The National tribune., 1908-01-23

Burnsfde's staff could have gone down
in a few hours, ascertained the facts,
and brought about a movement. Even
after the boats arrived at Belle Plaine
Burnside did not know of their pres
ence for some days, which speaks very
badly for him and the men who had
the boats in charge After the arrival
Of the boats had been reported in the
proper military way they could have
been brought over by the ordinary army
wagons, and the missing flooring could
have been supplied from buildings in
the neighborhood.
Gen. Woodbury. Was a particeps in
this tragedy of errors, since he badly
mangled the business of shipping, over
loaded his boats and misdirected i'm
portant portions.
1t was quite easy for him to have
everything at Belle Plaine in good or
der before the 18th, and If the horses
We're not ready in Washington those of
the army trains could have supplied
the deficiency. The crowning chapter
was the faulty way in which Burnside
of the movement depended upon Sc
crecy and swiftness, SO as to reach Fall
mouth and cross the river before Lee
could discover that the army had left
his front at Culpeper.
Burnside issued his orders for the
march Nov. IA. and Sumner started on
the morning of the 18th, reaching Fall
mouth on the 18th, having to draw
fresh supplies at Elkton, on the Orange
& Alexandria Railroad.
The absence of any pressure ON his
front and the movement Of so large d
feient f to Lee s of Iins the nature Mara su Of
the movement, and he sent his swift
marchers on the road to get to Fred
ericksburg first, which they easily did.
Falmouth and Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg Is situated at the
head of navigation on the Rappahan-
mock, and where the river, cutting down
thru the granite shelf of Piedmont, Vir-
ginia, falls into tidewater. AS we have
said before, the Piedmont country, of
which the Manassas plains are a part
and typical, is shelf of granite thrust
out from the Blue Ridge and about ESQ
feet above tidewater. The water fall
ing on this has cut deep gulches in the
granite in order TO reach sea level. Bull
Run was one of these, and the Kappa
hammock at Frederick is still greater
one. On the left bank of the river the
high granite abutment lies close to the
stream, and on this was the little vii
fage of Falmouth. On the other side
of the river a plain of less than a mile
in width lies between the river and the
hills, which latter were soon to acquire
a mournful fame in American history
as Marye's flights. On this plain was
built the old and once important city
of Fredericksburg, town of about
5000 Inhabitants The water power
of the Rappahannock furnished power
for several mills and factories, and in
the old days, before the advent of the
railroad, Fredericksburg had been a
place of much Importance, since all the
country to the west had to send its
produce there to find a market in the
coastwise and seagoing ships.
Marye's Hights, back of the town,
made, as we shall hereafter see, po-
sition of the most formidable nature.
When Sumner arrived on Nov. II he
found the Confederates already in OBJ
servation there, and a battery of artil-
lery opened on him from Marye's
Hights, but he speedily disposed of it
by the batteries he massed in answer
It was to be seen that only the advance
guard of Lees army had arrived, and
Sumner. who could usually be depend
ed upon to do the soldierly thing, was
anxious to make his way across the riy-
er and gain possession of the Hights.
The water was then low above the city,
and tho the fords We're difficult, Sum-
ner's men should have been able to find
their way across them, and he would
then have been ready to dispute the oc-
cupancy of Marye's Hights with Lees
columns as they arrived He commune
Gated his wish to headquarters. but
Burnside ordered him to remain on his
side of the river and until the pontoons
should arrive. The river was liable at