The New York herald., 1862-12-25


your Sile1, wounded and misingf
AnsweS-k think It viii amount to about ton tho asand
altogether.
Answer-I have MT, except what saw incidentally in
q Kchmond paper
Question-rDs understand you to say that you con.
Cured in the movement t. cross the river2
Answer.I was not my>opinsn that we could cross at
Question win YOU state tShe.her or moi 1t is your
opinion that II the movement o. the army from Warren
ton had been delayed until tho he the Donloes arrived
here, the army could have then come here, and with
those pontoons have made crossAg here and occupied
the Heights before the enemy could Awe reached here ia
sufficient force to have prevented ity
Answer.-Yes, sir that is my opinion
Question Then II IS your opinion hstx Il had been
ascertaned that the pontoons could not possibly be here
the time General Burnside expected them 10 be hore
he should have been notified Of the time whom they could
be here, that be might mako the movements Of his
army correspond with the time when the pentools could
be hero? IL IL
Answer.-That is my opinion.
Queston.-What is the condition OF the army now as to
its efficiency Is its efficiency impaired. othor than by
loss Of many men, or is 1t denorased BY the recent
disasters,
Al think II s not demorazed at all; that Is 80 FAR
my own wing is concerned know It is not.
oueston.-After the crossing had been made was II
possible in your opinion for our troops 20 have carried
side so as TO have derived any advantage from ny
Answer.-It is my opinion that II, instead OF making
our eft-that is our available the real
tack had been made there and merely eiDt made upon
the right we might have carried the heights think we
could have carried them Whether the army would have
achieved a success by that cannot say. do
TO that the mere carrying Of the heights would have
secured our success. do not know what was behind
them or how much OF q force the enemy had
there. I know that wherever we appeared we
found a great many more men than we had
would like to impress as firmly upon the committee as
firmly as il is impressed upon my mind the fact that
this whole disaster has resulted from tho delay in the
for that delay responsible for all the disasters which
have followed. We We're rather astonished when We
down here to find that Sumner had been here for
think that is the main cause for this disaster.
ouestion.-Do you know what ths expectation was as
to the pontoons being here On the arrival OF the first
army corps that would get here, expected that the
pontoons would be heres
Answcr-Certainly, it was expected they would be
Question-what was that corps to have done if pom.
toons had been here?
taken possession Of the heights. Ii the ponoons had
been here there would have been very hte difficulty u
doing that
TESTIMONY OF GEN. HOOKER.
Major General Hookers testimony 10 the following
eaect:--About the 10th Of November Burnside in
command After Hooker had been there day or two,
there was some talk Of transforming the line OF
operations from the line Of the railroad 1t War
renton the line Of the railroad Aquis creek Gene
raj Haieck and General Megs visited General Burnside,
he was informed, 10 determine whether the taauser
of operations should be made. AS as he could
collect that was about the llth OF November. That
matter discussed between those Generals and Can
burnside and it was determined that the transfer should
be made. Some one mentioned, either Gen.. Halleck or
Gen. Mess he did not recosct which, that they thought
they could have everything ready this side in three
days. This was not private conversation They
said they thought they could have the pom
toons ready. the stores landed, and essTy thing
II was not within the range OF human
possibly do that Soon after ths movement 10 the
Rappshannock commenced be brought up acrear Of the
in chip0tn H.. 10
he thought 1t had important bearing upon some
which were to come afterwards. Tue rear Of
After being upon the road Tor about three
days. he stopped day with bis command al Hart
wood From that point he letter g. General
tho river with his grand division AZ Of the fors
there and come down on the south side Of the
communication from him, the request was denied.
After giving crcumstantia account OF his movement,
he said when Summers advance column reached here,
there were only some the rebels in Fredericksburg
He did not know why they did not take possession OF Ere
dercksburg but the feeling seemed to he they could take
possession OF Fredericksburg at any time. Cnlya few
days before Lieut. Dahgren of the cavalry, with fty
ye crossed the river and took possession Of the
town. When he was at HARDWOOD he heard there was
going TO be delay OF three four days getting the
pontoons here, and that why he aeked
permission Of Ges Burnside 70 cross at the ford there
and come down on the other side Of the river When
go here no said should have been IN condition TO
march right forward without stopping day anywhere;
but the mishap made here that has been made
all along through this think It would have been
better have held the lines where By repairing
sufficient force herc to threaten the enemy aud keep
them up to their works at Culpepper aud ordonsvls;
but instead of that withdrew every man, and
burned the bridges thus exposing .ur plan to the enemy
down here and left one UP there threatening TO
advance nat line IL led them believe that
going to advance on both lines would have been bet
ter, but the cnemy saw at once what at and
came right on here, and they here than
them three weeks to fory one hundred thousand
men can make any place impregnable to any other
hundred thousand men.
By Mr.. Gooch-What was tho strength Of your COM
mand al HHrtwoodY
Answsr.-It was - men.
Question-wouId there have been any difficulty as 10
supplies your moving down the other side Of the river
lnswcr.WI had three days, rn,icns there Iwas pre-
pairing march down through Caroline county, whore
the people had Just gathered their crops and would
have got plenty OF forage and prov sions, enough
for a week fortnight. AZ the time Of
the conversation between Generals Hallcck Mciss
and Burnside, there was some talk Of forwarding
some supplies up the Rappahannock. ! said that at
Bowling Green could draw my supplies from Port Royal
easily as 1 could get them when WIS nj HARDWOOD.
know that could take position with 40 900 men that
the whole rebel army cauld not move me from
Question.-would that movement have been safe IN
view Of the fact that the enemy had lot the means Of
crossing hcrcs
Answer--Yes sir: because | could take the heights
there with my command, and theu put them in
dition Of defence. Ii had gone there, not man Of
the eneny would have come 70 Fredericksburg but they
would hnvc goHc 10 other river and fortified there
IL we had given them time, us cHectuay they have
here. regard the rebei icsiton On The Happaannock
q strong one. / mean the one thoy retired 10 from
Manassas. They had the advantage of two railroads
To bring their supplies to them from the West and tho
other railroad from Richmond To bring their troops mp
there IL Is the strongest position they had in Virginia
The advantages OF this position to hold against force
wishing to cross the river aud attack are such as have
never before seen
Question--How far apart tho bridges at the two
points where army crossed here,
Answer-AbOut tour miles.
Question .-You speak Of the telegraph road will you
state definitely what that road is?
Answer-1hc telegraph road leaves fredericksburg
from Hanover street, and rrns through depression
the hills In the direction Of Bowling Green.
Queston-iow do you explain the fact that the enemy
did not shell the city when cur troopers masscd
there?
Answer- cannot explain IL. II is nexplicabls to me
that they did not do have before stated. 10 was
reported under flag Of truce that they had 40 time
shot by heating which to FIRE the city, aud that would
have made q terrible time OF II.
ouestcn.-Was our crossing made unknown to the
enemy
IL was late when got the order 10 Withdraw my com
mand, between three and four O'Clock in the morning
IN hafy apNp