The National tribune., 1882-02-04
tigated by the Congressional Committee on the Con-
duct Of the War. which said in its report:


The cause of the disastrous result of the assault Of the
30h of July last is mainly attributed to the fact that
the plans and suggestions of the General Burnside
who devoted his attention for so long time, the
subject who had carried out to successful completion
the project OF mining the enemy works, and who had
carefully selected drilled his troops for the pur
of securing whatever advantages might be attain
able from the explosion of the mine should have been
entirely disregarded by general who had evinced
faith in the successful prosecution of that work had
aided it by no countenance or open approval and had
assumed the entire direction and control only when 1t
completed and the time had come for reaping any
advantage that might be derived from it
And General Grant, in his testimony before the
Committee on the Conduct of the War, frankly said
General Burnside wanted to put his cOlored diviS-
ion in front and beIiere if he had done So it would
hare been success" Surely if human testimony
avails anything this is sufficient vindiCatiOn OF
General Burnside.
At the close of the rebellion, General Burnside
resigned his commission and retired to private life
In 1866 he elected Governor of Rhode Island;
he was twice reelected, when he declined further
service. In 1865 he entered this body, where his
honorable and useful course is well known TO us all
On the expiration of his term of office he was re-
elected
In 1870, during the Franco German war, General
Burnside was in Europe. At Versailles the head
quarters of the invading army he made the acquaint
ance of the German Emperor, the Crown Prince,
Bismarck and Van Motke on all of whom he made
favorable impression, and especially Bismarck.
DR.. Russell wrote to the London Times: Bismarck
likes him, Burnside Indeed there are few per-
SOILS OF any natlOn VINO VIII not De touched by the
cordial nature and uprightness of the man. by his
solid good sense and kndness of nature, and by his
Clearness OF perception unmarried by afecalOn, sell
tshness, any atfectation of craftsmanship, which
is perhaps the highest diplomacy. Count Bismarck
has penchant for Americans OF certain high
stamp He says L like self-made men. 1t is the
best sort of manufacture in race In the inter-
eStS of peace General Burnside went under
flag of truce twice to Paris where he had inter
views with Jules Favre, General TrOchu and other
government.
ded with considerable personal danger as there
no communication permitted between the hostile
lines, and the General and his party fired on,
at their approach their flag of truce being miSunder
stood
He went in no official capacity, but was the bearer
of certain suggestions from Count Bismarck to Mon
sieUr Jules Favre, in relation to armstice for
the purpose of enabling the French people to elect
a Constituent Assembly, to replace the fallen En-
pire, and to enter into negotiations for peace.
Count Bismarck authorized General Burnside TO
say that he would grant an absolute armlstlce OF
fortyeight hours for holding an election and give
every facility for fair election well for the
subsequent departure of the members elected for
the city of Paris for the place where the Constituent
Assembly might meet. The government of Paris
not however, disposed to permit the election of
a Constituent Assembly, which might deprive 1t
of power, and General Burnside's mission sim
ply opened the door for future negotiations. The
General, after his second visit to Paris, obtained
from Count Bismarck permission for about one
hundred Americans to leays Paris, many of them
without funds and in deplorable condition
Need l speak, in this presence, of General Burn
sides hospitality, so cordial, so elegant, yet 80
simple and so transformations? Who that has en-
jOyed it, who that has his genial cOuntenance
and his commanding form at the head of his table
can forget them?
General Burnside strongly attached to rural
pleasures and addicted to agricultural pursuits.
His little estate, of ffty-seven acres, Bristol
and named "Edghill Farm after his father and
H,oof harJ a1 nd
by the application of science to practical experience
had been brought to high state of CIVILIZATIONS and
prOuder than all of his successes in the field and in
the forum he seeming y was of his meadow that cut
three tons to the acre, and Of his cOrntield that
yielded sixteen hundred bushels to twelve acres
His herd of Attorneys, of the purest blood and of
the finest character, the admiration of the
neighbornOOd. He very fond of his horses and
his cattle which (such is the effect of steady kind
ness even upon the brute creatiOnl knew his voice.
and always welcomed his approaching steps. His
favOrite hOrse-the gift of some unknown friend
that had borne him many hard fought field
lived to the of nigh thirty years. and, long past
service to his owner, became by reason of age and
intirmity burden to himself, till life was nothing
but a prolonged suffering. Yet the General
reluctant even at the dictate of humanity, to have
him killed At last, he yielded, and ordered the
animal to be shot but not till he should have de-
parted for Washington The time of that departure
never came. The day when the lifeless body of
the Senator was borne from the farm that he loved
well, the faithful beast was shot.
Always, on the adjournment of the Senate he
turned with eager steps, to his chosen acres They
are situated a ridge of land gently sloping to
Mount Hope Bay, indentation of the broader
Narragansett, and navigable to the shore of the
farm commanding view seldom equaled by land
and water, including portion of the island that
gives its to the State the beautiful rural town
of Bristol, the white roofs of Fall River whose tall
chimneys darken the sky with the smoke of toll
and Mount Hope, the ancient seat of King Philip,
and the place where that renowned warrior was
slain. The house is of quaint and peculiar con-
structiOn, built after the Generals own fancy and
from his own designs and in its architecture and
appointments suggesting the idea of maritime
structure. Here, he dispensed an elegant and pro-
fuse yet simple and inexpensive hospitality The
highest persOnages in the land and the humblest
soldier that fought by his side met the same
cordial reception, the same frank and unaffected
welcome.
General Burnsides death was very sudden. The
afternoon before he at my house, in Providence
He had been little i'll for few days previous, but
with nothing that caused apprehension. He left
gaily, promising to return the next morning.
He insisted upon walking to the railroad station,
half mile distant, saying that the exercise would
do him good. On the following morning received
telephone message that he was very i'll, and re-
questing me to come to him. Before carriage
could be brought to the door second message came
saying that he was dead He had been alarmingly
sick scarcely an hour Of all those who loved him.
only his faithful and attached servants stood by
his dying bed .s-....'.
General Burnside of fine address, of a COM
manding stature, strikingly handsome man The |
frankness of his expression and the sweetness of
his smile at once won upon the observer, and pre-
pared him for that favorable Judgment which a |