The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-01-02
Burnside to Halleck on the Battle Of Fred
Arinkshurg.


Gen IIalleck and the congressional investi-
eating Committee on Sunday returned from the
battlefield of fredericksburg and Gen. Burn
side on Friday writes a despatch, which is pub
ishod throughout the country, 10 which he
strives 10 assume the responsibility Of the late
fearful disaeter at that place. There arc just
two suppositions in the case, as presented there
in: either Gen. Burnside has prosttuted him
self to the uses of the administration SO far as
TO have suffered this despatch to go forth at their
instigation, and in an attempt to paliiate the
crime which naturally and actually belongs TO
them or he a. as he strives to show, m part res
por sbe himself for the slaughter. Either sup
position is equally discreditablc to Gen. Burn
side. A glance at the despatch in question con-
viuces us that Burnside Is guilty rather of weak
ness in allowing himself to be made tool
tt an of the crime of the terrible experiment
slsasr the lives Of his men, which his apparent
So sacrifice endeavors to Induce us to believe.
4 bad business make the best Of i; and
81 Sa5psItii puts III fr1rtlUs cUElvsrueu IN !"
worse light before the country than ii thad neV-
er been suffered TO go forth.
The two points of difference, it appears, to
take Gen. Burnside at his word, between his
ordcrs-or rather the plan agreed upon by Gen.
Halleck, Secretary Stanton, President Lincoln
and hinself-and the plan at last adopted, had
reference to the time and place of crossing, and
the place Of attack upon the rebel works over
the Rappahannock. He alleges that he crossed
sooner than agreed upon, and in violation OF
Halleck's and Stanton's and Lincoln's injunction
snot to be in haste" because the supplies he
needed came to hand at an earlier date than
had been expected. That he was ordered by
them to cross at one time or another and attack
these works, is therefore admitted; and what
advantage any delay on his part would have
gained, does not appear, especially since, when
he did cross, by reason of some unacconntable
stoppago at the bridges of twenty-iour hours
duration, the enemy had concentred his force Tor
the attacl, sufficiently to send him back again
defeated.
The precise point indicated by Halleck and
the rest for crossing is not shown; and in Burn
sides estimation his own place, had no delay oc-
Cured, would have been the better one Had
nothing occurred according to his showing, to
prevent, sfhe battle would have been in my
fhis1 opinion more decisive than If we had
crossed at the places first selected" How mis-
cradle the apology turns out for all parties,
therefore, is shown by It's own context. Burn
side, while he attempts to shield Halleck and
the others. admits that their plan in his opinion
would not have succeeded any better than his
own. It was tweedledee and twecdledum--de-
feat in either case
Tn conclusion he adds, ''the fact that you q.in-
coin, HallecI, and Stanton) left the whole move
ment in my hands, without giving me orders,
makes me (Burnside) the more responsible. =
Where, then, the necessity for this manifesto?
What military usage requires this last of our
many military expedients to pacify the people
and cover up, if possible, some wrong or blum
der? Such things are Hal,eck and Stanton's
speciatios and this is of the same piece as the
rest-that of Stanton and Halleck combined,
for example, when Mcclellan was removed, and
the special pleading in apology for Pope's cam
paign by the General-in-C Chiefs official report.
Ouosque naden, aJutee--how long viii the
country stand these things? If Burnside is an
incompetent commander let him be removed ac-
corling to his own showing, if he is proselytc,
so far as to make it his special business to COW
er up, at Hallecks instigation, other mems blum
ders he is unfit for the position he holds. lie
has done himself certainly more dscredit by
this publication than the defeat could ever have
attached to him. Where is that dignitied reti-
cence of the late General of the Army of the
Potomac! Where, we ask in vain, is that
straightforward, soldierly, unhnching, silent at
tenton to the duty of his position and profess
sion, which marked the late commanders action
in the field2 But more than all--whence came
these disasters which require so much apology,
from the removal at Harrison's Landing, through
Popes campaign, down to the Fredericksburg
massacre? Look at the catalogue, people OF
the loyal Union-Bull Run, Cedar Mountain,
Manassas, fredericksburg read the annals