, 1862-12-09

I.o.respoa,cncc Of the New York Times
HEAporarTErs ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
NEAR FALH9CTu- Dec. 3.
Cen, Burnside has returned from Washing
ion, aud previously disappointed the NAV
ror1,.s here, who hare becn swearing that
s'bix head would be off nczt.''
What may lave transpired in the private
Interview between the Commanding General
and the authorities at Washing ton-wllat may
31ayc been demanded, and what promised on
the ono side and the othcr-is, of course, not
n matter for present discussion. This much,
however, l can freely say: The result Of the
Interview seems to have been entirely satlsfac-
1nry to General Burnside He will now be
<'1ct c''-allowrd TO follow out his own
plans, in his own time and way, free from
bureaucratic dic&atiun at Washington, md
contiaen. that lie will have from the govern
3ncnt all The assistance fe asks for.
Every one, Of the least insight, could s1e
tbat tie attempt Of the Washington autAosi-
ties to carry on the campaign must end in Il
miserable failure. Already the most imro:-
tant operations have been haulkcd by official
b'undeTing aud stupidity. Take, for example,
the affair Of the pon1 episode
in the history Of this evcntful campaign. Gen.
Burnside had arranged that the pontoous
trains sho1ld leave Alexandria on the 18th of
November. and he here simultaneously with
our arrival here (Thc ritht grand division
reached Falmouth on the 18th Of November J
We should thus have been able to cross the
river Immediately, and would hare gained
lossession Of Fredericksburg without i strue-
Ele. 1ts purchase may now cost US Il fearful
prlce.) they .reTe to leave on the l1th- They
did not leave I'LL the 10Th. and they did not ar
7.ipc until the enemy Ind SO lined The opposite
banks with batteries that the possibility o.
transit here ut Ill becomes matter Of very
serious doubt
This was not the only deficit Amnuni
lion, too, was walting-anl, in fact, supple:
and stores of every kind No steps wl,alcvc
had been taken to rebuild the wharvcs ami
storclouses at Aqufa Creek, or put the rail
road in running order. 1t became necessary
therefore, to haul everything , over p Il, tn
Plain. 4 single nights rain rendered Il,
roads all but i1npraetEcab1e. You can inagin
our plight The men were on half ration:
the horses for two days without bit o
fodder.
bridges to cross the stream, or food where
will to supply the army for Il days marc
beyond 1t-1hat the administration pledge
Itself Historical fact-not u jokc) that III ''fe
days the army Of the Potomac would be i
Richmond!' While such madness ruled th
lour. one could see nothing but disaster j
the foreground. Burnside worked manfnl1
at a hopeless task, endeavoring by his OF
exhaus1lesS energy TO remedy the fixtures {
others. put tue situation vas RADICAL
x1clops a1d 1S umsenanle; n, TWAS doubtful, ,cVe1
to sustain himself. To nil who were in clos
relations with Gen Burnside it became De
fectly obvious that lie must soou sink u11d1
burden too heavy for him to bcar-phys
Ea}}6 s1a mentally broken down Ii Is
meeee1 ~ congrat ulation that, in tl,iS pas
There was wisdom enough In the admin
1ra1ion to see that the remedy lay III ri
ing up q system which was fundamental
false.
!. It would, Of course, be absurd to assur
that the rebel leaders are ir the dark as
what our Intentions are. It needs no proph