Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-25

| hASAlAGION, OeCs Il
Secretary Chase has sent to Representa-
tive Stevens his financial project, recon-
mending loan of nine hundred million
dollars, at rates of interest not exceeding
those now authorized by law. The Secre-
tary does not suggest any augmentation Of
Treasury notes.
The Committe of Ways and Means has
not yet considered the subject.
The report Of the Committee on the Con-
duct of the War embraces dispositions of
Generals Burnside, Sumner Franklin,
Hooker, Woodbury., -Haught, Hslleek and
Meigs. The Committee report the testi-
mony without comment. Burnside said
when, after the battle of Antietam, Nc
Clellan decided to cross the Potomac, I said
to him, in my opinion, ne would never be
able to take the army on that route beyond
the Rappahannock, unless he succeeded in
fighting the enemy at some place this side.
That if he proposed to go to Richmond by
land, he would have to go to Frederioks-
burg, and in that he partially agreed with
me.
On the 9th of November, after this con-
versation, Mcclellan gave an order to
Captain Drum, Chief Of Engineers, to
have all the pontoon bridges at Berlin and
in that neighborhood that could be spared,
taken up and sent down to Washington,
with a view of getting them down to this
town, in case he decided to 60 by way of
FIR edericksburg. The letter conveying
that order was written on the 9th of No
vember, but l understand was not received
till the 18th.
Burnside sneaks7r n Sc Of piis; The
take command of the Army Of the Poto-
mac, and that he had repeatedly expressed
the opinion that he (Burnside) was not
competent to command so large an army,
and that Mcclellan was the ittest person.
He then says: Halleck came to see me
November llth. On the 18th 1 made out
plan Of operations, in accordance with
Halleck's order, and sent it to Washington.
He gives q detailed account of this plan,
and speaks of the disastrous delay in re-
ceiving pontoons, and says on the 18th he
started column to fredericksburg not
knowing of the delay. The pontoons did
not, however, start till the 18th, and that
day it commenced raining, which delayed
them so much, and the roads became so
bad, that when they got to Dumfries they
hoated the pontoons off the wagons, sent
to Washington for q steamer, and carried
them to Acquia Greek by water, sending
the wagons round by land. The pontoons
did not get there until the 22d or 23d of
November.
After the first delay in starting the pom
toons, 1 think they were sent as quickly
as they could have been, and the supplies
and Quartermasters stores have always
been in as great abundance as we could
have expected, for after the 18th of No
vember, the weather and roads were par
ticularly bad.
After reaching the Rappahannock l at
once saw that there was no crossing the |
Rappahannock with the army at that time. |
1t commenced raining and the river began |
to rise. 1 did not know how much it might |
rise. There were no means Of crossing |
except going up to the fords, and it would |
be impossible to do that because Of inabil- |
ity to supply the troops after they should
have crossed.
Sumner arrived here with his troops |
in advance. He sent to me asking me if |
he should cross the river. I did not think
It advisable that he should at that time
It was first decided to cross at SINNERS
Neck, about twelve miles below here, but
our demonstration was simply for the
purpose Of drawing there as large q forcs
ofths enemy as possible. then decided