The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-02-06
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
SECOND ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE RIVER.
THRILLING DETAILS or PLANS
AND PROJECTS.
The Night Movement and the Sierra that
....... Defeated it.
Correspondence of the n. Y. Times.

Correspondence of the N. Y Times.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TIE POroMAC,l
CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, Jan. %. {
On Tuesday every preparation had been
made. That day Gen. Burnside issued q
general order, announcing that the Army
of the Potomac was "abOut to meet the
enemy once MORE" and that ''the auspic-
ious moment had arrived to strike a great
gain that decisive victory which is due to
the country" This order was read to the
men that evening, and night found the in
fantry encamped in the woods within easy
speaking distance. The positions for the
batteries had all been selected. The bat
teries were at hand. The pontoons were
within reach, a short distance back of the
river.
About O'Clock light ominous patter-
ing was heard on the canvas roof. at is
rain!" was the exclamation, and, looking
out from the tent, the heavens showed all
the signs of terrible storm. From that
moment we felt that the winter campaign
had ended.
It was wild Walpurgus night, such as
Goethe paints in his "Faust" while the
demons held revel in the forest of the
Brochen. All hopes that it would be a
''mere shower" were presently blasted.
1t was evident that we were in for regu-
lar northeaster, and among the toughest
of that rough type. Yet was there hard
work done that fearful night. One
hundred and fifty pieces of artillery were
to be planted in the position selected
for them by Gen. Hunt, Chief of Artillery
"a man of rare energy and of a high
order of professional skill. The pontoons,
also, were drawn nearer towards the river,
but it was dreadful work; the roads under
the influence of the rain were becoming
shocking and by daylight, when the
boats should all have been on the banks,
ready to slide down into the water, but
fifteen had been gotten up-not enough
for one bridge, and five were wanted.
The night operations had not escaped
the attention of the rebels. Early in the
morning signal gun was fired opposite
the ford, reminding one of that other sig
nal gan fired by them on the morning of
Thursday the 18th December, when we
began laying the pontOOn opposite Freder-
icksburg. and which was the token for the
concentration of the whole force at that
point. 1t was indispensable that we should
secure all the advantages of a surprise;
and though our intention was thus blown
to their ears early on Wednesday morning,
We were, nevertheless, torty-eight hours
ahead of them, and with favorable condi-
tons should have been able to carry our
position before they could possibly concen-
trate.
Accordingly desperate effort was made
by the Commanding General to get ready
the bridges. 1t was obvious, however,
that, even if completed, it would be i'm
possible for us, in the then condition of the
ground, to get single piece ofartillery up
the opposite declivity. 1t would be
necessary to rely wholly upon the infantry
indeed, wholly on the bayonet. Hap
PLY, if the rebels should prove to be in
strong force, the country is too thickly
wooded to admit of much Generalship, and
it was hoped that our superior weight of
metal would carry the day.
Early in the forenoon rode up to the
headquarters of Gems. Hooker and Frank
lin, about two miles from Banks Ford
The nights rain had made deplorable
havoc with the roads The nature of the
upper geologic deposits of this region at
fords unegualed elements of bad roads.
The sand makes the soil pliable, the clay
makes it sticky, and the two together form
Il road out of which, when it rains, the
bottom drops, but which is at the same
time so tenacious, that extricatiOn from
=, ol,,tn6 g, oil INIT ;,,,pos,ibIo
The utmost effort was put forth to get
pontoons enough into position to construct
a bridge or two. Double and triple teams
Of horses and mules were harnessed to
each pontoOn boat. 1t was in vain. Long
powerful ropes were then attached to the
teams, and $50 men were put to the task
on each boat. The effort was but little
more successful. They would founder
through the mire for few teet-the gang
of Lilliputians with their huge-ribbed Gull
liver-and then give up breathless. Night
arrived, but the pontOons could not be got
up. The rebels had discovered what was
up, and the pickets on the opposite bank
called over to ours that they I" would come
over tomorrow and help us build the
bridge"
That night the troops again bivouacked
in the same position in the woods they had
held the night before. You can imagine il
must have been desperate experience
and yet not by any means as bad as might
be supposed. The men were in the woods,
which afforded them some shelter from the
wind and rain, and gave them compare
lively dry bottom to sleep on. Many had
brought their shelter tents; and, making
flooring of spruce, hemlock or cedar
boughs. and lighting huge camp-fres, they
enjoyed themselves as well rs the circum-
stances would permit. On the following
morning whisky ration, provided by the
judicious forethought of Gen. Burnside,
was on hand tor them.
Thursday morning saw the light strag-
Cling through an opaque envelope of mist,
and dawned upon another day OF storm
and rain. 1t was curious sight present.
ed by the army as we rode over the
ground, miles in extent, occupied by it.
One might fancy some new geologic cata-
clysm had overtaken the world and that
he saw around him the elemental wrecks
left by another Deluge.
An indescribable chaos OF pOnto0ns,