, 1862-12-29
THE EREDERICkSRUIsG
BATTLE.


We published yesterday the testimony Of
Gems. Sumner, Franklin, and, as We sup
posed, all of Rockers, but j new batch has
arrived, containing continuation Of Hooker's
testimony, which VIC give below. The eVi-
dence Of Gems. Hallcck and Moigs follow, but
We have already given synopsis of both:
TESTIMONY OF GEN. HOOKER
Major General Hookcrs testimony was to
the following effect: About the 10Th Of No.
vember Burnside was in command. After
Hooker had been there a day OF two, there
was some talk Of transforming the line Of op-
er:,tions from the line Of the railroad at War
Creek. Gen. Ha1leci aud Gen. Meigs visited
Gen. Burnside, as he was informed, to deter
mine whether the transfer should he made.
as near as he could recollect, that was about
I the ut]l of November. That matter was dis
cusscd between those generals and Gen. Burn
should be made. Some one mentioned, either
Gen. Halleck or Gen. Meigs, he did not rccol-
lect which, that they thought they could have
everything ready this side in three days. This
was not private conversation. They said
they thought they could have the pontoons
ready, the stores landed, and everything ready
to advance i'll three days. But he Thought it
was not within the range Of human possibility
to do that. Soon after the movement to the
Rappahannock commenced, he brought up the
IE1tf VI Ll3C 1tlluY al W
He mentioned this because he thought it had
IN important bearing upon some matters
which we're to come afterwards. The rear
| Of this movement was considered the post
| Of honor. After being upon the road for
iset lis command a at hastwood. From that point
he addressed 4 letter to Gen. Burnside, re-
| questing that he would permit him to
t cross the river with his grand division, at one
| of the fords there, and como down on the
| Csd 1E kl,r f1r4
reasons assigned in q Communication from
t him, the request Was denied. After giving Z
circun1stantial account Of his movements, he
said when Summers advance column reached
here, there were only some 500 Of the rebels
in Fredericksburg. He did not know why they
| did not take possession Of Fredericksburg,
but the feeling seemed to be they could take
possession Of Fredericksburg at any time.
Only q few days before Lieutenant Dahlgrcn,
Of the cavalry, with fifty-fye men, crossed the
river and took possession of the town. When
he was at HARDWOOD he heard there was goin4,
to be delay Of three or four days in getting
! the pontoons here, and that was one reason
why lie asked permission Of General Burnside
to cross at the ford there and come down on
the other side Of the river. When wc got here
lie said We should hnye been in condition to
march right forward without stopping a day
anywhere; but the same mishap was made
here that has been made ali along through this
. war. think 1t would have been better te
have held the lines where we were, by repair
ing sufficient force there to threaten thu
enemy and keep them up to their works al
: Cnlpepper and Gordonsyille; but instead
Of that we withdrew every man, and eycT
burned the bridges, thus exposing our p1az
TO the enemy the very moment we did so. L
General Summers corps had come down her;
; and left one up there threatening to ad7anci
on that line it led them to believe that wa
were going TO advance on both lines.
would have been better, but the enemy say
Il at once what we were at and came right OF
here, and they were nearer here than we were
and this country is such that whenever yol
| give them two or three weeks to fortify
1C0, 600 men can make any place impregnabI,
, | to any other hundred thousand men.
G. Would there have been any difficulty s.
to supplies in your moving down the othc
q i ths 1Ses iSesc as ayS yop prap"sea s,e
| preparing to march down through Carol1n
, county, where the people had just gatherct
their crops, and would have got plenty
. = | forage and provisions, enough for week or
between Generals Halleck, Meigs aud Bum
= side, there was some talk OF forwarding som
! supplies up the Rappahanuock. I said that d
: Bowling Green could draw my SUPPLE
/ from Port Royal as easily = could get then
: take position with 90 900 men that the Who'll
!. - rebel army could not move me from.
: O. Would that movement have been safe il
u view Of the fact that the enemy had not tn
! means Of crossing here?
a, Yes, sir; because could take the hight
!, there with my command, and then put then
q ina condition Of defense. III had gone there
7 | not a mau Of the enemy would have come t
. ! Fredericksburg; but they would have gone t
some other river and fortified there, if we ha
. given them time, as cf1ectually Us they hay
: Rcre. regard the rebel position on the RaE
:, rahannock as strong one mean the on
u | they retired to from Manassas. They had til
g advantage Of two railroads-one to bring the
- supplies to them from the West, and the othe
railroad from Richmond to bring their troop
up from there. It is the strongest positio
they had in Virginia. The advantages Of th
position to hold against force wishing
cross the river and attack it are such as ha,
j. never before seen.
@. How far apart are the bridges at the tn
y points where our army crossed here?
i a. About four miles.
" @. You speak Of the telegraph road; nj
r you state more definitely what that road is ,
A. The telegraph road leaves Frederick
70 btrg from Hanover street aud runs through
1e depression in the hills in the direction Of Boy
n | ling Green.
u q. How do you explain the fact that IL
ID enemy did not shell the city when our troo1
a. were uassed thcree
"a 4. cannot explain it. tits inexplicablc
ot me that they did not do so, as I hSye befo
stated. It was reported, under fag of true
"a, that they had at one time shot by heath
II. which to fire the city,, and that would ha
* made a terrible time Of it.
T. @. Was our crossing made unknown to Il
Of enemy?
Ie 4. It was late when I got the order to wit
of draw my command, between three and 70
o'clock in the morning, and 1t was betwc
ie- eight and nine O'Clock when the last Of t
ed troops we're Withdrawn. The enemy did n
seem to realize that there were troops In t
houses withdrew my exterior line Of pic