On the morning of Dec. 11 the engineers of the 12th a greater portion of the Nawent quietly to work to construct five tional army occupied Fredericksburg, and pontoon bridges for the passage of the on the morning of the 13th made a simulNational army. Sharp-shooters assailed taneous assault all along the line. The the engineers. The heavy ordnance of Confederates, with 300 cannon, were the Nationals on Stafford Heights opened well posted on the heights and ready for upon the town, set it on fire, and drove action. The battle was begun by a part out many troops. The sharp-shooters re- of Franklin's corps, Meade's division, supmained. They were dislodged by a party ported by Gibbon's, with Doubleday's in that crossed the river in boats, the reserve. Meade soon silenced a Confedbridges were rebuilt, and by the evening erate battery, but very soon a terrible

storm of shells and canister-shot, at near yield. Hooker sent 4,000 men in the track range, fell upon him. He pressed on, and of French, Hancock, and Howard, to atthree of the assailing batteries were tack with bayonets only. These were withdrawn. Jackson's advance line, under hurled back by terrific volleys of rifleA. P. Hill, was driven back, and 200 balls, leaving 1,700 of their number prosmen made prisoners, with several battle- trate on the field. Night soon closed the flags as trophies. Meade still pressed awful conflict, when the Army of the on, when a fierce assault by Early com- Potomac had 15,000 less of effective men pelled him to fall back. Gibbon, who than it had the day before. Burnside, incame up, was repulsed, and the shattered forces fled in confusion; but the pursuers were checked by General Birney's division of Stoneman's corps. The Nationals could not advance, for Stuart's cavalry, on Lee's right, strongly menaced the Union left.

Finally,

Reynolds, with reinforcements, pushed back the Confederate right to the Massaponax, where the contest continued until dark. Meanwhile, Couch's corps had occupied the city, with WilCox's between his and Franklin's. At noon Couch attacked the Confederate front with great vigor. Kimball's brigade, of French's division, led, Hancock's following. Longstreet was posted on Marye's Hill, just back of the town. Upon his troops the Nationals fell heavily, while missiles from the Confederate cannon made great lanes through their ranks.

tent on achieving a victory,. proposed to send his old corps, the 9th, against the fatal barrier (a stone wall) on Marye's Hill, but Sumner dissuaded him, and, on the 14th and 15th, his troops were with

ncck, with all his guns, taking up his pontoon bridges. Then the Confederates re-occupied Fredericksburg.

After a brief struggle, French was thrown drawn to the north side of the Rappahanback, shattered and broken, nearly one-half of his command disabled. Hancock advanced, and his brigades fought most vigorously. In fifteen minutes, Hancock, also, was driven back. Of 5,000 veterans whom he led into action, 2,013 had fallen, and yet the struggle was maintained.

Free Commonwealth, PLAN FOR A. See MILTON, JOHN.

Freedley, EDWIN TROXELL, author; born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 28, 1827; studied law at Harvard College in 1845; removed to Philadelphia in 1851. His publications include Philadelphia and its Manufactures; History of American Manufactures; Leading Pursuits and Leading Men, etc.

Howard's division came to the aid of French and Hancock; so, also, did those of Sturgis and Getty. Finally, Hooker crossed the river with three divisions. He was so satisfied with the hopelessness of any further attacks upon the strong position of the Confederates, that he begged Burnside to desist. He would not War.

Freedmen, the former slaves who were emancipated during the American Civil

master, and the grand lodges of Ireland, Scotland, Cuba, Peru, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Mexico, and also with the masons of Germany and Austria. They are not in affiliation and do not correspond with the masons under the jurisdiction of the grand orient of France; they, however, affiliate with and recognize masons under the jurisdiction of the supreme council.

Freedom of Speech. The first amend- These grand lodges are in full affiiation ment to the national Constitution, rati- with the English grand lodge, of which fied in December; 1791, after forbidding the Duke of Connaught is the grand Congress to make any law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, says, "or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." This secures the invaluable right of utterance of opinions, and reserves to all citizens the privilege of making their grievances known to the national government. This is a privilege of American citizenship in striking contrast with European methods, and one that has been abused but seldom. Freedom of the Press, THE. See LOVE JOY, ELIJAH PARISH.

in 1883.

Free Negroes. The alarm expressed in debates on the act prohibiting the slavetrade, in 1809, because of the increase and influence of free negroes, was manifested. in the legislation of several States immediately afterwards. Indeed, such fears Freeman, FREDERICK, clergyman; born had existed earlier. In 1796 North Caroin Sandwich, Mass., in 1800; was ordained lina passed an act prohibiting emancipapastor of the Presbyterian Church in tion, except for meritorious services, and Plymouth, Mass., in 1823; subsequently by allowance of the county courts. South took orders in the Protestant Episcopal Carolina had passed a similar act in 1800: Church. Among his works are a History also another act the same year, declaring of Cape Cod; Annals of Barnstable it unlawful for any number of free neCounty; Genealogy of the Freeman groes, mulattoes, or mestizoes to assemble Family, etc. He died in Sandwich, Mass., together, even though in the presence of white persons, "for mental instruction or Freemasonry, a secret fraternal organ- religious worship." There had been two ization of which there is no certain in- alarms of insurrection in Virginia (1799 formation as to the time of its intro- and 1801), and in 1805 the freedom of duction into the United States. According emancipation, allowed by an act in 1782, to many masonic writers a provincial was substantially taken away, by a provi grand lodge (St. John's) and also a sion that, thenceforward, emancipated private lodge were established at Boston, Mass., by Henry Price on July 30, 1733. Benjamin Franklin, who is supposed to have been initiated in England, published the masonic constitution in 1734; and during the same year Henry Price was constituted grand master over all North America. On Nov. 4, 1752, George Washington became a member of the order and on Aug. 4, 1753, was made a master mason. The first masonic hall in the United States was built in Philadelphia in 1754. The returns of the grand lodges of the United States and British America for 1899-1900 were as follows: Whole number of members, 857,577; raised, 46,175; admissions and restorations, 21,325; withdrawals, 16,603; expulsions and suspensions, 597; suspensions for non-payment of dues, 16,844; deaths, 13,507. Gain in membership over preceding year, 21,028.

