Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-10-28
GEN. Burnside.
n FORMER War Correspondents Zee
objections of the Dead Rhode Island
senator
New York Tribune.

New orS Tribune.
Mr.. Nathaniel Paige, a former Jour
nallst and war-correspondent, now a
washington lawyer, gave q Tribune
reporter some interesting "reminiscences
OF Gen. Burnside
was one of the TribuRe's cores
rodents with the army of the Poto-
mac, said Mr.. Paige "and was with
burnside IN all the battles he fought
IN Virginia. He was an excellent corps
commander, brave as lion, energetic.
intensely patriotic, and exceedingly
careful OF the lives and comfort of his
men. As the chief of great army. he
was out of place, and no man knew it
peter than himself. He was one of
the few leading Generals of the war
VINO never sought advancement. /
was with him at Warrenton when the
news came that he had been apnointed
to supercede Mcclellan in the COM
mand OF the army of the Potomac.
he SAID very earnestly that he was not
competent for the place. and instead
OF being elated by his great promotion
seemed filled with anxiety. He at
tnbuted his appointment to the good
WIN OF the soldiers OF the army, and he
was probably right there. Among
Mcolellans corps commanders he was
the most popular with the officers and
men. No other appointment would
have pleased the army is well at the
time.
Gen. Burnside's fatal attack on Lee
at Fredericksburg was a movement
planned by himself, but it was an
proved by majority Of the council Of
war, to whom he submitted it. Frank
I'm, l believe, was the only General who
strongly opposed it. Whom it was
adopted, Franklin proposed that he be
allowed to cross the river with his
troops about ten miles below the town,
and thus make diversion to draw of
portion of Lees forces from their
strong position on the hills back of
Fredericksburg. This was assented to,
but the crossing was effected too late
TO be of much use as flank move
ment, and Lee, no doubt, understood
that the main attack would come upon
his front, and acted accordingly in the
disposition of his forces.
burnside was eager to make a grand
Napoleonic stroke. and believed that
by brilliant charge he could break
and scatter the enemy's army. The
war afforded few more splendid specta-
Giles than the Smelling of Fredericksburg
by our batteries on Falmouth hills, the
placing of the pontoon bridges. the
crossing of our troops, and the charge
ON the stone walls back of the town.
but the movement was fearful mill
tary blunder, because the chances were
all against dislodging and routing a
powerful army, having all the advan-
tage Of position and firing from breast
works upon our unprotected regiments.
After the defeat and retreat across the
river | was sitting late at night in an
old house, in Falmouth. writing nv ac-
count of the battle by the light of tai
low candle, when, to my surprise, saw
Gen. Burnside enter the room. He
looked like man stunned ana dazed.
Obhvlous OF my presence, ne threw
himself upon a big, old-fashioned bed,
which, beside the table on which | was
writing, was the only piece of furniture
III the room, and exclaimed: My God,
what have | done What Il dreadful
calamity What terrible sacrifice of
life for no good = For some minutes
he continued to groan and lament the
disaster III broken CALCULATIONS. After
while he became calmer, and seemed
to gradually realize where he was.
Suddenly he rose from the bed and
walked out of the room without MOTTO
ing me. | never mentioned to him his
strange nocturnal visit to my quarters.
and of course said nothing Of it in my
correspondence. He was no doubt half
erazed by grief over the defeat Mt the
time, but by the next morning he had
1egalned his soldierly dignity and calm.
He took upon himself all the blame
for the disaster in the most manly fash
ION, not seeking to shield himself he
hind the decision of the council of war,
and he promptly asked to be relieved
from the command of the army.
burnside was one of the most kind
hearted men. He was asJcourteous to
the private soldiers as to the officers.
returning their saiutes and often stop
ping to talk with them as he walked
through the camps or rode past a regi-
ment resting on u march. Men liked
to serve under him because of his care
ful attention to the personal welfare Of
his troops, ccmmissary supplies, doc
torlng, hospital service, and the like.
and of his kindly manner toward ali
subordinates. He could not be called
strict disciplinarian, but he kept his
commands in good military trim. His
men marched well and fought well, and
were no doubt all the better soldiers for
their hearty liking for their chief.
Burnside was tall, well-made. sol
dlerly man, not as stout in those DAYS
as IN recent years, and had fine state
ly presence, wether on foot or on horse
back. The top of his head was quite
bald; he wore a mustache and heavy
side whiskers. During the war, and for
time afterward, both in the army
and in civil life, his style of beard was
universally called Burnside whiskers,'
and this term has not yet wholly fallen
into disuse. For generation in En-
gland Wellington gave a name to top
boots; SO in this country McClellan's
name attaches to a saddle, and Burn
sides to a certain style of whiskers.''
ATTEND SnUVIS MN