Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-12-25
LATEST NEWS
BY TELEG RAPH.
MID.N GIT REPORT.
Report ~ Conn Miltee OM the
Conduct Of the War.
BURNSIDES DEPOSITION.
WASHINGTON. Dec. q.

WasniNGroS, Dec. "a.
The report of the committee on tho
conduct oi the war embraces tho lopo-
tons OF Sens. Burnside, Sumncr. Frank
lin, IIookar, Woodbury.. IIaupt, lIallctk,
and Mcigs. The committee report the
testimony with comment. burnside
said After the battle OF Antieiam Me
Clelau decided to cross the Potomac.
.aid, in my opinion. ho would never hc
able 10 take tho army On that Route he
yond the Rappahannock, unless he -nc-
ceedcd IN lighting the enemy at some
place on this -lde that If he proposed 10
20 10 Richmond hy land, he woull have
To 90 to Frcderi k7burg, and III that he
palti.llv agreed with me. pn the 9th
of November. nilor tins conversation.
McC Clcllan gave an order TO Capt Dum,
Chief ot Engineers, 10 have All tie pom
tocn bridges at Eeihn aud IN that neigh
horhood, that could be spared, taken up
and sent to Washlngt u, with view "t
getting them down 10 this town IN case
he dceidcl t. 20 by way Of Fredclicks.
burg.
The letter conveying that order was
written on the 9th of November, bnl m
understand was not received until the
18th oi November
Burnside speak. Of the surprise with
which he read the President, order 10
take command Of the Army Of the l'o.
tomac. aud tha, he had repeatedly TX
pressed the opinion that he lur'sideb
was not competent to command SO large
an army, and that NJ ieNan mas the
hitn persor.
He thcn says llallcek come to see me
on November 18th. Tn the 9th ! made
ont plan Of operations in accordance
with llslIcck's oracr, and sent it To
Washington.
He gives detailed account Of this
plan, aud speaks of the disastrous delay
III receiving ponioons, and says on ,he
9th he started n column to Irclcrlcks-
burg. no, knowing Of tlc delay
The PORTIONS did not start, however,
til the 18th, and that day it commenced
raining, which delayed them 50 much,
and the roads become 80 bad that when
they rot to Dnnirlcs they plu.c HE
pontoons oil from the wagons, aud srui
to Washington for n steamer and carried
them to Acquia Creek, but scndlfg the
wagons around by land the poutoons did
not get there until the I'D or 23d OF
November.
After The Grst delay in starting the
ponioons ;hlnk they were sent as
oniekll as they could have been, and the
supplies and quartcrInastcts stores have
always been IN AZ great abundance ~ We
have .ypccted, for after the lotl Of Nov.
cmbcr the weather and roads were par
ticulally bad.
Attar reaching fredericksburg saw
at once there Was no crossing the Kappa
hammock with tho army at Tint time. 1t
commenced raining, aud the river hagan
10 rise. did not know how much II
mipht rise. There were no means oi
ossing except going up 10 tho i"rks,and
it would be impossible To- 90 that, be-
cause ol the inability 10 snpp'y the troop
after they should have crossed
Sumner arrived here with his troops il
advance. He sent to me, asking me Il
he should cross the river. did not think
il advisable that he should at that time.
II was first decided to cross at skinner
Neck. about 2 miles bclow here, but our
demonstration was simply for the purpose
OF drawing there as large a force OF the
enemy AZ possible ] then decided Ia
cross here, because, in tie frs. place,
felt satisfied tha, they did not expect us
TO eros, here, but below. In the mex
place, felt satisfied that this wa, the
place 70 fight the most decisive battle, be
cause il We could divide their forces by
piercing their lines at one or two points
separatinp their left from their right, thci
a vigorous attack with the whole arm
would succeed in breaking their army il
pieces.
Two attacks were made, and We wer'
rcpulscd, sill holding portion oi th'
ground We Lad fought upon, but not ou
extreme advance.
That night | went over the field on ou'
,ipLt. and in fact ] was with the officers
and men u, til nearly daylight. found
the feeling against an attack. return
ed to my headquarters, aud after con
yeIsa,ion with Sumner told him wantct
him to order the artillery corps WHICH
originally commanded to form the mex
morning in column Of attack by reg'
mcn,s. 1t consisted Of some 8 old icg
,meDts aud some new ones, and desired
10 make direct attack upon the enemy
works. thought that these regiments
| BY coming quickly up after each othe
would be able to carry the stone wall an
batteries in front, forcing the enemy o.
| their next line, and by going in with then
they would not be able to fire upon u
70 any great extent. l left Sumner will