Mort Kunstler Calendar for October 2017-- Part 2: The Battle of Fredericksburg

The men from Maine pushed their way over the bodies of their fallen comrades to within a stone's throw from the Confederate lines before they were forced to find cover on the body littered slopes of Marye's Heights.

There they stayed in the bitter cold all night and all day, lying amid the bodies of the dead.

Finally, on the afternoon of the next day, they were recalled for the retreat of the Federal army.  It was a harrowing and heartrending exposure to the worst of war for Chamberlain and his men.  Yet,they had proven their mettle.

The painting shows men lying prone, loading rifles and men standing and firing, including Lt.-Col. Chamberlain firing his pistol and a bullet-riddled U.S. flag.  One prone man with a pistol, reaches over to check to see if a man is dead.  Quite a gripping picture of big-time bravery.

--Old Secesh