Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-12-30
case the difficulty of following them would ir

fcry great.
In connection with this movement rc
questcd that hsrgcs filled with provisions an
Iurnsr should be taated to Aqua Creek
where they could easily bc landeo; tnatrlial
he coll, ctcd for the reconstruction Of tn
HharveS there. and that all the wagons il
Washington that could possibly he spared b.
flied with bard bread and sual coTnlnissarI
stores, and with Is large nmber Of he:f ca!tla b.
started down to Fredericksburg on the roat
by way Of Dumfriea. and that this wagoI
train and hord Of cattle siaIId be precrcdct
by portoon train large enough 10 span th,
| RappahannOck twice.
] stated that this wagon train could mnyt
| in per feet safety, because it would hs all TN
time !,r:wccn our army anu tue Potomac; or
in uLhur words, our ar,uy would be all tn,
t'Ine between tine enemy and tia. train, Bat
at the same time, said that If cavalry es
cort could not be furnished from Washington
| gould Send some Of my cavalry TO guarl
the train.
On the morning of tho l4th OF November
feeling anca-vin refrrence,o Z pDnseoaS. ri
ha,i uot .besrd Of: their,S!.a,s.;ns. I! difeetcc
my Chi:i Engineer to telegraph again will
| reference to item
Question To whom did i.c Telegraph
Ans~er--uo tclrgraphed tn Gen. Wood
hurry or To Major Spaulding. II subsequently
! appra.e that that was the list they ever hat
heard Of my wish to have the p"n:Von trair
started down Tor Fredericksburg, although
the authorities i'll Washington hsti had IN,
plan sent tu them Oh the 9Th Of N0vcmbcr
and 1t had also been discovered by Gen. Hal
lcck and Gen. Mrigs at my head quarters g,
The night Of the lin and 18th Vi November
and after discussing it fully there, they sa
dawn and sent telogra!ua to Washington
winch, which, as ! supposed, covered fully
the case, and would secure the starting CT tn,
tIntoon trains at once.
! SURPRISED oi course that those portions al
the p!.II v hch required to De attended to il
Washington would be carried ont there al
once. cUul! have Sent officers Of my Uwn
there u attend those uIa!te:#, and perhaps
made 4 mistake in not dniug sn, Al & nela
IIalIcck Afterwards told mc that | ought moi
to have trusted to ihcin in Washington fer the
details.
It.. :rpiy to the telegram ! had ordered t.,
be sent, General Woodbury.. ;elrgra:, had back
that the poniuons would start Oh Sdu,ihv
mnrning profanity, and certainly OH iiur,laY
incoming, winch uoI!tl have been un the !t;:h
or J. Ii, rf November, and would nge be, II
III time. They did not, huwcyrr, start until
the lg;h, AMI Oh Lp"t day it commenced
raining which delayed them SD much, and
the roads became 50 bad that VIXEN ,he train
got % Duluiries they ilnatcd the pontoDns
Oft the wagons, sent To Washington for stea-
uer, and carried them down To Aquis Crock
| 4
| The pnnloon did not get here until Lhr 22l
or 23l OF November.
On the 18Th OF November started the CO.
luur duwp the load to fredericksburg rot
knowing anything about tho delAy in the
starting OF the pontnons. because Inc tole.
grsm ANNOUNCING tho delay did not reach
! Warrcn:on Junction until had left to cG,ur
down here with the LIonps, and the tclee: AIN
did not reach me until arrived hn,= On the
morning oi tho l2Lh, when it was handrl Ia
me by an orderly who had brough: it down
70 tnrrcitua junction.
After reaching here, ! saw q. once that
there .:a' no c!:anca d',r crossing the R;pps
! mnock with the army at that time 1t com
/ l;s2ncct raining, ard he ,ivc- bc.nIi 10 rS,
urt tn any great extent, bur ild not know
hos much it mil ght rise. There was no lnrans
Of crassng except by goirg UP to The Io-ds
and it would be impossible TO do that bera;lsr
Of The inability to supply tho troops after
they. should crvss.
Gen. Sumner, with his command. arrived
| here III ad"alIre. lie sent TO me, asking if Ii,
should cross tho river. lie was very mnct
tempted u takD his owu corp. across t.,
Fredericksburg bF ford near Falmouth. rs
! there was no uncny there except very >mal
force.
did not think it advisable that he sholl',l
cross 1t that time. The pian | had IN con
tcrnplntloE, WAS, if the stores and thosr
bridges had come here as expected. to throw
Summers whole corps across the Kappa han
mock. Fill the wagons with a. inaIy small
stores NJ we Could. and having bcuf cattle
along for meat, then to lnakr rsri.l move
mrnl down in the direction of Richmon
ap'l try to meet the enemy and hight u battle
before Jackson could make p jcncLion there
lie know that Jackson was in llc valley: and
| felt that there was irr,e cm"u,h m the upper
| tapuniianuuck tn tane care uf hlEi. He fuli
certain that ~ som aS the Gnnluy knew Vi
nnr Crossing down he:r, the lnrces under
johnson would bc recalled. and he wantcc
| 10 meet this force and beat it before Jacks II
could uakc a junction with them, or bcfJri
Jackson could comc down Oh our flank ant
perhaps cripple us.
had recommended that some supple.
should hr sent 10 the mouth Of the RIpua
| IanrOck, Sfith a vicT of establishing dc,,n
al Port Royal after W. had advanced.
Stores have been always in rs great ahUn
d .ncc rs We could have expected. frr, a't",
tho 10Th of November, the weather and III,
roads were particularly bad. Horses ant
mules we're sent down to us so that our ca v
airy md teams were in very COED condition
i ffcr it was 'ascrrtaincd that there mus
be delay, and that the enemy hal ccncrn
tratcd in such force aS to make it very diff,
cul: to cross except by n number of bridges
We commenced bring up from Acqnia Greek
nil the ponto0ns we could. After enor.h p
them had been brought up to build thH
| bridges, | called several councils of war tC
decide about crossing the Rappahannock. 1t
WAS first decided to cross down nL Snickrr' $
Mack, about twelve miles below here. }nt
our demonstration was simply Tor iht pnr.
pose OF drawing down there - large force
Of the enemy ns possible, linen decided IL
cross here, because IN the H. 1t plccc f:i,
satisfied that they did not 'ec: US to cross
here, bu: down below. In ir-a next place
felt satisfied that this was t''H place to fight
the mnst decisive battle, bc'''Ise If we could
divide their forces hy pressing their lines at
onr or two points, separating their left from
their right then a vigorou, attack with the
whole army wonld succeed in breaking their
army in pieces.
Tae enruy had cat rnai along the rear
Of The line of heights. wln'r VIC made our
attack, by means of which they connected
tho two wings Of their army, and avoided a
long delour ronurE through bal country.
/ obtained, from a cnlurud E:an from the
other side OF the town. information III regard
10 lha new road. which proved tn hr correct.
J ! wanted to obtain i'ohsrsSlon "f tia. new
| road, and That Wns my reason for Ennking Bn
l.. IL IF, 4; >ri