New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-25
ysons and !, was sugges,ed that as few a. possible

y. Since Gen. Burnside has been IN command oil
tie Army Of the Potomac have all It's movements
been made according 10 bis dsnent ana direction,
so far yoa know.
A. les Sir, entirely.
| Q. by Mr. Wright understand you TO cay, Gen.
eral, that the delay in tue bridges yon think was
caused by tie elements aud the iDeiicency Of men,
aud that there il nobody blame that you know Of
| A. will not say inefIicency OF men, but will
ths: that Gen. Bnrnside reported TO me that the
officer in command of tie land train had not been
efficient he ought TO have been, but he after
ward modified that report.
told him TO arrest any person who had neglected
his duty, end send him to Washington Immediately,
and be said to me that be did not think it necessary
THE following did appear in either Of Morning
Editions.
BY the Chairman--One more question is suggested
to me, which will put. 1t is, whether you were
| requested to repair that road before the army lef
Harpers Ferry7
The winess-Before Gen. McClellan's army left
Harper's Ferryl
Tie Cbsirmsn-Yes, Sir. Before they left there
were you requested by Gen. Mcclellan to have thai
A. Not that remember; / was told that one Of
his staff officers had requested II to be repaired and
the answer wss Immediately made by myself I" we
cannot do nytlng there until he takes posse.son OF
tie road" and, moreover, did not know tbe. o
was going there FOR he had not informed me as 10
where lie intended to 60.
II at any time any suggestion OF that KIND was
made to me, it was made with reference TO some ia.
ture time and 10; az to any immediate action. No
| request was made, according to my recollection
| will add that If any paper care 10 me IN Which
an alrson was made IN that being done, 1t Yves 10.
serred By me mme dia,ey to the bead Of the depart.
ment having charge Of Il, either to Gen. HauPt or
Gen. Meigs.
Q. But you do not recosct any such request
| A. No. Sir.
GEN. MEIGS'S TESTIMONY.
n.p Maiga ina n n at for eyulalQ-
tions Of anything occurring to him relative TO the
battle Of Fredericksburg. says that as, he piesumes
the inquiry arises principally from the excited state
of public mind and the public press end as state
nenls published show @ misrepresentation OF the true
iac;s OF the case and as the press Ia some degree
holds him responsible for certain failures with the
pontoon train and supplies, and as the Quartermas-
ters Department has been held responsible for GER
tain faaref he will begin ut that point, and there
fore states that before the Arry of the Potomac left
the vicinity Of HsrIers Ferry, received q tele-
gram frem Col Ingals, Chief Quartermaster, which
l have read within u few days, though have not
got il here, can remember the substance. lie re-
qnested ne 10 direct that all the that could be
obtained should be loaded with quartermasters sup
plies and placed in convenient position on the rail
road west Of Alexandria, rs TO DO sent over the
Manassas Gap and The other railroads radatlog
from that point TO meet the army on Its march. he
also requested in the last sentence OF Lis dispatch
that l would cause the road from Acquia Creek TO
Richmond, via Fredericksburg, To be put IN repair.
wrote the back Of that telegram. as ia my habit
directions to give the orders Which thought we're
Necessary. sent copies of the telegram TO the prin
opal agents of Suppy Departments, to the Commits
eneral In regard TO commssary stores, aud 10
the Chief Quartermaster OF this Depot, whose duty
II 10 to provide Qnartermasers stores, and provide
the transportation for them, and to those who bsd
charge OF the repairing and running OF the military
railroads, Gen. Hsnpt and Col. McCallum. l H.
ouired what direction had been made for the repair
ing Of these roads, and directed those under my
orders to be ready TO meet the requirements Of the
dispatch. knew tho matter was In good hands,
and took 1t for granted that all proper
preparations had already been nade and l
learned on inquiry, that they had been; that
they were ready. | remember writing on the back
OF The telegram that OF the repair Of the rail-
road TO Richmond would depend upon its being oc-
cupied by the troops of the United States. II was
ut that time j. The possession Of the enemy, and it
would have been easy for me at that time 70 have
provided barracks il Richmond to repair the road
TO Richmond. saw Gen. Halleck, and mentioned
this 10 hin. do not remember exactly what reply
| made 10 Col lDgas, but seeing him afterward
spoke Of It, and / understood that this was dis
patch written at his own instance not specifically
directed to Gen. Mcclellan. But In that may be
mistaken. have not spoken to Gen. Mcclellan on
the subject and derive this impression from what
remember of Col. Ingalls's statement. We bad
then, televe, everything nearly ready to repair
the road whenever we should be ablo 10 get pos |
session of it. We had built the-e last Spring very
large wharf, about 1000 feet In length. There
were acquisitions on tie Quaftermas.crs to build
siill larger wharves, about 500 feet long. AT
the time the corps Of Gen. burnside landed there
and went forward TO the Rappahannock and Rap
daD, remember ut that time advising the anthori-
ties that by the time l could get vessel load OF
timber 10 The place. 1t would be abandoned, and the
fact that before any progress could be made III
building the l. $40 feet additional wharf our work
already constructed there was destroyed cars, and
considerable quantity OF stores were destroyed, and
the bridges burned, to my great regret. endeav-
ored prevent 1t, but heard OF the intention too
lase. The next time this matter came to my
attention in any way when General
Halleck informed me that General Burnside
had taken command Of tho Army Of the Potomac,
and desired to change his base of operations, and
hs requested ms 20 accompany him TO Warrenton TO
SEQ Gen. Burnside. | went with him on the 18th Of
November and with us went Gen. Haupt the Di-
rector aud Superintendent Of Military Railroads,
appointed by the Secretary OF War, who acts IN
connection with the Qasrtermasers Department.
We furnish tho funds and he supposed 10 be under
the direction Of the Department. dc 10 a very able
aud competent man. There was good deal Of con-
yersation with Gen. Burnside that night which
did not hear. i left Gen. Halleck aid himself TO
discuss the project Of tie campaign, and l entered
into il only late IN the evening. was informed that
the Genera-n-C hief would refer the matter 10 the
Pr, sident for his approval, and that Gen Burnside
was TO carry out his plans, II The Presl
dent should approve. l do not think
anything was said 10 ne 1bont pontoons
then; but Gen. Burnside asked me how soon l could
have supplies eady for bis army. think he asked
ne how many days il would take to get tue supplies
to Acqua Creek. told him II could not be done ~
day, that could do good zeal, but that II took
time 10 accomplish 70 great q movement. Here Was
an army oil over men, the population Of great
city, to DO suddenly whipped NJ, TO break of IRON
lts lines of communication, and be transferred TO q
new position, and their supplies to be received from
a narrow channel in u contracted barpor, with very
shallow water; that to supply them all with the
a. nd IN