jackson returned to his
headquarters with heavy heart.
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