The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-03-08

jackson Hunt was born in 1921 in Ohio, like
his commander western man, also West
Point graduate. He finished the course of in
struction there when only IS years old. Dur
ing the Mexican war he became major of ar
tillery, and was afterwards especially identi-
fled with that arm of the service. He was
McClellan's chief of staff during the peninsu-
lar campaign. During the whole war he
served in the Army of the Potomac, and was
one of its most faithful and useful officers.
Burnside's chief cavalry commander con-
tinued to be Gen. Alfred Pleasonton. Pleas
onton was born at Washington city, in 1924,
and was the same age as Burnside. he en-
tered the cavalry service when he left West
Point, in 1874. and was sent to Mexico He
remained in the west and southwest on duty
most of the time till the outbreak Of the civil
war. At Fredericksburg he held the rank of
brigadier general of volunteers He saw
severe fighting there and subsequently at
Charlottesville and Gettysburg After
wards he was ordered west, and his troopers
helped clear Missouri of Sterling Prices men
in 1864.
In 1865 Gen. Pleasonton resigned from the
army and engaged in mining and other bust
ness His advocacy of the blue glass theory is
well known.
John G.. Parke. said to be one of the
handsomest of the accomplished officers
grouped about the headquarters of
the Army OF the Potomac. Parke was
a Pennsylvania. born in 1897, and a
West Pointer of 1S49.. He entered the engi-
neer corps. He had been a brigadier general
on the North Carolina coast under Burnside,
and, with his old commander, Joined the
Army of the Potomac. He afterwards was
ordered south and west. He took active part
in the siege of Vicksburg, also of Knoxville.
He followed the fortunes OF Burnside. AT
the final battles before Richmond, and pre-
vious to that, in 1864, Gen. Parke, under
Burnside, commanded the old Ninth corps.
Gen. Parke is now superintendent at West
Point
Military critics declare that Burnside
should have aimed at Lees army rather than
at Richmond. At all events, he determined
to occupy Fredericksburg Immediately. Pub
lie sentiment and the newspapers demanded
that something should be done at once
While Burnside was making way for the
transportation of supplies the Confederates
were terrifying fredericksburg and the
heights behind it At the end of November
Lees whole army lay in a crescent around
Fredericksburg. Its right was at Port Royal,
below the town; the left little distance
above. The Confederate Notifications were
truly formidable, so as TO render crossing di-
rectly in front of the city hopeless. But pom
toon bridges were prepared by Burnside, and
he arranged to cross the Rappabannock at
Skenker's Neck, twelve miles below. Lee
discovered this move in time to Illustrate II.
There seem to have been ways whereby
Burnside's plans were constantly discovered
to Lee, and that almost immediately.
With Il large portion OF Lees army at
Skenker's Neck, Burnside next thought he
could force the passage of the Rappahannock
and take Fredericksburg under the guns or
those who were left. The Union artillery
was planted upon Stafford Heights, ABOVE
Falmouth. 1t commanded the whole plain or
Frederic ksburg.
Lee was so well informed of all that went
ON in the Union army that within twenty
four hours after Mcclellan had been super
seeded by Burnside he was informed of it,