The National tribune., 1908-01-16

eacn. In many cases, Sucn as icaNes
of absence, discharges. etc, these Grand
Divisions were to report directly tol
Washington. The left Grand Division
or Wing was given to Gen. Franklin,
and consisted of the First and sixth
Corps, the former commanded by Gen
John +. Reynolds and the latter by W.
F. (Baldy) Smith. The Third Corps.
commanded by Stoneman, and the Fifth
Corps, by Butterfield, constituted the
Center under Gen. Joe. Hooker. while
the Right Wing was commanded by
Sumner, who had the Second Corps. un-
der Couch, and the Ninth Corps, under
Wilcox. Fitz-John Porter had been re-
lieved from command of the Fifth Corps
and ordered before a court-martial,
when the command of the corps fell to
| Butterfield.
Gen. Burnside's Plans.
| The order which placed Burnside in
command of the army directed him to
| Immediately submit his plan of opera
tions to Washington. The plan which
he submitted did not meet with Hal
leck's approval, and the latter went at
once to Burnside to discuss the matter
| with him. There We're two evident
courses for the Union army to pursue;
one was to press down upon Culpeper.
Orange Court House and Gordonsville,
using the Orange & Alexandria Railroad
as base of supplies, and keeping Lees
army so busily employed that il could
not get away to make diversion upon
Washington. The other plan was to adj
vance from Fredericksburg, with the
base of supplies at Aquia Creek. This
would be shorter and more easily pro-
tected than the other line. but it did not
nterpose the Union army between Lee
and the Capital. 1t left the wide plains
of Manassas open for a flank movement.
Burnside proposed to leave Lee at Gull
peper, march down the Rappahannock
to Falmouth, and thence cross the river
to Fredericksburg. This plan had much
to recommend it if it had been executed
with commendable promptness. 1t in
volved. however. and this was fatal
involvement, that the pontoons should
arrive at Aqua Creek simultaneously
with the arrival of the army at Fall
mouth, and that they should be hurried
across the Peninsula. so that the army
could Immediately cross the Rappahan-
mock, and take position on the nights
behind Fredericksburg.
Gen. Halleck had approved of the
plan upon which Mcclellan was acting
when relieved, of marching on Culpeper
and thence to Gordonsville. Burnside
however, was welded to the Fredericks-
burg plan, and Halleck left him after
having given authority for him to make
every preparation for that plan. He
promised that he would do all possible
to aid in it, and to bring the President
to approve it. The President, with his
strong common sense, saw that the CuI-
peper-Orange Court II use route was
the preferable one, but he at length ac-
ceded to Burnside's idea on condition
that the plan should be promptly car
ried out This was all-essential.
The pontoons were now coming to
play most unhappy part. Nov. s Nc
Clellan had ordered fis pontooniers to
take up the bridges at Berlin, below
Harper's Ferry, and carry them to
Washington. AT Warrenton, Nov II,
Halleck had repeated this order him
self. and Burnside had naturally every
reason to believe that the pontoons
would certainly be at Aqua Creek when
the heads of his columns arrived at Fall
mouth. Alas. he knew little of Hal
leck. Halleck assumed that his order
being given the pontoons passed under
Burnside's orders. and he, Halleck, did
not bother any more about them, while
Burnside seems to have been expecting
Halleck to look after the boats for him.
No Effort to Cooperate.
Between the two Gen. Woodbury., who
commanded the Engineer Brigade, re-
ceived no specific orders, and no urging
as to the necessity of being on time at
Aqua Creek. Woodbury. went beyond
his duties in calling upon Halleck, Nov |
IA, to say that he had learned that the
arrival OF the pontoons was expected To
coincide with that of the army at F'al-
mouth. If this was the case, since moth |
ing had been done to hurry forward
the pontoOns, the march of the army
should be delayed at least five days in
order to enable the pontoons to be on
time. Halleck refused to grant this de-
lay, but he neglected to give Woodbury.
any positive instructions or to inform
Burnside of the trouble.
No steps Were taken to hasten for
ward the all-essential pontoons. The
pontoniers arrived in Washington Nov. |
15, with 4S boats and equipages. which |
we're the next day placed in tow of a
steamer that finally brought them into |
anchorage at Aqua Creek on the 18th. |
No Federal soldier had as yet appear |
ed on that side, and the pontoniers who |
accompanied the boats were obliged on |
landing to diSperse few Confederate |
troopers who were watching them. But |
these boats were useless without the |
wagons especially detailed for trans |
porting them. and when they reached |
Belle Plaine these wagons were still in |
Washington. Burnside having answered |
for the safety of the road. it had been
determined to wagon a portion of the |
equpaSeS to Fredericksburg, but un- |
fortunately instead of forwarding set !
of planks forming a complete equipage |
from each direction, the vehicles and |
nearly al! the materials appertaining 20
the As pontoons which had come down
the Potomac We're sent with the 90
boats that had to follow the land route. |
The departure of this convoy under the |
supervision of Capt. Spaulding was sub |
jected to all sorts of delays At the |
relay stations there We're no teams in |
readiness for this service: the orders |
necessary to collect them had not been
issued. 1t became Necessary to take
unbroken horses, to unpack hundreds of |
boxes containing harness and to engage
drivers, SO that the convoy, Instead or
leaving on the 18th. was not able to
start until the 18th. Then came the
rain, swelling the streams and breaking
up the roads; the wagons, overloaded .
and drawn by wretched teams. moved
on slowly, and on the I'D they had not
proceeded beyond the village of Dunn
fries. 1t would have required three
weeks to reach Falmouth at this rate OF
travelling. Capt Spaulding sent to
Washington for a steamer. which came
to meet him at the entrance of the Oc-
coquan into the Potomac. Rats We're
constructed. upon which were placed
all the vehicles as we'll as the rest of
the materials, and the steamer. taking
them in tow, brought them to Belle
Plaine on the evening of the 24th. The
animals. which had started at speed on
the morning of the 23d, arrived there
about the same time. On the 25th the
three euuiDageS again placed uDOn rhn