slaves remaining in the State one year after obtaining their freedom should be apprehended and sold into slavery for the benefit of the poor of the county. Overseers of the poor, binding out black or mulatto orphans as apprentices, were forbidden to require their masters to teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic, as in the case of white orphans; and free blacks coming into the State were to be sent back to the places whence they came. The legislature of Kentucky in 1808 passed a law that free negroes coming into that State should give security to depart within twenty days, and on failure to do so should be sold for one year, the same process to be repeated, if, at the end of the year, they should be found in the State twenty days afterwards. This law remained in force until the breaking-out of the Civil War.

Free Postage. See FRANKING PRIVI- vote of 157,000. The compromise measures of 1850, and the virtual repeal of

LEGE.

Free School System, GROUND OF THE. the MISSOURI COMPROMISE (q. v.) in the See MANN, HORACE.

act for the creation of the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska in 1854, greatly increased the strength of the Free-soil party, and it formed the nucleus of the historical Republican party in 1856, when the Free-soilers, as a distinct party, disappeared.

Free States, DUTY OF THE. See CHANNING, WILLIAM ELLERY.

Free-soil Party, a political party founded in 1848 upon the principle of the non-extension of the slave system in the Territories. It was an outgrowth of the LIBERTY PARTY (q. v.) of 1846. The immediate cause of its organization was the acquisition of new territory at the close of the war with Mexico, which would, if not prevented, become slave territory. In Free-thinkers. The freedom of thought a bill appropriating money for the nego- and expression on theological subjects tiation of peace with Mexico, submitted which now happily prevails did not to Congress in 1846, DAVID WILMOT exist in the eighteenth century. Then (q. v.), a Democratic member from Penn- a person who openly opposed the acsylvania, offered an amendment, "Pro- cepted tenets of orthodoxy was OSvided, that there shall be neither slavery tracized, and hence it is that, even in nor involuntary servitude in any Territory on the continent of America which shall hereafter be acquired by or annexed to the United States by virtue of this appropriation, or in any other manner, except for crime," etc. It was carried in the House, but failed in the Senate; and in the next session it was defeated in both branches. This was the famous Wilmot Proviso."

this day, Franklin and Jefferson are sometimes spoken of as infidels (that is, opposers of the Christian religion), a charge cruelly unjust. They were simply free-thinkers, men who indulged in the exercise of reason in dealing with the theology of the day. The first American free-thinker was Jeremiah Dummer, for many years colonial agent in England of Connecticut, and author of the Defence Resolutions to this effect were offered in of the New England Charters. Franklin both the Democratic and Whig conven- was one of his converts, yet never cartions in 1846, but were rejected. A con- ried his views so far as to deny, as Dumsequence of such rejection was a consid- mer did, the supernatural origin of the crable secession of prominent men, and Christian religion. Franklin was no propmany others, from both parties, especially agandist of his peculiar theological views. in Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. He thought religion necessary for the good In New York the seceding Democrats of individuals and society, ostensibly adwere called " BARNBURNERS" (q. v.) and hered to the Church of England, and never the two classes of seceders combined were countenanced attacks upon current religcalled "Free-soilers." The two combined, ious ideas. The first work of a freeand at a convention held at Buffalo, thinker published in America was Ethan Aug. 9, 1848, they formed the Free-soil Allen's Oracles of Religion. From pasparty. The convention was composed of sages in his Notes on Virginia, published delegates from all the free-labor States, in London, 1787, it is evident that Jefferson and from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, was of similar mind in many things, yet and the District of Columbia. They nom- his views of the necessity and goodness of inated MARTIN VAN BUREN (q. v.) for the Christian religion were similar to Fresident of the United States, and those of Franklin. Paine was of an enCHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS (q. v.) for Vice- tirely different stamp. He made attacks Fresident. The ticket received a popular upon the Christian religion, and nothing anti-slavery vote of 291,000, but did not seemed too sacred in the later years receive a single electoral vote. The Free- of his life to escape the wrath of his soil Convention at Pittsburg in 1852 nom- pen. His attack upon Washington, and irated JOHN P. HALE (q. v.) for Presi- his scoffing essay against Christianity, dent, and GEORGE W. JULIAN (q. v.) for left his otherwise bright name under a Vice-President, who received a popular cloud.