Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-03


But a ranstorm set in, making INC
roads impossible for pontoon wagons
and after several attempts TO haul ooats
Inv hand to the Rappahannock river
which Burnside had to cross, the move
ment was abandoned. The artiliey ana
wagons became mired. and the army
with all OF its necessary material. wa
in fact foot-fast in the soft. ciaEeH
that abounds in that region. III a oe
iected mood the army splashed path
It's old camps around Falmouth, Va
History derisively calls this the muu
march and when, after 1t was o.eI'
Gen Burnside, in mt OF huihii .;.r
autographed to Washington reque .rs
for the second time. to be renene eu.;nn of
command of the army, the question: "
bis successor was already being consul
cred as a proba blhty 80, +bat
Though stung by the loud call Una.
went up for Mcclellan from the a.n,s
that had tv'ce met disaster after paf tiils
With him. the cabinet We're net shah NJ
in the conclusion that Mcclellan nus
not be restored, for the 1ocuho 81" 60, -,
equally with the patient Lincoln, uieM
the line at a military ctatorshlp, suci,
as would be virtually implied by a second
restoration under such pressure bul
while firm, the authorities We're clrcuih-
spect. and concluded that I would not pe
prudent to increase the tension nc
themselves and possible praetet orlaii
camp by sending outsider TO take tne
command from Burnside Subject 10 tniS
conclusion. Gen Halleck general-Hi-cihei
of the Union armies. ana oecret5rs %
War stanton favored the transfer OF
Mai Gen. Rosecrans, for whom Nc
Clelan might be expected to say Rood
word 10 supplement Rosecrans inherent
strength as repeatedly VICTORIOUS coii
mander in Mississippi. Tennessee ana
kentucky: but it was then thought III
iud cious to put another western man i'll
command. Maj. Gen. John Pope, VINO
had succeeded Mcclellan as head of the
Army of the Potomac, after the PENN
sula campaign, and in turn been super
seeded by Burnside. had been transferred
from the west.
The choice being narrowed TO the Army
of the Potomac. a process OF exclusion
began. Maj. Gen. W. b. Franklin. COM
mander of the left grand division. was
under a cloud because of certain alleged
conduct at the battle of Fredericksburg,
and was considered out of the question;
Mai. Gen Edwin V. Summer. commander
of the center grand division, had many
qualifications. but his age and growing
feebeness We're beyond remedy; MAJ
Gen. Darius y. Couch, commanding the
I'd Corps, was a possible second, ana
still more likely third choice and, briefly,
the selection found to lie among
Maj. Gems. Joseph Hooker. commanding
the right grand DIVISION, JOnn r Key
nolds commanding the 1St Corps, and
George @. Meade. commanding the 9TH
Corps.
have been told on hearsay teStimonE
that Mai Gen. John Sedgwick was sound
ed and said ne ought not to be appointed
because he was a Mcclellan man. l never
heard that SedgWick was ever proposed
as successor TO burnside, and | cannot
believe il. knowing the limited, though
warm regard of Secretary Stanton
for him stanton always spoke of Sedg-
wick as a brave, thoroughgoing so der.
who stayed in camp. gave Washington
wide berth and did not intrigue against
his superiors. But ! never heard him at
tribute TO Sedgwick such high qualities
FOR a great command as he imputed to
some other officers of that army.
Hooker had strong popular lead over
Reynolds and Meade, but Gen. Halleck
hacked by the Secretary OF War, con-
tended that there were reasons of an inn
perati character why he should not be
intrusted with an Independent command
of SO high degree of responsibility.
Stress was laid upon the facts that in
the dispositions for the attack on Maryes
Heights, at the battle OF Fredericksburg,
Gen. Burnside. who at that time could
have had no valid motive for jealousy
OF Hooker. had intrusted him with no i'm
pOrtant part, although he was present on
the field and of equal rank with Sumner