Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-12-26

ing 10 the cOnulJlOn III winch Lne Army
of the Potomac on this morning after yes
terday's sanguinary, and all but fruitless
struggle.
Undertakings of any kind are meas
ured by the power employed to carry
them out and the result realized by it,
This rule applied to yesterdays bloody
work of our arms, one cannot help coming.
to the conclusion that they came short of
success. The main object of their cfsrts
was the dislodgment Of the RepelsT;iaa
their entrenched position on The heights,
the possession of which gave them con-
troll of all the roads leading southwark
from the Rappahannock. But, although
every means of which the character of the
task admitted was used, neither the whole
nor any portion of the line occupied by
the enemy at the opening of the battle is
to-day in our hands.
The causes of our failure are so plain
that they cannot be mistaken by even the
most unprofessional of observers. We
had for the attack superiority of numbers
and armament The former was not only
more than balanced by the strength of
the enemy's position, but also as availa-
bic to its full extent of momentum, ow-
ing to tie unfavorable ground from which
we moved to the attack An individual
however strong in muscle, cannot sue
cessfully contend with an adversary, if
confined to space so narrow as to prevent
the free use of his arms. Our right, al
though sufficiently powerful in point of
numbers for the work assigned to it, was
precluded from full and Simultaneous
display of its strength by being crammed
into the streets Of Fredericksburg.
doubt whether the history of wars affords
another instance Of an army attempting
to combat from within a town with an
other enjoying the full freedom of motion
given by abundance of space. The six
divisions of the right grand division were
crowded into three streets SO thickly,
that during Saturday night these troops
had hardly sleepirg-room. The corps of
the centre grand division acting as their
reserve, was separated from them soon
after The battle had opened by the Rap
pahannock another remarkable oircr M
stance bearing obsductiugly upon lhe
oper9tious Of tne DAY
As to cur preponderanee 10 artilipfy,
the impractieobility Of making IL toll upon
the fortunes of the day deprived u al
most wholly Of the benefit Of Il on the
right. During the entire struggle On
that portion Of the lines, all but two of
the batteries attached to the right grand
division and Buttorfold's corps stood I'M
employed on the lower streets of the
town Our batteries on the heights on
the right bank of the river could also
render no protection to our infantry, as
their FIRE would have done as much dam
age to our troops as to the enemy, after
the former had moved to the attack.
Our left did not suffer like the right,
from the drawback Of want Of space, as
it manouvred on high place and bot
tom Yet both wings labored under the
disadvantage of fighting from low against
the enemy on high ground.
The distractions Of the scene Of the
action on our right, in the form Of walls,
fences and houses, unavoidably confined
the movement Of our troops, as they sue
ccssfully advanced to the front, to the
streets, which were so constantly and
completely blocked up during the after
noon, that it was impossible for the am
munition trains to reach the divisions Of
French and Hancock, after they were re-
lieved by others, and supply them with
cartridges. They were thereby virtually
placed liars du combat greatly weaken
ing the force Of our attacks.
Whatever the result of the battle may
be termed--check or repulse-it is GER
tain that the failure to accomplish what
we attempted is not the only evil fruit Of
yesterday. | have spent several hours
this morning in visiting the field and the
positions held by our troops, and found
the most unmistakeable evidence every
where that the expenditure of strength
has been so great as to produce exhaus-
ton to degree that will render the re-
sumption of the offensive on our part i'm
possible, not only for to-day, but several
days to come. The extent Of our loss in
killed and wounded is not ascertained as
yet with anything like deGniteness. |
have seen enough, however, to satisfy me
that it will be even greater than it was
supposed last night. 10000 will cover
that of the right grand division, / shall
be gratefully disappointed The fact that
many Of our men have been taken pris-
oners has only become known this even
ing. But it is not in the casualties alone
that the army has been weakened. The ia
tigue and exposure of the last three days
will also severely affect its capacity for
work For three nights ;he troops have
enjoyed nothing like regular sleep, and
for three days they have been standing
under arms in mud and cold. Upon the
whole it is my deliberate opinion, and
know it is shared by many Of the general
officers have seen, that the army is not
fit for the immediate renewal Of hostili-
ties, and that requires rest imporatively
It is likewise evident that the unsuc-
cossful fighting Of yesterday and the hard
ships endured. not only affected the boz
dies, but also tho spiritt Of both offcerr