, 1862-12-27
Ul)ifa9o Qribnne.
THE BATTLE OF FREDE-
RTCKSBURG.
Reportofthe Congressional COM
nlittee on that Affair.
Testimony Of Gems. Sumner, Franklin
and Booker.

tion II The 18th inst, calling on that Commit |
tc5 to inquire into the facts relating 10 the |
recent battle at ederieksburg, Va. and par
ticnlarly as to What officer or officers are re-
sponsi|le for tM assault, that they had pro. !
ceelcd to the headquarters Of ale Army of the /
Potomac, and taken the dispositions Of Major |
Generals Burnside, Sumner, Franklin and |
Hooker, and Brig Generals Woodbury. and |
Haupt, and, On their return to Washington, |
those of Major Gen. Hal1eck and Brig. Gen. |
Mcigs Ali tie facts relating to the movements |
Of the army under Gen. Burnside, the forward !
ing Of pontoons and supplies, and the recent
ba1tlc at Fredericksburg, are SO fully and
clearly stated in the dispositions herewith sub
mitted, that the Committee report the testi-
uao,Y Without comment
The first witness called vas Gen. Burnside:
but as We have already given the material
points III his testimony, NC omit it.
TESTIMONY OF GEN SUMMER.
Major Gen. E. '. Sumner sworn and exam
med by the Chairman:
Q-What is your position in the Army Of
the Pot to1r:s:e.2
Al comInand the right grand division Of
that army, consisting Of the Second and Ninth
q. would it have been better, in your iudg-
ment, to have crossed the river and engaged
the enemy earlier than you did, and ifso, why
was it not doGe9
4. When Gen. Burnside was ordered to
take command of this army, he told me what
or;el;s ;sh11rn instead of Cnlnenrer thouo,,t
that the Wisest plan, for these reasons: five
had marched on Cu1pcpper according to the
.ra TnnfI I,vn had IN an hacE f,r s,,nni;as,
Whereas hv cnrninr on t},is Inc m
rcachinr FTederickeb1re 1 confidently cxpect-
I'd 10 IKE ti,e hlghts IN fhe rear Of II hef1re
the army of the enemy would come from Cu1-
R;al,1nani7 was much hefter than rroinpr III,
+4i,e,r uaV. heca11sc # f1,e 1,optoon! had hean
here on nv arrival. and in time for me 10 have
crossed and occupicd the Iights in the rear
Of FrclcriclSsburg before the enemy could
enemy Of from tllis line Of railroad, Eee1ing
ii. Il, our own ;,osscssion, and if we could moi
1ave preceded them in Richmond we cou1d
hare Kent SO close to them that they would
Lave lid no time to build fortifications.
These were the reasons why I thought that it
| Gen. Burnside, to change his base Of opera
| tons instead of advancing on Culpepper,
| which I believe Gen Mcclellan intended to
have done. On nv arrival here on On the 11th
| Of November 4 battery OF artillery on the
! ether side Of lie river opened upon us the
On the ridge hank Of Falmouth. immedi-
:tte1y put a battery into position, and think
| III not to exceed fifteen minutes they drove
every man on the other side from their guns,
| and they ran off and left four guns on the
! field. Ny orders were to advance and hold
| Falmouih-not to cross-but the Temptation
! was so strcng to 80 over and take those guns
the enemy had left that at one time actually
gave the order to cross the fords at all events
and seize the guns and OCCUPY the city, but
on reflection concluded I was rather too old
t!,nrn 1Sas onof1,er Teason' I'M T lad :
utt1c +,o I,nnh ,.vroriencn IN Tho Penimsu1t
r. tl,e consequence ~ s1etfiur astr;de of :
1,irar In wish Il, here Far these reasons rc
rn1:ei1 nv order fhof niyht The saynf. nieh,
scnf = 13ofc To Cen RHrnside Who WIS so:n.
efGI,t or fcn miics distant askino hin II
coi,jd take Frcdcriek sburg in Tie morn;nt
sbn,,15 ho oh1o "a f;n5 ), ,1r,ct;o,hla fa-
witch bv tie WV knew w3an I wrotc M Il,
mite fi,af T could find The General ren1ie
through his Chief Of Staff that lie did no
nr,t;] his cnmmnnications were cstahlishcd
ami IN reflection. r myse1f fI,ouoi1t he wa
r;"hf f1,af II Iros 1,,uaent and 7,roi3or 10 IN,
liz hr;does readS in,fnrc We occunfcf] Fre]e,
icEsbnTs.
JfhinE T con1f1 have taken t1,at c;tv and II,
M t,,e other side of It av ,v;t; ~
| Ih7aa J.rs aftnr NV S-r;,-a1 1,era r. tho NJ,
tnars h"H how Taro far T In ma +hinI- 4hha,
.ros 1,,1,c5 foTrn IF fhc enemy hrra ~, tn til.
t;,,,o 4N0~-' ~ 'A-1 ~N1e'' 111A~ 0f> ~ eNA'
Wal, rrac,ra II 41,a do1o1, ,oo1-;,o+ +4,o .
d, ,,at +1;,,i1 +tat to ,.a1.n,>,a+ ~ 4
1Snnr@ }3e+711 ,r1o
= VIII bc rn1o11ectnd that M "+S 1oranarat;o7
~ Eea ,s,aJe at Tra.,! 4Wi,a, :.
