The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-08
Gen. BUrnside's Order No. 8.

From the New York World.
The report of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War we publised in full
some weeks ago. The testimony which
accompanies that portion of it relating to
General Mcclellan is incomplete and in
accurate. The testimony relating to Gen.
Burnside appears to be printed in full, but
whether it is complete and Vpgarbled or
not, the testimony Of Generals Burnside,
Newton and COchrane at least helps to
explain some hitherto mysterious circum-
stances attending the removal of General
Burnside from the command of the army
of the Potomac and its transfer to General
Hooker.
All their testimony concurs in showing
that the only movement of the Army of
the Potomac, while under General Burn
sides command, which had any chance of
success, was intercepted and prevented
by the Presidents direct order. General
Cochrane and General Newton, when
that movement had been begun, came
up to Washington to see Senator Wilson
and Representative Odell, to whom they
proposed to confide their poor opinion of
Gen. Burnside. Those persons being alb
sent from the city, they concluded to go
to the President and pour their complaints
in his ear Mr.. Lincoln listened to them,
and, on the unsupported and worthless
evidence of two incompetent and dsaffect-
ed subOrdinates Of the General in COM
mand of the grand army of the Potomac,
sent message to that General which COM
PEELED him to halt the cavalry expedition
which was already inaugurating the move
ment, and stop the preparations for follow
ing it up with the main attack General
Burnside came to Washington; the Presi-
dent then, for the first time, informed his
advisers, (Stanton and Halleck,) of the
mission and statements of Cochrane and
Newton, and they debated the question of
a continuous movement. Gen Halleck
expressed the opinion, which does him
credit, that officers guilty of insubordina-
ton like that of Cochrane and Newton,
should be arrested or dismissed from the
service at once General Burnside went
back to the army and issued a general
order, which is alleged to be as follows:
This was the order No. s. dismissing
HOOKER and other Generals. 1t was
printed in the PIONEER last Sunday
General Burnside did not publish this
order, but, accompanying it with his own
resignation of his commission as Mai. Gen.
eral sent staff officer with both to the
President. The deceit which the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of War attempted
to practice upon the country in regard to
the resignation it is not necessary now to
show forth again. The material facts in
the matter Of the transfer of the command
are rected by General Burnside as fol :
lows:
81 went to my Adjutant Generals Of
flee and issued an order, which | termed
General Order No. s. That order dis
missed some officers from service, subject
to the approval of the President, and re-
lieved others from duty with the Army of
the Potomac. also had three sentences
of death upon privates for desertion, which
l had reviewed and approved, subject, of
course, to the approval of the President,
as had no right to do any of these things
without that approval. / had sent my
own body-guard over into Maryland, and
had succeeded in capturing large num-
Der of deserters. had organized a court
martial, the one which is now in session
down there trying some two hundred and
fifty deserters.
told my Adj1tant General to issue that
order (No. 81 at once. One of my advis-
ers-only two persons knew of this-one
of them, who is very cool, sensible man,
and firm friend, told me that in his opin-
ion the order was just one, and ought to
be issued but he said that he knew nv
views with reference to endeavoring to
make myself useful to the government of
the United States, instead of placing my
self in opposition to it; but all these
things had to be approved by the Presi-
dent of the United States, at any rate, be-
fore they could be put in force; that he
did not think intended to place the Pres
ident in position where he either had to
assume the responsibility of becoming my
enemy before the public, at any rate,
thereby enabling certain portion of my
friends to make martyr of me to some
extent, or he had to take the responsibility
of carrying out the order, which would be
against the views of a great many of the
most influential men of the country, par
ticularly that portion of the order in refer
ence to the officers proposed to have dis
missed the service. l told this staff officer
+bot had no desire tO nlaoo ,,oycolf in on