Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-12-26

IOluO III DctWccu Tic pOStS, as Tue NTSC that
was heard Of them they were in town, firing
ut our sleeping men. Some attempted resist
ance, but Of course it was feeble and of but
little avail. In q short time our force was
and forced to surrender The
attack was made at daybreak. About 200
are reported killed or wounded. Less than
that number escaped by mounting the first
horse they could find, hatless and shoeless,
and riding for life, without saddles or bril-
dies ..-.-.
One report at Memphis was that the rebels
had gone toward Grand Junction with the
intention OF taking that place; another, that
on Saturday Federal force from Oxford had
made its appearance, and the rebels fed
We have no means of knowing which is true.
The rebels burned large quantity of cot
ton, 225 wagons, depot filled with commits
sary stores, and where hospital stores were
also deposited, and livery stable, where am
munltion, &C., was deposited, worth half a
million dollars
The attacking force was Jackson's cavalry,
with infantry and cavalry, all under the COM
mand of Van Dorm. They were estimated
5000 strong.
A small force of rebel cavalry entered the
suburbs Of Memphis on Sunday, and some
thirty of them stayed over night. They took
down the union flag near Wolf River, and
put up the Confederate flag in its place and
kept it up as long as they stayed. They pill
LACED several stores and run off about 100
head of beef cattle and 100 mules, from the
10th Illinois, camped near the Fair Grounds.
Some of the mules and cattle had been recov-
cred.
Much excitement existed in Memphis, in
consequence, and a meeting was called on
Monday night to recommend some plan of po-
lice regulations and means of defense.
Gen. Sherman had reached Helena, and
was preparing to move down the river. A
report had reached there that jeff. Thompson
was moving on New Madrid with force of
5000, from Pocahontas, Ark, and that he
was within forty miles of the place on last
Monday
The rebels last night burned Union City
and the bridge over the Big Obion River, and
the report is that large force of cavalry and
infantry, under Forrest and Cheatham, are
now within few miles of Columbus Every
effort is being made to meet them.
Boston, Dec "a.
The Athenian Block, Pearl street, was bad
ly damaged by fire last night. Loss estimat-
ed at 500, 00O-mostly insured.
WASHINGTON, Dec %.
The report of the Committee on the Con-
duct of the War embraces the dispositions of
Generals Burnside, Sumner, Franklin, Hook
er, Woodbury., Halleck, Howe and Meigs.
The committee report the testimony without
comment.
Gen. Burnside said: "When, after the bat
tie of Antietam, Mcclellan decided to cross
the Potomac, said in my opinion he never
would be able to take the army on that route
beyond the Rappahannock, unless he sue.
ceeded in fighting the enemy at some place
on this side; that if he proposed to go to
Richmond by land he would have to go to
Fredericksburg; and in that he partially
agreed with me. On the 9th of November,
after this conversation, Mcclellan gave an or
der to Capt. Dunn, Chief of Engineers, to
have all the pontoon bridges at Berlin and in
that neighborhood, that could be spared,
taken up and sent down to Washington with
view Of getting them down to this place in
case he decided to go by way of Fredericks-
burg. The letter conveying that order was
written on the 9th of November, but, as I'M
derstand, was not received until the 18th"
Burnside speaks of the surprise with which
he read the Presidents order to take COM
mand of the Army of the Potomac. and that
he repeatedly expressed the opinion that he
(Burnside) was not competent to command so
large an army, and that Mcclellan was the
fttest person.
He then says: "Halleck came to see me
on November 18th. On the 9th l made out
plan of operation, in accordance with Hal
leck's order, and sent it to Washington"
He gives detailed account Of this plan, and
speaks of the disastrous delay in receiving
pontoons, and says that on the 18th, he start
ed column to Fredericksburg, not knowing
of the delay. The pontoons did not, however,
start till the 10th, and on that day it COM
menced raining, which delayed them so much
and the roads became so bad thal8when they
got to Dumfrees they foated the pontoons off
the wagons, sent to Washington for a steam
er and carried them to Acquia Greek, but
send the wagons around by land. The
pontoons did not get there till the 22d or 23d
of November. After the first delay in start
ing the pontoons, they were, think, then
sent as quickly as they could have been, and
the supplies and Quartermaster's stores have
always been in as great abundance as we
could have expected, for after the 10th of
November the weather and roads were par
ticulariy bad. After reaching Fredericksburg,
[ saw at once that there was no crossing the
Rappahannock with the army at that time. It
commenced raining, and the river to rise. I
did not know how much it might rise. There
were no means of crossing, except by going
up to the forks, and it would have been i'm
possible to do that, because of the inability to
supply the troops after they should cross.
Sumner arrived here in advance with his
troops, and asked me if he should cross the
river. did not think it advisable that he
should do so at that time. 1t was first de-
cided to cross at SINNERS Neck, about twelve
miles below here, but our demonstration was
simply for the purpose of drawing there as
large force of the enemy as possible. de. 4
cided to cross here because, in the first place,
felt satisfied that they did not expect us to
cross here, but below. In the next place, I
felt satisfied that this was the place to fight
the most decisive battle, because if we could
divide their forces by piercing their lines at
one or two points, separating their left from
their right, that a vigorous attack from the;
whole army would succeed in breaking their
army in pieces. Two attacks were made, and
we were repulsed, still holding portion of
the ground we had fought upon, but not our
extreme advance. That night went over
the field on our right, and in fact was with
the officers and men till nearly daylight. 1
eound the feeling against an attack return
I'd to my headquarters, and after converse
ton with Gen. Sumner, told him wanted
him to order the 9th army corps, which &
originally commanded, to form next morning H.,
q column of attack, by regiments, Git consist ;.
ed Of some eighteen old regiments and some
new ones, and desired the column to make a
direct attack upon the enemy's works. I
thought that these regiments, by arriving
quickly up after each other, would be able to.
carry the stone wall and batteries in front,
and thus force the enemy on their next line,
md by going in with them they would not be