The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-12-25
REPORT OF GEN. HALLECK.
A Review of the Military Opera
tons of the Past Year.
SYNOPSIS OF THE REPORT.

SAVuS VI tuO u 0Cs
SYNOPSIS OF THE REPORT.
Gen. Hallsek opens his very lengthy report
by taking up the Army of the Potomac at the
time Gen. Mcclellan was relieved by Gen.
Burnside, at Warrenton, Va, on the 9TH OF
November. 1862. Gen. Halleck urged Gen.
Burnside to continue his pursuit of Lee to-
ward Richmond, but Gen. Burnside declined,
desiring to move to Falmouth, but finally con-
sented to cross the Rappahannock by the upper
fords and occupy Fredericksburg. Gen. Burn.
sides final march to, and occupation Of Fail
mouth, was never authorized or approved by
the authorities in Washington. The plan
which the President assented to was 10 cross
the river by the upper fords and occupy the
town. This Gen. Burnside did not do. Gen.
Sumner asked permission to do SO when he
arrived at Falmouth, the river being fordable,
there and entrenched. The delay Of the pom
toons, which should have been at Falmouth
when Gen. Burnside arrived there, is explained
by the fact that instead of being in Washington,
where they.wer supposed TO be, they were at
Berlin and Harper's Ferry, and had not been
moved, because the officers in charge did not
receive Gen. Burnside's order to move them
to Washington. The battle of Fredericksburg
ACQUIRED Dec. ID. Through an alleged misin
depreciation of order, Gen. Franklin's attack
on the left was only reconnaissance In force,
and the attack of Sumner and Hooker on the
the right was unsupported. We were repulsed
with loss of 1,138 killed, g. 05 wounded, and
2,07S missing. Gen. Burnside has never made
any official report of these operations. He
says: ...
The fact that decided to move from Warrenton
to this line rather against the opinion Of the Pres
dent the Secretary of War, and yourself, and that
you have left the whole movement in my hands
without giving me orders makes me the more re-
sponsble. .a#
On the 18th of January Gen. Hooker relieved
Gen. Burnside. Gen. Halleck merely refers in
a sentence to the campaign of Gen. Hooker,
says he has no official data of it, and then re-
marks: -.r
1t is also proper to remark IN this place that nom
the time he was placed in command OF the Army Of
the Potomac till he reached Fairfax Station on the
10th Of june few days before he was relieved from
the command, Gen. Hooker reported directly to the
President and received instructions directly from
him. received no official information Of his plans
or of their execution.
Early in June Leo moved up the Rappahan-
mock into the Shenandoah Valley. Hooker fol-
lowed on an interior line. Neither army could
obtain much information of the other because
Ofthe intervening mountains. Winchester and
Martinsburg were mere OutpOsts, and orders
were given on the 11th Of June to withdraw
the garrison to Harper's Ferry; but these Or
ders were not Obeyed; and on the 18th Win
chester was attacked and captured. On June
2Sth at Frederick, Md. General Hooker, ct
his own request was relieved from the COM
mand of the Army of the Potomac.
Our force at Harpers Ferry at this time WAS sup
posed to be about IL OOo 1t was Incorrectly repre-
tod IN Con fO he HQSfif ufa Of rnyicn
and that he must immediately supply 1t Or order the
abandonment of the place. Accordingly, few
hours after he assumed the eonmapd, he assented
to an order drawn up by an officer of Gen. HOOkers
staff, directing Gen. French to send 600 men Of the
garrison to Frederick and with the remainder
estimated at 4OoO-tO remove and escort the public
property to Washington. This order based on err0-
neous representations, was not known in Washing
ton till too late to be cOuntermanded 1t, however,
was not entirely execu ed when Gen. Meade very
judiciousy directed the reOccupatOn of that import
ant point
General Halleck then describes the battle of
Gettysburg ascribcs an eYrar to General Sick
les, which came near baing fatal to as on the
second day of the fight But the rebels wens
finally defeated, and ITO General Meade belongs
the honor of well<earned victory in one of
the greatest and best-fought battles of the war;
The retreat by Lee and the pursuit by Meade
are described, closing with this:
In the meantime Genera French had re occupied
Harper's Ferry DESTROYED the enemys pontOon train
at Williamsp0rt aud Falling Waters, and captured
its qua DIS. Haing day at MddlerOwn, General
Meade crossed the South Mountain and on the 18th
found the enemy occupying strong position on the
heights of Marsh Run. in front of WiliiauaspOrt
Instead of attacking Lee in this position, with the
swollen waters of the Potomac in his rear. without
any means Of crossing his artillery, and when de-
feat must have caused the surrender of his entire
army he was allowed time to construct pontoon
bridge with lumber collected from canal boats, and
wooden houses, and the morning of the 14lh his
army had crossed to the south side of the river.
His rear guard however, was attacked by our cav
airy, and suffered considerable loss. Thus ended
the rebel campaign north of the Potomac. from
which important political and military results had
been expected. Our own less in this short campaign
had been very severe, viz: 2.734 killed, 10, 100
wounded. md G,643 mssAng-in al, 90 1S2. We
captured guns, II standards, 1881 prisoners and
%, LIS small arms.
Gen. Haileck then briefly recounts the minor
operations of the Army of the Potomac up to
the battle of Rappahannock Station, but gives
no new facts.
The operations in Western Virginia have
been mainly of defensive character, in repel-
ling raids and breaking up guerilla bands.
The force in the Department of North Caro-
lima during the past year has been too small for
any important operations against the enemy,
and has acted mostly on the defensive. But
Hills operations against Foster in North Caro-
lina as well as Longstreets against Peck in
Virginia. wg entirely unsuccessful.
Gen. Gilmore's operations before Charleston
are recited at some Length, with this comment:
General Gillmores operations have been charac-
terzed by great professional skill and bodness. He
has overcome difficulties almost unknown in modern
sieges Indeed, his operations Morris Island
constitute almost era in the science of engin-
eering and gunnery. Since the capture of Forts
Wagner and Gregg he has enlarged those works,
and established powerful batteries which effeCtuay
command Fort Sumter, and can render efficient aid
to any naval attack upon Charleston They also con-
troll the entrance to the harDOr.
In the Department of the Gulf operations
have been generally successful The prelimi-
nary movements to the siege of Port Hudson
are given at length. On the 8th of July the
place Internationally surrendered. We cap
tured 6, 1888 prisoners, 81 pieces of artillery, 2
steamers, 4,4OO pounds of cannon powder,
5000 small arms, 100000 rounds of ammuni
ton, &c. Our loss from the Sd to the 3Oth of
May, including the assault of the 9th, as re-
ported. was about 600.
The Department of the Tennessee is next
reviewed. The object of General Grants cam
paign was the opening of the Mississippi in
conjunction with the army of General Banks.
General Sherman's first attack on Vicksburg
failed because the place was more strongly for