The National tribune., 1908-01-23
The Fredericksburg Plain.

The Fredericksburg Plain.
The plain upon which Fredericks
burg stands is quite narrow above the
town, but widens out further down tn,
| river, soon reaching a width of more
| than a mile. The Richmond, Fred
ericksburg & Potomac Railroad, after
passing thru the town, runs along the
plain near the foot of the hills fol
about three miles, and then turns due
south to take advantage of the ravint
| to climb to the surface of the table
land. Half way between the railroad
and the river runs the old Richmond
stage road, which also turns sharply
south, crosses the railroad, and as
cends with it to the upland. This is
opposite point of ferriage in the river
called Hamilton's Crossing. The tele-
graph road runs from the southwestern
part of the town, and in a serpentine
course, to reach the top of the ridge
and gain its southerly direction toward
Richmond. Between the foot of the
ridge and the river the plain slopes
down gently to the water, with its sur
face broken by low ridges, shallow ra-
vines and fences.
Burnside's Plans.
1t Is hard TO believe that Burnside
had any real plan of battle. He was
one of those men, not infrequently met.
who never seem to have ideas of their
own, nor to be capable of getting them
from others. 1t has been said that he
had no intention of fighting a battle
at Fredericksburg after he saw Lees
arrival at Marye's Hights, but that he
wanted to pass the Winter at Fal-
mouth, and in the Spring renew Nc
Ciellan's movement up the Peninsula.
If this be true it is something in his
praise, as it shows that he had some
ideas after all. 1t is claimed that he
was badly harassed by the demands of
the people and the Administration for
immediate action. If he was thus
harassed it should not have been un
expected. He well knew the pressure
put upon Mcclellan for immediate
movement and that this had caused
McClellan's retirement and his acces
sion to command. In spite of all the
profound preachings, horribly stuffed
with epithets Of war" of the Mcclellan
school, the people, who had sacrificed
themselves to pu: into the field $4,000
of their sons, had a right to expect that
such an army would accomplish some
thing. That was the purpose for
which it had been created and main
tained at such an enormous expense,
and if Burnside had not intended to
show more activity than Mcclellan, he
should not have accepted the COM
mand. His irritation at the President
and Secretary of War for asking that
something be done. is unmanly and
senseless.
1t seems, according to Burnside's re-
port, that for several days he had
planned to cross at Skinker's Neck, IL
miles below Fredericksburg, avoid
Lees Notifications, turn his right flank,
and seize his line of supplies, the
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac
Railroad. AT that point the Kappa
hammock is SO wide that a thousand
feet of pontoons would be required, a
bridge difficult to keep in place and
to pass troops and guns over. Worse
than all, SO much show had been made
of this movement that the enemy dis
covered ii, and Hill was sent with his
division to observe the movement.
Jackson moved his corps down to-
where he could support Hill or Long
street, as the occasion might develop
Then Burnside changed his plan, If
it might be called plan, for cross
ing directly in front of the town of
Fredericksburg. He says in explana-
tion of this that he hoped he had di-
vided Lees army by the movement to-
ward Skinker's Neck, and would be
able to strike it in detail. The folly
of this iS apparent when Ii is remem-
bered that with the two armies on
the hills facing each other every con-
siderable movement was visible, and
there could be nothing in the nature of
a surprise.
The PontOOn Bridges.
He then decided to throw two
bridges across opposite the upper part
of the town, one near the lower part
and one or two mile below the town.
Sumner was ordered to concentrate his
Grand Division near the upper and
middle bridges, with Hooker in his
rear, while Franklin was to take his
two corps down the river to the lower
bridge: that four corps were massed
opposite Fredericksburg and two at
Crossing. Burnside's mind
was in a condition of vague suscitation |
at this time, which passed for thinking |
with him-'I hoped to be able to seize |!
some point on the enemy's line" he !
says, near the Massaponax, and there |
by separate his forces on the river be- |
low from those occupying the crest or
ridge in rear of the town. Ger. Pal |
frey makes the following sensible COM
ments upon this:
''If it had been sure, or probable, |
that the bridges would be thrown with |
Dut opposition or delay, the army pass
ed rapidly across, and the attack |
made at once, this would have been
vague enough; but these are violent
That the throwing of |
The bridges would be opposed and de-
layed was reasonably certain, but sup
The laying of four or five bridges capa-
nf a fs,