The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-01-01
REVIEW OF THE YEARS MOVEMENTS n
csH. lEL'S ARMY.
iFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE


Decen3er 80 1863.
may be permitted, trust, 10 speak few waT,,s
In reference the doihgs of this army for the pa.
twelve months. My connection with il began
when Burnside's forces appeared in front of FRI d.
{ remember how Col. Bail, Of the 18th Va cavalry,
kept The whole OF that immense army at bay with
one regiment of cavalry, one battalion Of infantry,
snd one battery of artillery. Then came the first
battle of Fredericksburg, with the sad scenes a,
tcndant upon the evacuation OF the town by our
people in mid winter and its king by brutal and
infuiale soidiery, under the Eye Of that migrate Of
General, Burnside.
OF the battle of Fredericksburg I will speak
briefly. The enemy felt fully assured In their vain
glorious suifrsncy Of their abb y TO dispense Lees
army and march unopPosed to Richmond. They
crossed the Rarpahamnock-ah, fatal e,ossing to
them and essayed to carry the heights
But Jacks)n the right, Longstreet
protected the left, and Lee was in the centre
The result was as might have been readily
fOreseen by every man of coaim0n SENSE
The Federal army suffered sigaal Iepulse. The
cOrpses of their dead and the bodies of their man
gIed and grooming dying ones covered the in
front Of our lines at the StOneWail nnd on the
lower end Of the battle field near llamiiton's
Crossing, whilst the good Old town of Fredericks-
burg became for The nonce dead hospital and
chaTnel house. The Federal cause, for the first
time In the war, suffered most huniliating de-
feat. Their hopes Of conquest were crushed, aud
their vaunted bOastings were turned into wdiIings
over their great calamity. Many have criticised
Gen. Lee very freely tor not pushing the enemy on
Saturday night. was present at that battle, and
! myself know full well that the engagement Of
Saturday was regarded on all hands as a mere pre-
lude to the general engagement which was expect
ed Ia occur Sunday. No one In cur tines had
any conception Of the imm. nse injuries which the
Federal cause had sustained. II has never, |
think, been mentioned in print, but il is neverthe
less fact, that council Of war was held on Sat
urday night. Jackson urged midnight attack,
but was overrnIed In cOuncii by Loigsireet and
Gen. Lee, aud must say think II well for
cause and for Jacks0n's fame that il was Overrui
ed; for unless we could have had some uneFring
badge or mark upon our meH, all the horrors 0f
night attack nigh. have resulted without any cor
responding benefit; and rs for Il day attack up n
the enemys lines, it were an impassibility, or
rather II would have been certain destruction To
eur troops to have advanced over ttle plateau in
front OF the river, which was readily and thorough
~ swept BY the ene.ny's batteries ON the Stafford
heights My conclusion is, that the best Interests
OF the country were served by not pressing tie
enemy in the first Fredericksburg fight.
Passing over RuYnside's sticking In tie mud at
bahKss lord, aud the long, drcafy winter when our
men men STOOD picket on the Rappahannack, we will
lorsville. Hooker Superseded burnside an The 27th
Of January, and after three months Of labusous
found hiniself ready 10 ADVANCE on Gen
Lees lines about the last Of April. A short refer.
ence 70 the series of battles which then occurred
may not be out of place just here. TN the 2sth of
Apftl, Hooker threw one corps OF his army across
the kappahanB0ck, at Rernard's lust below Fred
ericksbare, whilst with the rss. having broken up
camp, be marched rapidly to keliy's Ford, q point
twentyf two miles ab1ve Fredericksburg, ON the
At this point he cfossed the Rap
and thence marched his forces 10 Ger