The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-01-16
A RENINIscEHcE OF THE War
GENERAL BURNSIDE ON HIS OWN AND
M'cLELLAS's THREATENED REsIGNA.
TIoN.

TIos.
III. J. Raymond of the Times visited the
Army Of the Potomac pending the second
premeditated attack on Fredericksburg.
Extracts from bis journal, published in
Scribner for January, shed new light on
the history OF the disastrous FredTicks-
burg campaign of 1923. General Burn
sides plans, it will be remembered, were
stoutly opposed by Hooker. franklin,
Smith and others Of his subordinates, and
were treated with indifference by his su-
perior officers. We returned to headquar.
tiers at FIVE and found General Burnside
there already. After we had joked with
him about the Iapidity Of his journey to
Washington, be told us he had only been
to Acquia creek. Before leaving camp he
had telegraphed to General Halleck as
follows: ~ wish very much to see you an
hour. Will you come to Acquia or shall
I 20 10 Washington % On reaching Ac-
quia creek be found a reply: "Use your
own judgment about coming up" to
which he answered at once, Y ours re-
ceived. shall not come" He seemed
greatly annoyed and vexed at the apparent
indifference of General Halleck to the
movement of the army and to his wishes,
and said he should not go to Washington.
While we were talking Lieutenant Bower
came down from General Hooker's head
quarters and said that Hooker was de.
nouncing the attempted movement very
freely and without the slightest restraint
even If the weather had been perfectly
good, he said, the attempt to cross would
have proved failure. General Burnside
SAID he should send to the President his
unconditional resignation Of his command
sending at the same time the removal OF
several of his field officers. 1 made no re-
mark at the time, seeing that he was too
much disturbed and excited to give the
matter proper consideration.
Friday, January 23.-Iu the morning af-
ter breakfast General Burnside said he bad
changed his mind about accompany ng his
letter of resignation with the removal OF
officers. He feared this would look to
much like attempting to make conditions
with the government, which he said he had
no right to do. He had determined to re-
sign, and sent his letter to Washington by
special messenger After Pope's repulse,
when Washington was thought to be in
great danger from the rebels, who were
pushing into Maryland, General Nice lellan
had refused to resume command Of the
Army of the Potomac unless Mr. Stanton
or General Halleck should first DO re-
moved. He had not done this formally,
but had told his friends that he should in
sist on these conditions. General Burnside
said be had talked to him until three
o'clock in the morning to dissuade him
from making any such conditions He
found him excessively stubborn about it,
and finally told him that he had no right to
take such course, and that he could not
possibly maintain his position before the
country as loyal man If, when the capita
was in danger and tho North invaded, he
were to refuse the command except on such
terms as be might prescribe. General
Mcclellan finally yielded to these repres en-
tations, resumed his command and achieved
by far the most considerable success of his
whole campaign. General Burnside said
that half dozen of the officers had also
resolved to resign unless Pope was removed.
He heard of it, got them together, remon-
strated with them and finally denounced
them as disloyal for entertaining such
purpose, and in the end induced them to
forego it. When they had come to their
conclusion he told them General Pope had
been removed.