The New York herald., 1862-12-25
, o. the department. having charge Of it., either 70
sssion.B1t you do not recollsct any such rcquesif
qIsrIsoKY OF GENERAL NEIGs.


assson-B1t you do not recollect any such reqaesif
nswer.-No, sir.
TESTIMONY OF GENERAL NEI6s.
On. Negs in answer TO a request for explanations OF
hng Occurring 10 him relative to the battle Of Frsds
sburg says az be presrnes the inquiry arises prin-
Ally from the excited state OF the public mind and the
hc press and statements published snow misap-
henson the true facts Of the case, and the press
degree holds him responsible for certain failures
ia the pon,oon train ana supplies, The Qlster
stsrs Department has been held responsible for eer
failures, win begin at that point and therefore
ties as follows
Before the Army OF the Potomac left the vcr a
Of Harper's Ferry I received Telegram from
ingalls,, Chief oaarternaster, which | hav > read
thin few lays though lave not got il hs' e. can
member sta substance he requested me 70 direct that
the cars that could be obtained should % loaded with
supplies and placed in convcn ent posi-
n the railroad Nest OF Alexandria, so rs be sent
Tho Manassas Cap and the o. ner rsroans radi
ng from that point, meet the V.luy ON It's march
also requested the last sents nee of his despatch
at would cause the road iroD Aqua creek 20 Rich
the back Of that telegram " is my habit, directions 10
yo the ORDERS which thovsht were necessary. sent
pes Of the telegram @ se principa agents Of supply
mmissary stores and v, the Chief Quariermaer OF the
pot, whore duty IS 20 provide quaTterus stores
(ho had charge. 81 the repairing snd running
the military wilroads, General Halpt aud Colonel
cColum aiaQdired what direction bad been made for
repairing of Che reads, and directed those under my
rders be ready 70 meet the requirements Of tho
atch. knew the matter was in good hands, ana ook
or granted that all proper precautions had already been
ade learned inquiry that they had been told that
hey were ready. remember writing on the back Of
telegram that OF course the repair o the raroas 10
ichlnond would depend upon its being occupied by the
the United Staos. IL was at that time ~ tue
Of the enemy and i would have been as say
saw General HalecK ana mentioned this
him. | do not remember exactly what
sply made to COL lngalls but seeing MIN Afterwards
spoke d il, and understood that this was despatch
written at his own instance not specifically directed ny
6en Mcclellan But in that ! may be mistaken have
pot spoken 70 General Mcclellan on the subject,
!and derive this impression from what re:
bhen, beiese, everything nearly ready 90 repair
road should be able to get possession Of
D. We had built there last spring very large wharf,
about thousand feet in length. There rc4uisi
ions the quartermaslere to build still larger wharves,
pne eighteen hundred feet long Az the time the
Dorps Of General Burnside landed there and went forward
DO the Rappahannock and R,pdan, remember ut that
sime advising the authorities that by the time could
ret vessel losd of tGber TO the place IL would
be abandoned and the act that before any progress
could be made in building the 800 feet additional wharf
work already constructed there was destroyed; cars
aud considerable quantity OF stores were destroyed, and
1he bridges burned, TO my great regret eDdeavored TO
vrevent bu, heard Of the intention late The next
SINE this matter came 10 my attention in any way
when General Haleck informed that General Burnside
bad taau command Of the Army Of the Potomac and de-
change his base of operations and he requested
me accompany him 20 Warrcnton TO General Burn.
