The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-02
IMPORTANT TESTIMONY OF GEN.
BURNSIDE AND-OTHERS.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE
CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
WASHINGTON, December 90,

I CCSCIuUCi
The report of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War embrace, the deposi-
tons of Generals Burnside, Sumner, Frank
lin, Hooker, Woodbury., Haupt, Halleck,
and Meigs. The Committee report the
testimony without comment Burnside
said: When, after the battle Of Antietam,
Mcclellan decided to cross the Potomac,
said to him that, in my opinion, he would
never be able to take the army on that
route beyond the Rappahannock, unless he
succeeded in fighting the enemy at some
| place on this side; that if he proposed to
go to Richmond by land, he would have to
| go to Fredericksburg, and in that he par
italy agreed with me. On the 9th of No
vember, after this conversation, Mcclellan
gave an order to Captain Drum, Chief of
| Engineers, to have all the pontoOn bridges
at Berlin and in that neighborhood, that
| could be spared, taken up and sent down
to Washington, with view of getting them
down to this town, in case he decided to go
by way of Fredericksburg.
The letter conveying that order was
written on the 9th Of November; but. as
| understand, it was not received until the
18th of November. Burnsidespeaks of the
| surprise with which he received the Presi-
| dents order to take command of the Army
OF the Potomac, and says that he had re-
peatedly expressed the opinion that he
| (Burnside) was not competent to command
so large an army, and that Mcclellan was
the titteSt person
He then says: ''IIalleck came to me on
| November L. On the 9th | made out a
| plan OF operations, in accordance with
| Halleck's order, and | sent it to Washing
ton" He gives Il detailed account of this
| plan, and speaks of the disastrous delay
in receiving pontoons, and says that Oh
| the 10Th he started to lead a column to
Fredericksburg, not knowing of the delay.
The pOntoons did not, however, start until
the 10Th, and that day it commenced rain
ing, which delayed them so much and the
roads became so bad, that when they got
to Dumfries they lifted the pontoons oil
the wagons, sent to Washington for 4
steamer and carried them to Acquia Greek
by water, sending the wagons round by
land. The pontoons did not get there
until the 22d or 23d Of November After
the first delay in starting the pontoons, |
think they were sent as quickly as they
could have been. and the supplies and
Quartennaster'S stores have always been
IN as great abundance as we could have
expected, for after the 9th of November
the weather and roads were particularly
bad. After reaching Fredericksburg |
COW of
Rappahannocll with the army at that time
1t commenced raining, and the river began
to rise. There was no means OF crossing
except by going up the tordS, and it would
be impossible To do that, because Of ina
bility to supply the troops after they should
have crossed.
Sumner arrived here v!,,.n lis troops in
advance. He sent to he, asking ne,
il he should cross the river. did
not think it advisable that he should, at
that time. 1t was first decided to cross at
SINNERS Neck, about twelve miles below
here, but our demonstration was simply for
the purpose Of drawing there as large 3
force OF the enemy as possible. | then re
tired, t" cross here, because, in the first
place, / felt satisfied that they did not ex-
pect us to cross here, but below in the
next place, felt satisfied that this was the
place TO fight the most decisive battle; for
if we could divide their force by piercing
their lines at one or two points, especially
their left from their right, then a vigorous
attack with the whole army would succeed
in breaking their army in pieces. Two at
tacks were made, and we were repulsed,
still holding portion of the ground we
had fought upon, but not our extreme all
vance. That night | went over the field
on orr right, and, in fact, | was with the
officers and men until nearly daylight. [
found the feeling against an attack. | re-
turned to my headquarters, and, after q
conversation with Sumner, told him |
wanted him to order the 9th Army Corps,
which originally commanded, to form the
next morning a column of attack by reg-
ments. 1t consisted of some eighteen old
regiments and some new ones. | desig-
mated the column to make a direct attack
upon the enemy's works 1 thought
that these regiments, by arriving very
quickly up after each other, would
be quite able to carry the stone wall
ana batteries in front, forcing the enemy
on their next line, and by going in with
them, they would not be able to fire upon
us to any great extent. left Gen. Sum
ner with that understanding, and directed
him to give the orders. The order was
given, and the order of attack was form
ed. The next morning, just before the
column was to have started, Gen. Sum-
ner came to me and said, 81 hope you will
desist from this attack: / do not know of
any general officer who approves Of it, and