Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-06

- "oS"'e"s o5siuot INC enemy AZ tDat Time. VI
the particular movement planned by Gen. Burn
side they had no knowledge. While in the city
they sought and obtained an interview with the
President, and the purport and results of that IN
terview are described by the committee as follows:
Gen. Newton opened The subject to the President
At first the President, Gen Newton expresses it, very
naturally conceived that they had there the pur
pose oil inurng Cen Burnside and suggesting me her
person to fill his place Gen. Newton that while
he firmly believed that the principal Of the dsped
condon OF the army the want of confidence Ia the
military capacity OF Gen. Burnside he deemed it mpro
per to say to the President right square OUT and
therefore underworld to convey The idea indirectly
When asked ne considered any less improper to do
such thing indirectly than it to do it directly be
quallhed his previous assertion by saying tn object
was to inform the President what he considered to be
the condition OF the in the hope that President
would make inquiry and learn the true cause for himself
Upon prrceying this impression upon the mind OF the
President, Gems Newton and C0chrane state tsat they
FASTENED TO assure the President that he entirely
mistaken, and far succeeded that the close of hs in
terDiep the President said TO them he clad h had
called npoa him and that he hoped that good could result
from the interpielo.
To return 10 Gen. Burnside The cavalry expedition
bad started the brigade of infantry detailed accompany
it had crossed the Rappahannock Richards FORD and
returned by way OF Ess Ford leaving the way clear for
the cavalry to at Kellys Ford The day they had
arranged to make General Burnside received
from the President the following telegram haze GOOD
reason t1r soyng mat gov must not make general more-
ment ,ouaout 10 ting me kno,o Of It
Gen. BURNSIDE stated that he could not imagine at
the time what the President could have for sending
him such telegram None # the officers OF his command
except one or two of his staff who had remained camp
bad beentd any thing of his plan beyond the simple fact
that movement TO be made He could only suppose
that the despatch related in some way to important mill
tary movements in other parts of the country 10 which it
was necessary to have cooperation.
Upon The receipt of that telegram steps mmesi-
aely taken to halt the cavalry expedition where it then
was at (Keleys Ford) until further orders portion of
shortly afterwards off intercept Stuart who
had just made raid to Dumfies and the neghborhood of
Fairfax court house, which it failed to do
Gen Burnside came to Washington to ascertain from
the President the true state of the He informed
by the President that general officers from the army
of the Potomac Whose he declined TO qoe had called
upon him and that Gen Burnside contemplated
making movement and that the army dlsprted
ard demorazed that any attempt to make movement at
that time must result in that prominent officers
IN the Army OF the Potomac we're III favor of
ment at that time.
Gen Burnside informed the President that none of his
officers had been informed what his plan was and then
proceeded TO explain IL in detail to the President He urged
upon the President to grant him permission carry il
out but tbs President declined to do at that time Cen
Haeck and Secretary Stanton were sent for and then
learned far The first time c e Presidents action in stop
ping the norehpent, although Gen. Haleck previously
aware that movement was contemplated by Gen Burn
side. Gen, Haleck, with Gen. Burnside held that the
officers who had made those to the Pres
dent should be at once dismissed the service.
:" Gen. Burnside remained here az that time for two
days. bqt conclusion reached upon the subject.
When he returned 10 his camp he learned that many the
details Of the general movement and the details of the
airy sEpd0n had become kno,on the rebel sympazers
IN Washington, thereby rendering that impraeticate.
When asked to whom he had communicated his plans he
STATED that had totl IN Washington except the
President, Secretary Stanton and Gen. Haech; and in
his camp none knew OF it except or two of his staff
officers, uho had remained IN camp all the time He pro-
essed himself tell how his plans had become
known to the enemy"
Let US recapitulate the facts set forth in this
narrative; Two officers, in performing service for
which they deserved, in the judgment of Mr.. Stan
ton and Gen Halleck, to be at once dismissed from
the army, succeed in 50 far winning the ear of the
President that che said to them he was glad they
had called upon him, and that he hoped good
would result from the interview" The actual re-
suit of the interview was order of the President
suspending the operations of Gen. Burnside, be-
cause, as he said, " he had good reason" for de.
handing such suspension, abiding to the repre-
sensations confdentially made by Gems. Cochrane
and Newton, and which, whatever may have been
the informality of their communication, were ac-
cepted by the President as furnishing "good rea-
sons" for holding Gen. Burnside in check. That
is, the President adopted their reasons as his own,
and thus threw over tho heads Of the officers max
ing these statements the protecting shield of the
Commander-in-Chief. To have afterwards pun
ished them for making communications on which
he had acted would have been, of course, to stul-
tify himself and wrong the officers with whom he
had made himself particeps criminfs if any crime
had been committed.
But the matter did not end here. The commit
tee repost that Gen. Burnside repaired to Wash
iugton and proceeded to explain to the PRECEDENT
the details of the plan The President, i'll under
the influence of the representations confdentially
made by the officers whose names he declined to
give, refused hi, assent to Gen. Burnsdes project
And it is while matters are at this stage that Con
Halleck (who nominally held the Office Of General
inChief while the President performed its du-
ties in critical junctures) learned for the first
time of the Presidents action in stopping the
movement. Gen. Burnside remained in Washing
ton two days, confded the details of his plans to
nobody in Washington except the President, Sec
rotary Stanton, and Gen. Haeck, and then returned
to his army only to find that these details had be-
come known to "rebel sympathizers" in Washing
tom and that thereby his plan rendered mpracti
cable. 1t is not directly charged that the Presi-
dent, Gen. Halleck, or Mr. Stanton had exposed
these military secrets, but, it is stated that no.