Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-12-24
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE on
TIE CONDUCT OF THE WAR REIt
TIVE TO TIE RECENT BATTLE AT
FREDEKICkSkERC ~

IEe Joint Committee on the Conduct OF the
var report in answer to a Senate RESOLUTION
OF me 18TH inst, calling on that committee TO
inquire into the facts relating to the recant
iattle at Fredericksburg, Va. particularjv a.
10 what officer or officers are ~responsibIe
Tor Tor the assault, that they proceeded to the
nedo9IaI,ers aed quar- OF the army Of the Potomac,
BnTnsldr, sumner, Franklin and Hooker,
arr tufiI ~ rmasffIuxron, "aI.y-~s. ---,-y-.
Gen. Halleck and Brig. Gen. Meigs.
he testimony of the officers named is then
siHen at length, as part Of the committees
report.
Gen. Burnside in the course of bis examina-
ton stated us follows:
When, after the battIcof Antietam, General
Mcclellan decided to cross the Potomac. said
10 him that, in my opinion, he would never he
able to take this army on that route beyond the
RappahannocR. unless he succeeded in fighting
the enemy a some place on this side that if he
proposed to go to Richmond by land, he would
have to go by way OF Fredericksburg; and in
hat he partially agreed with me. After we had
started we had another conversation on thai
subject, and several other officers were preseat
On the 9th OF November, after this conyersa.
ton, Gen. Mcclellan gave an order to Captain
Drum, his chief engineer, to ha We all the pom
toon bridges at Berlin and in that neighborhood
that could be spared, taken up and sent down
to Washington, with view of getting them
down to this line, in ease he decided to 90 by
way Of Fredericksburg. The letter conveying
that order was written on the 9th OF November;
but, as L understand, was not received until
the 18th of November.
On the 7th or sth of November, I received an
order from the President of the United States,
directing me TO take command Of the Army of
the Potomac, and also copy Of the order re.
lieying Gen. Mcclellan from that command
This order was conveyed to me by Gen. Buck.
ingham, who was attached to the War Depart
ment. After getting over my surprise, the
sngSk thai & Vafy that
that I did not want the command; that il had
been offered to me twice before, and did not
feel that could take it; / counseled with two
cfufT
think, an hour and q half. They urged upon
me that had no right, as a soldier, 70 disobev
the order, and that bad already ex pressed to
the Government my unwillin1ness to take the
command. I told them what my views were
with reference to my ability to exercisesuch q
command, which views were those had nm.
reseryedly expressed, that was not compe-
tent to command such large army rs this;
had said the same over and over again to the
President and Secretary of War; and also that
if matters could be satisfactorily arranged
with Gen. Mcclellan i thought he could COM
mand the Army of the Potomac better than
any other general in it. But they had studied
the subject more than had, and knew more
about their obligations to Gen. Mcclellan than
did. . ~.-.- =
There had been some conversation with re-
gard to ;ae removal of Gen Mcclellan when he
was bringing away his army from before Rich
mond. The first Of these con persations with
the President and Secretary Of War occurred
at that time. And tier, after Gen. Mcclellan
had got back to Washington, and before the
commencement of the Maryland campaign,
there was another con yersation of the same
kind. And on both of these occasions ex.
pressed to the President the opinion that did
not think there was any one who could do as
much with that army as Gen. Mcclellan could,
If matters could be so arranged as TO remove
their objections to him. - .-... ..-r
After had conversed with my staff officers,
/ went to see Gen. Mcclellan himself, and he
agreed with me that this was an order which
as q soldier had to obey. He said that he could
not retain the command, for he as soldier
would have to obey the order directing him to
give up that command: then assumed the
command, in the midst OF violent snow storm,
18th the army in a position that knew but
very little of. / had previously commanded
but one corps, upon the extreme right, AID had
been upon the extreme right and in tie advance
since that campaign had begun. probably
the positions and Rlatiye strength Of the sew
eIal corps Of the army. Gen. Mcclellan re-
NAMED some two or three days to arrange his
affairs, ar d came with me as far as Warrenton,
and Then left, having given me all the informa.
ton he could in reference to the army.
General Halleck came down to see ne on the
11th November. On the 9th m ade ont a plan
! of operations in accordance with the ord r of
| General Halleck, which directed me not only
| to take command of the army, but also to state
| what l proposed TO do with it. That pla u
wrote on the morning of the 9th OF November,
can furnish the comm ittc ~ copy Of that plan
! if they desire it. have not got it here now.
| Question State the substance of Ii, IL you
! please. That may do as well. r1
| Answer. stated, in substance, that thought
| il advisable 10 concentrate the army In the
| movement across the Rappahannock as q. .feint,
| with view TO diyertthe attention OF the enemy,
and lead them TO believe we were going 10 move
| In the direction Of GofdonsVille, and then to