Richmond Examiner Reports Kelly's Ford

FROM FREDERICKSBURG --THE BALL OPENED -- THE ENEMY CROSS THE RIVER, BUT ARE DRIVEN BACK WITH GREAT LOSS.

The long silence at Fredericksburg has at last been broken by the clash of arms. The enemy has begun his "advance movement," and made his first step by attempting to cross the river at Kelly's Ford, above Fredericksburg. On last Tuesday morning, about 9 o' clock A.M., the advance of the enemy, some 3,000 strong, as estimated in the official dispatch to General Lee, and supposed to be Averill's division, appeared on the north bank of the Rappahannock, and succeeded in effecting a crossing. Accounts brought down by passengers put the enemy's force a little higher -- say some four or five thousand. They were here met by a portion of General Fitzhugh Lee's command, about 1200 strong, according to the reports we get. A severe engagement ensued. The fighting is said to have been terrific, and the enemy are reported to have fought with great stubborness. The battle wavered a long time, and the great bravery of our men alone won the victory. Our men dashed on the enemy with all the force of an avalanche, and for a long time the fight raged -- hand to hand. The Yankees contested every inch of the ground, but finding the fire of our men too much they fell back in great disorder and retired to the other side of the river. As soon as the retreat was ordered, the Yankees fell back in great dismay and confusion, leaving behind them their dead and wounded on the field, and a number of supplies. So rapid was the enemy's flight across the river that his hospital established in the rear for his wounded was abandoned, and his dead lay strewn over the ground -- everything left behind in his panic.

Of the loss in the action we can get very little information. It is quite certain, however, that the enemy suffered severely. We can get no estimate of his loss, but from the accounts brought down by passengers last night, as well as from official dispatches, it is very plain that the fight was a hard and desperate one, and the loss severe. The Yankees would scarcely have been thrown into such confusion and disorder had not they have been terribly cut up.

So far as regards our own loss, we are without any definite information ....The dispatches we have convey no idea as to the extent of our loss, beyond the mere fact that MAJOR PELHAM and MAJOR PULLER are arrong our killed. Major PULLER¹ was from Gloucester county, in this State, and was esteemed by all who knew him. He was a man of high character, and stood well as an officer. Major PELHAM was from Alabama, and was a young officer of great promise. He graduated at West Point in the Class of 61 -- just after the outbreak of the war -- and on coming South entered the army. He had passed through all the battles in Virginia, and was mentioned for his gallantry by General Lee in his report of the battle of Fredericksburg -- He was comparatively a youth -- scarcely over twenty-two years of age. He was killed, we understand, by being struck on the head by a piece of shell, while in the act of cheering his men on in a charge. His body was brought down by the cars last night and was deposited in the Capitol under a military guard. His remains, we learn, will be taken to Alabama.

¹ Major Puller's name was misspelled as Pullen in the article.

This article first appeared in Volume 7, No. 3 of The Cannoneer.

Source:
Richmond Examiner, Thursday morning, March 19, 1863, Vol. XVI, No. 322, from microfilm, The College of William and Mary, Williamsturg, Va.