t1,tn eton n'.uH @ ~ ~. IaIa ,orS u.een, men @
nG hn,,;, Ere1s fnr o 1o,,d;na % ,nvthine - thcrc
tha.a +i,r,re IA -, ~ ,re;,nraH .45sr1,r "a a
~ 1.e;1toSS had r. - 10 pto1natcd hefara II
t,Ins e, enarmpns an,ount ~ frans,nrfotio
r. s+:,,nir ~ ar,,,r ~ I'M nh I,o1, onT i
,,oi i3,i,,k If the General co1ll1 have moiie h
: nreparations. could have done all that ":
nccessary to do sooner tllan he did after Il
sr,ival here If tl,c nontoons-
The first Droposlfion to cross the river y;
F, Ia cross at sn5cl;erss Ncck- r secmed r. ~ ~
fI,et vn,, con1d scarcely cross = river in Il
face of m encmy of ssou:,1 or sunerior f;,r. r.
except by surpr5se. Therefore. afier the e. pr
Eect affcr large nn:nbey Of wa@ons h.
:. hren sent III the Genera], dow, tfcTs. to d i
nc e:,.a IT,. H.. o,,a,1' nv ,.n dao;doaI,. .Is ~
ID thrnwinr fhe bridges over here and c,rrri, m
~. tnxcf3 se aS wt 1i] carry II IN snrnrisa
e en"nr 1xer, o.u Il tbe;g tro1,,: x
,,eaoM, N t,ro Sapee'''ss "e "e'e eoaAs 10 'Aos'
~" 9ne' =, t,4o,, of oro=.,,,<- +,,o po,n.,,.
as hcca. 80 1 ni1her om ,orernmint ,.n II
. mosA, ,I,ia ,nsi Tsa eo+;sfs5 ~ =, hs,.e -
e,,1,r on4 er,.t;ra f,nm thfs Tosit;an nv ero ;1
r;oir ,.,,ti1 1en Gnn1s t3,e foEcc Il
~ ,. ther sa ~ of ~" rna ',,
~, ~" ~. . .h;a7, ~ ,o,d f,.4.a 49, ana
~ n'. ,.or r +h.o ,-5 F.1;,a1s - tIo,,s
1rss 1,ocsssarr n A - 1savo ~ 1o.da 1ns
. =. ~, ttn+ 5a.es,s, s.t%,-,5a.a!II -
aao.ear. ~ 4hersi',,a ~ .tt,c 3ta;r etrr ~
+rorlss 3,,5 Tho rnn,,1sa w,s Trh,t froo,n,,
3. h,aa "in 'ns .tnI,;n%s Tha uar. ~
ntaprns etln.!!r +,a1 ~ ~, 1siyed then, ~ ho
~ . ,.at1 1,az,rdnns n,nran,o,+. ~
H1GS ~ he,;oso t1,at ~ on,,1J corrs ~ aor
u. 1,e 14o1. c,iaa ,,;;5er ~ t1'a
4.ss ,rt;c,t;nna h.;nor 1nnc1, s, nv W. |nrn
Sa nv, ~ - s,,,.,,oe., tTe-,a -, t,o Ao1
ion any WV, o, ascr;ha 41'nso
IT. r cannot t dcscrfhe them hem ,nv fi,rf1er +
this; They were tier upon tier for two
ds t1rce tiers. If wc had carried the first
w.. 1.,,.1J ,o+ 1,,rn he1l + f,r tho;- ,at
=" 49, w. eouau u.,a .nnra foe,n;d.ii III ,o1r f foet;t
e te5 t;.,s, ar,IE mile distant and on hjsher
.;t:nr III and NJ ianrhf }ar9re rn,sess ~
50. f,,tr., Tcrc 1,rtwecn 1I,e trn cresfs. and
sm ~ N t1,n I'm nf one crast 5re "
. w. I ha5e sbe been "a compelled ON to contend With MS
o. iaesh i ,rnSfS u'e' T4o 1e,e nrdnrc5 wv H.
e,,1 ssr'ez eon,n .a.nami;n tn se,ect tbs cor, ~
sene.11 t.an1o So1noted ~ oar,,e s ~ ~
1ahe tnS ~ ~, orcoct +ro ~ ia ~ -
Tas,4 a5t;aors M - n,,r o1n,v nnd II tTn ~ -
lum ~ na;t3ar =" oS ~ ti,s,,, er,. T tnrned
u n baels to the enemy. They made repe
RsT assanMs, MI Wese 15isen nash ~ slalS ~. =
'eSs sSs 1he enorts t't eoid oe t at .4els u'
fnll Inc pf1nciFal onslaSie .nas 1uI5 ., 1oulo
,tcr- long stone T;Ai, "ncn WAS luz out"ol
nSS; aas; fhe enemy. tnat Tan % vas some aonr ol
me, and had been Ealsed and stEengthe
est Ihe enemy hao aF'n1Csy lalas Gnuiaaeu ~:
wall on ooth sides, 1hey nela I1eir nle
our troops arrived at cerlatn pomlb, =
they rose and poured a petacce 9olley
This wall, then artillery enf1adiDg our COLI
3S!a. SSGs at the came time. N9 troops p c9nla 9
yerS such fire as that. 20 not think It It :