sido. I went with him on the 17,h Of November, aud
with General Hanft the Director and Superin
tendont Of Military Railroads. appointed by the Secretary
War who acts connection with the QGarermastcrs
We rn,sa the the funds and 10 sapposey
abe and competent man. There was good deal
with General Burnside that nightyhc
aid not hear left General Haleck and himself to dis
the project Of the campagn and entered into only
ate in the evening. was informed that the Generan-
DYCy 10
plans the President should approve. ] do not
ihnk anything vas said TO me about pontoops
have supplies ready Tor hs army. think he asked me
BOW many days il would take TO get the supplies to
shat we could DO good deal, but that Il took time
- accomplish so great movement. Here was
sreat city--to be suddenly whipped up to break Oh
from its lincs Of communication and be transferred 10
new position, and their supplies to be received from
marrow channel in contracted harbor, with very shall
low water that to supply them all with the necesssriss
of life like undertaking 10 supply Boston without any
done without great labor and that would collect all the
suitable could and have them employed in the
work We had NUN bor Of vesscs bArges boats
plready the river canal boats principally up
ahc canul between here and Harpers Ferry said that
ne would collect them as rapidly as possible and would
promise have the supplies ut Aqua creek by the time
n got there but that he had 900 1000 wagons with
Ae army, and when he got to Falmouth opposite Frede
Iomac, and let them haul Inc supplies to the
Campsthat the railroad could not be repaired in day
shat we did not Know the condition o. ne bridges ne
not been burned. They had been burned, however. !
sndcrsand that there was not large force a Fredercks
burg. Captain Dahlgrcn, Of General Sgeps stan, had
nadc dash into Fredericksburg few days before and
Mad driven out what little force was there, and was
sold BY General Hcntzclman that in the dash he mad
burned some bridges had the impression that he had
Durned these very brdges that they were burned then
and not before but what were tho facts IN tnat matter
general Haupt consulted with meas TO the best mode
IT organizing corps Of worxmen for the railroad repair
nnd wharf building. told him there were two regi.
nens Of engineer soldiers here under the charge Of
sseneral woodbury. already organized; that they
were pnSpa sa no ors ana nessn
no more skiif, no better disciplined msn, and they
would serve guards and workmen, and advised him
- ask General Haleck TO place . portion Of them,
o Aqua creek The idea struck him favorably he re:
down this engineer regiment under General woodbury.
did not see at that tme General Burnside's letter con
ssing MS pan o. tae ;s mS s AVA sa
pressed surprise that had not seen It, He thought
had, aud then read IL 70 me- l do not remember how
che question of ponOcn train cac up a Warrenton
NY own recollection Of tho circumstance s that il occur
red 20 me that f h vas going e Fredsricksbarg ne
IN order 70 General Woodbury. 70 call ~ the Quarter
snastsr's st Washington for transportation Tor hs
e Aaa ees beng s SSs ns ..,. @prs sr
near Harpers Ferry, and that they wsuId have 70 be
transported from that place thought he might need
canal boats and perhaps horses " tow them down the
Oanal and steamers 10 take them from Washington 10
Aqua creek handed the order to General Haleck, say
1ng UGeneral Woodbury. ie engineer and it 10 not
proper therefore for me 10 sign the order yon think
10 right adyise you 10 sSn ~" He signed u and u
Was sent on 70 The telegraph office. also wrste des
patch myself " the Quartermaster in Baltimore, who
under my srders directing copy 70 DO handed ~
sansu 10 the Quartermasier here, calling on aim TO
Dend one hundred barges possible 20 Washing
Con for the purpose Of taking supplies ~ Aqua creek
ana Belle Plain Thee. barges draw but little water and
are available In tho where larger vessels cannot
approach the shore General Haupt was with us. lie
required no directions isr nc was consultation WIN
General Burnside and Geucrsl Hallcck lie had every
shing ready. II perfectly well understood by him
and myself, and think also by General Haeck and
OF special conversation, that nothing could be done AZ
Aunia creek until had possession OF IT, The supplies
under protection o tho guubeas could lay on IN the
harbor, but could not land 1 thought the Engineer
brigade able to drive Oh the enernys pckets aud
land. and believe n dGgc. ! thnk the EDgi-
necr brigade landed at Aqua. creek before General
Burnside reached Falnouth, md on their landing