The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-01-02
Burnsids's Control Of the Battle Of
Fredericksbprx.

Goneral B0fOsIdo having bunorablv and
fraukly assumed iho entire responsitility
for the battlo Vt FrodericksbufR, tho f,i.
lowing from the correspondence of the New
York Tunes will not be uows bat will make
sill more clear the evident designs Of the
Fedsrui commander:
''Gonorai Burnside will unquestiouabiy
ayo~ the entire responsibility of that par.
ticuisr movement. | do not mean 90 "a,
thSt he TIA. boeD supported 10 the rhofe
inoVoineDt upou Fredericksburg from ihe
time he tOnk Command. az 10 had reason to
Expect but that tho selection uf his poiDt
ut attack, which proves to have beon 30 uG.
Fortunate, vas rxcusiTOiy his oHu--tliougb
Il was not the Que ho had originally can.
templated and reported TO tho War Do.
partmcbt
'lns frSt intention after receiving his
pon'oon trHins. supplies, &c, was to make
.frint al Fredericksburg aud crnss his
army st Port Royal, twelve mites brlOw--
hoping to tsko the cnemv by surprso mud
turn his right flank us snnuunc, d his
purposo to The War Department. and made
his arrangements accordingly. P"nto0ns
were sent 10 PORT Roysi; supp ies lsy iu tho
river protected by gunLpas below that
point; division was pushed forward aud
every thug made ready far irs transit. But
he found that the rebels bhd Anticipated
that maj pusre. and wers ready to meet il.
IL then occurred to General Burnside that
as the rcbeis expccred him merely 10 make
foint al FrerioIicksburg. he would surprise
them by crossing there. and with that viow
at tho lac; moment he resolved TO do so.
l think he confidently Cxpuciei GO fiud the
hoghts ia the reat Of tho town held by a
small force. Ho was delayed in cnnsirocl-
iDg bs bridges by tho tenacious aud deadly
resistance OF tho rebsl sharp.hooter-, witch
ho sought TO siionce by deinulishing the
house which sheltered them Tms atts,nut.
howover. proved in, feet tual sand he succeed
ed only by driving them nut with tho bayo-
not. Bot lao had lost day. which in cxecu
tipg surprise at such clUse quarters. 10 as
good as an age, and by tho time the assault
took place. the defouso had basn tnado too
s'rOng for it's success. thiuk in ihs f,ct
will bs found the cXplanat tiun of Grneral
Durhnides failure. lie was mistaken in his
calculatious--a mishap thai has ovurtlken
sono Of the best Generals in tho world as
we'll as sO,ne of the wors'. All that anv
commander csn do when he gots thus caught,
10 to ekITicaia himself wItn as little Toss aa
possibla. This Goneral Burnside did 1t
ho had attempted. after crossing aud sscsr-
siniug that hrs movement had heen autIci.
patcd, to withdraw his troops without fgh',
no would have been attacked and driven
into tho river. An attack had then bucoms
essential 70 the salvation 0f his army. The
vigor With which Il vas made convinced
General lace thar IL would DO repeated. aud
no therefore awaited tie renewa'. This
Wsiiing, which was the result Of fighting
enabled General Burnside u. sava bis army
Il do not, iherof IRE. belisyo that the
authorities at Washington eau in ANY jns'
sense. bo held responsible for the result Of
that specific action. But am inclined to
think that General Burnside has reason to
complain that tn" Government did not fulfil
Ihs conditions which no had laid dawn as
absolutely essential for tho success OF
his movement upon fredericksburg. when
no hrst proposed that movement tho day
aior receiving his command and 10 which
the President and General Halieck gave
their explicit asson:. But my lettor l.
alrsady too iong 10 permit mo 10 state the
facts 90 whicn base this opinion"