The New York herald., 1862-12-25
= Of the department. having charge Of il, either 70
l Hsupt or Gen. Hegs.
sssion-But you do not recOllset any such rcquestf


pess,on.-Bc you do not recOnset any such rcquestf
newer. No, SIR
TESTIMONY OF GENERAL NEISs.
Neigs in answer 10 request for explanations OF
hing oseurring 10 him relative TO the battle Of Frsde
sburg, says, as be presnes the inquiry arises priD-
ally from the excited state Of the public mind and the
hc press and as statements published snow misap-
henson the facts OF the case and the press
ome degree holds him responsible for certain failures
IA the pontoon train ana supplies aDs as The Qlster
ssr's Department has been held responsible for ee
failures Se win begin at that point, and therefore
tes as follows
Before the Army of the Potomac left the vcr al.
Of Harper's Ferry received Telegram from
ingalls,, Chief oaarterinagter, which hav . read
thin few days, though have not got it hs, e. can
member ia substance. lie requested me direct that
the cars that could be obtained should % loaded with
axterRaascrs supplies and paced in convcn ent posi-
n on the railroad west Of Alexandria, SO as 70 be sent
YER tho Manassas Gep the o. oer railroads radi.
Ing from that point 10 meet the v.lny on It's march.
also requested the last sents nee Oh his despatch
at would cause the road from Aqnia creek 20 Rich
ond, via fredericksburg, TO bs put in repair
the back OF that telegram ", is my habit, directions
ve the orders, which thovs sht necessary. sent
apartments to the COMM saary General In regard to the
pmmisary stores and " the Chief Quartcrmaser OF the
S provide the raYspors,on r them and to those hose
h0 had charge OF the repairing and running
the military wilroads, General Haapt and Colonel
cColum. SnQHred what direction had been made for
repairing Of the roads, and directed those under my
gders 70 be ready 70 meet the requirements Of tho es
atch knew the matter in good hands, anu took
or granted that all proper precautions had already boe
and learned on inquiry that they had been told that
he telegram that Of COURSE the rspair 81 the raroas to
Richmond would depend upon its being occupied by the
oos o. ns % United I'm saos 1 was a Iai & se sasv .sS
or me at that time to have provided barracks IN kicp
sond as 70 repair the road TO Richmond md,
lnnarsf and ne
10 him. do not reiacmbef exactly what
reply made to Co Ingalls, but seeing him afterwards
written his own instance specifically directed by
een. Mcclellan But in that may be mistaken have
ind l derive this impression from what ! re-
member Of Colone, Ingalls, statement. We had
Ss road s"psysr we should be abe q ss pSsseop ~
H. We had built there last spring very large wharf,
about one thousand feet in length There were rcanis
ons the lusrtermaslers TO build still larger wbarves
about eighteen hundred feet long ~ the time the
orps Of General Burnside landed there and went forward
DO the Rappahannock and Hapdan, remember at that
sime advising the authorities that by the time could
get vessel lo.d Of tlaber 70 the place il would
Be abandoned and the at vas that before any progress
could be made in building the 500 feet additional wharf
work already constructed there d,atroyed
aud considerable quantity OF stores were destroyed and
She bridges burned, TO my great regret endevorcd TO
prevent n but heard of the intention too late The next
time this matter cano TO my attention in any way was
when General Haleck informed Inc that General Burnside
Aai taken command Of the Army OF the Potomac and de-
sed,o change his base OF operations, and he requested
"
sid0 l went with him the 18th Of November, and
with went General Hanft, the Director and supern-
u War who acts IN connection with the qartermasters
Department We furnish the funds, and Le supposed
he under the drectionof the department He Is very
Ah.e and competent There q good deal
e conversation with General Burnside that nghthch
did not hear. left General Halleck and himself 10 dis
euss the project Of the campagn aud entered into only
hte in the evening. was informed that the Seneran-
CAef would the matter TO the President for his
proya and that General Burnside carry his
/
hink anything was said to me about pontoons
have supplies ready Tor his army. think he asked
Bow many days it would take TO get the supplies to
Aaoia creek told him i could not be- be done in day
% accomplish 80 great movemsnt. Here vas
m army Of over men-the population q
nOm its lines Of communication, and be transferred TO
position and their supplies to be received from
low waters that supply them all with the necesssres
of life like undertaking TO supply Boston without any
na that wos collect ali
snitable vessels could and have them employed in the
work We had Of vesscs bArges and canal boats
already In the river Our canal boats were principally up
abe canul between here and arpers Ferry. said that
would collect them rapidly possible, and would
promise to have tho supplies at Aqua creek by the time
n got there but that he had 900 1900 wagons with
Ae army and when he got to Falmouth opposite Frede
somac, and % Let them haul ne supplies to tho
Camps-that the railroad could not be repaired in day
that we @ no, Snow ne Sa @ me a
not been burned They had been burned, however.
understand that there was not large force at Frederck
burg Captain Dahgrcn, OF General Sigels stan, had
zmadc dash into Fredericksburg few days before, and
Aad driven out what little force was there, and was
sold by General Hentzclman that in the dash he had
burned some bridges. had the impression that he had
Burned these very bridges thai they were burned then
1 do not know. ON our way out 70 warrenton
General Haupt consulted with mes TO the best mode
md %naf bns sod him III there ere
pens Of engineer soldiers here under the charge Of
General Woodbury. already organized; that they
men; that he could get no more Intelligent.
no nore skilfa, better disciplined men, and they
% ask General Halleck TO place portion Of them,
- least, at his disposal, and 70 order them
suesied IT, and subsequently orders given to send
down this engineer regiment under General Woodbury.
sd not see as that time, General Srrnsdes 0,sr Con
shis city he convcrsed with me ON this subject and e.
pressed surprise that had not seen IT, He ho.ght
che question Of ponlocn train up at warenton
Nv own recollection Of tho circumstance that it
=. S s "su lDs S s
sn order 70 General Woodbury. 20 call ~ the Quarter
ionsoons 70 Aquis creek, being under the impres.
sion a the time that the bridges were mp
o ,na ca miuS he & Cd
Canal boats and perhaps horses 70 tow them down the
Oanal and stcamsrs 20 tssc them from washington TO
Aqua creek handed the order 10 General Hacck, say
sng, "General Woodbury. s an engineer, and y not
proper therefore for 10 sign the order yon think
IL IL right adyse you TO sign ~ lie signed u and IL
Was sent on " The telegraph Office also wrste des-
patch myself the QuartermSser in Baltimore, who
Was under my orders, directing copy 70 bc handed IN
Syansitu 70 the Qusrtermaser here, calling him 10
send hundred barges as possible 70 Washing
Con for the purpose Of taking supplies " Aqua creek
and Belle PLAIN These barges draw but little water and
available in tha river where larger vessels cannot
approach the shore. Genersl Hanpt was with us. lie
required no directions: he in consultation with
General Burnside and General Halccl. lie had every
ching ready II perfectly well understood by him
and myself, and think also by General Haeck and
General Burnside thergh do not thnl u was subject
or special conversation that nothing could be done at
AQUA creek until had possession Of H. Tbs supplies
under protection oi tho gunboas couid lay on in the
Narbor. but could not land. I thought the Engineer
brigade able TO drive on the enemy's pickets and
land, and bslicve ~ was done thnk the tng.
uecr brigade landed az Aqua creek before General
burnside reached Falmouth, and on their landing
Che enemy's pccts away, aud then operation