e under the ghastly name of
a "charge." At last, however, he became more reasonable and listened to
his officers. Perhaps the shrieks of the wounded, who lay for two days
and nights where they had fallen without help, produced some effect in
awaking him to a sense of his horrible blundering and incompetency, for,
when the bleak, dismal morning dawned, the intended "charge" was not
ordered. The Army of the Potomac had been wounded so well-nigh unto
death that it could not stand another similar blow.

[Illustration: LATEST MODEL OF GATLING GUN.]

On the cold, rainy night of December 15th, the wretched forces tramped
back over the river on the pontoon-bridges, having suffered the worst
defeat in the army's whole history. It was in the power of Lee to
destroy it utterly, but it slipped away from him, just as it had
slipped away from McClellan after the battle of Antietam.

The Union losses at Fredericksburg were: Killed, 1,284; wounded, 9,600;
missing, 1,769; total, 12,653. The Confederate losses were: Killed, 596;
wounded, 4,068; captured and missing, 651. Total, 5,315.

SUMMARY OF THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS.

The eventful year had been one of terrible fighting. It had opened with
the Union successes of Forts Henry and Donelson, followed by Pea Ridge,
Pittsburg Landing, and Corinth in the West, the naval battle between the
_Merrimac_ and _Monitor_, the capture of Roanoke Island and of New
Orleans. Bragg's invasion of Kentucky was injurious to the Union cause,
while, as we have seen, the campaign against Richmond had been a series
of disastrous failures. Still, taken as a whole, the year showed a
decisive step forward. The Union line had been advanced across the State
of Tennessee, substantial progress had been made in opening the
Mississippi, and the blockade was enforced with a rigidity that caused
great distress in the Confederacy.

Both sides felt the terrific strain of the war. The Confederacy in April
passed a conscription act, which made all able-bodied males between the
ages of eighteen and thirty-five years soldiers for the war. All such
were taken from the control of the State of which they were residents
and placed at the disposal of President Davis until the close of the
war. This conscription act was soon made much more severe in its
provisions.

THE CONFEDERATE PRIVATEERS.

One source of help to the Confederacy was her privateers, which wrought
immense damage to northern shipping. England assisted in f