Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-12-18
Burnside's. Strategy.

ttrom the New York Trihunel
- In reading the reports of the grand affair
at Fredericksburg We are ut loss which to
admire most, the skin displayed by General
Burnside in throwing his army across the
Rappahannock in the face of the enemy, or
the strategy with which he concealed his
purposes until the moment of their execu.
ton. Jomini and every writer upon the
art Of war counts the feat which Burnside
has accomplished as most desperate and
difficult of one. An army which leaves the
shelter of a range of hills, files down tho
slope of bank, fords river or is hoated
across or moves over bridges, and climbs
the opposite bank in the lace of an ouemy
properly l.osted aud handled is subjected to
the fire OF artillery ,,nd infantry from first
to last. Such movement is no more nor
less than forlorn hope on grand scale;
and every soldier may be regarded as au
eafdiit perdu. There are two ways by which
such "a uIansuvcr may be successfully &c
complished. The attacking general may
either distribute his batteries so as TO com
mand every approach on the enemy's side
to the river bank and silence his guns, keep
ing large body OF sharp shooters to drive
off the force which may dispute the landing,
and at the samo time making denonstra-
tions in force at distant points, so as to di-
vide the enemy's attention; or he may CON
ceal his real intentions, and battle his oppo-
nents judgment, by making teints in oLe
place while he suddenly throws his forces
across the river. The former is, of course,
the more hazardous, and often entails au
enormous sacrifice Of his life; the latter
calls for the highest order Of military abili-
ty. The generalship of Lee aud Jackson
has been too frequently proved to our cost
to be disputed; aud, with that noble mag
lianimity which all concede to the North
the loyal people Of this community have
praised these men us soldiers while cursing
them as traitors. Ii is idle, therefore, to
say that the Rebel leaders preferred 10
fight US midway to Richmoud to opposing
Burnside at Fredericksburg. The amphi
theater of hills on to the southwark Of that
city, with the land which sweeps gradually
upward from the river to their base offer u
position of such strength for defense against
an attacking army, that Lee weuLl have de
served the conteinp, OF all good soldiers il
he had overlooked the fact. That he did
not do so is proved by the rapid concentra.
ton ofthe Rebel army at that point, by the
desperate zeal with which his triple line Of
earthwoiks were thrown up, and hy the
very admissions OF the Richmond papers
always so guarded, which prophcsicd that
| at Fredericksburg we would meet our fina
crushing defeat. Burnside seems to have
known Lees plans and have determined tt
battle him; so making it appear in one place
that he was going into Winter quarters
and on his left that he intended crossing a
Port Royal, rs miles down tho river, he
drew off 81, 900 FROM the enemy's center tC
his extreme right, and at an unexpected
moment constructed three pontoous simuI
taneously at the city itself, and poured hi.
columns across under cpver OF tremendous
cannonade.