The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-12-26
The Disaster at fredericksburg.


" informed concerning the late bloody and dis
astrous defeat sustained by the Federal arms at
Fredericksburg. That is to say, they are as
fully informed as the censor of the press at
Washington will permit them to be. The facts
of this sad reverse are studiously concealed
from the public eye and may never be accurate
" known We can arrive at the magnitude Of
the disaster only by reasoning from the premi-
ses furnished us by our knowledge of the num-
Der of men engaged, the nature of the works
assaulted, the obstinacy of the conflict, with the
aid of the few CLEANS of light thrown upon the
subject by selfeyident truths which appear ac-
cidentally in the city newspapers. AS for Off
cial reports, they are hardly ever given to the
public as made by the general commanding and
rarely represent the true amount of losses or
the real condition of the defeated army. Ac-
cording to the New York newspapers there were
over one hundred and fifty regiments engaged
in the battle, each one Of which lost a greater
or less number of its men. 1t is uuite safe
average to say that each company that went
into the battle hn.3 fifteen of its members put
hors de combat. This would make the loss 22, 500!
But we think that this is low estimate and
that if the truth were known, the entire loss, in
killed, wounded and missing would not fall far
short of 10000. The fact that this immense
army was engaged, during the greater part of
two days, in an attempt to dislodgc dctermin-
ed and well fortified enemy, nearly, if not quite,
its equal in numbers and entirely so in courage
and discipline, renders this last estimate of the
Federal losses sufficiently probable. At Antie-
tam, where neither army had as many men, by
one halt, as at Fredericksburg, and where the
enemy had no Notifications, it cost us 10000
men, as many as Burnside admits he lost in his
recent defeat. Nor did Mcclellan, at Antie-
tam, rush massed bodies Of troops upon bate
ries which he desired should be silenced, as Burn
side did at fredericksburg. His movements
were continually to outfank the enemy, thus
saving the lives of his men, at the same time
that he compelled his adversary to retreat New.
ertheless, according to Burnside and the Gov
ernment censor, McClellan's losses at Antietam,
were as great as Burnside's at Fredericksburg!
II this be SO, then the art of war is stupen-
dous fallacy, facts are falschoods figures lie and
Logic is a fool
But the extent of the disaster reaches beyond
the mere number of the slain. Not only is the
army disorganized, but the people are at last
made to feel that the Administration at Wash
ington is unequal to the task which it has un-
dertaken. There is not one man in ten who
now believes that Abraham Lincoln will ever
be able to put down the rebellion. The prom
ises of the speedy capture Of Richmond, made
from time to time, are pretty fruit to look at
through the media of sensation newspapers, but
they have SO often turned to ashes upon our lips,
that we have learned to put them aside almost
instinctively. The popular heart beats low in
response to the outcry of the imbeciles at Wash
iington. The widows wall goes up to heaven
for husband sacrificed in vain. The orphans
cry for bread is heard, but the fatherly hand
that was wont SO tenderly to supply, is pulse
less on the CORY field on which the fight was
lost. The homes of the North are desolate and
Richmond is not taken, nor is the Union resto-
red. Is it strange that the people have lost con-
fidence in the President? Is it strange that the
war has become unpopular? Nay, it is enough
to make an impartial observer conclude that the
agents of the Federal Government are destruc-
tives, not conservatives, disunionists and not in
favor Of the restoration of the Union. 1t seems
almost impossible that mismanagement alone
could bring about so many and such terrible
failures. 1t looks more as though it were man
agenent on the part of the Administration, es-
pecially intended to secure such results. But
whatever may be the consequence of this last
and most dreadful disaster, and while we know
that the President is and will be held response
Bile therefor, we can only mourn the loss of the
brave and good men who fell on the blood
stained heights Of Fredericksburg. They fell
in vain and we can but honor their gallantry
and cherish their memory. Whilst of those
who marched back from that soul.sickening
slaughter, long shall be sung,
'Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them,
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
Those that had fought so well,
Came from the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of He'll
All that was left of them.
Honor the brave and bold!
Long shall the tale be told,
Yea wbar, orr hobo, a -. III