The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-05

was nicely and carefully arranged. pro
vided. General Lee quietly permitted
him 10 execute this excellent piece OF
strategy. ,,a.
by adding II hardly hoped 70 accom-
piish this. nut did expect that by strlk-
ing in between Culpeper Courthouse
and Little Washington. ! could separate
else force them 70 concentrate az lar
back as Oordonsville, and thus place
The army Of the Potomac IN b ppsiiiiiG 1e
of advance upon Richmand or TO De re-
moved 10 tho Penensula, II. as appre-
hended, u were found imposs, PIE 70
supply II by the o. 4 A. H. H. oeyoho
General Mcclellan with Special
Orders No. 1911 spread before MIN ana IN
full possession of the position OF the
divisions of Lees army. failed 20 peat
that army in detail by thrustln9 ms
nearly 5000 men between the seveIea
and widely separated troops OF Jackson
and Iongstreet in Maryland. hattered
himself In thinking General Lee wouid
sanction a recurrence or such Sohul-
ton and permit him 20 ust the Napo,
the other.
General Lee was also carefully
watching Mcclellan with the view
of suddenly thrusting part OF an OF ~
Blue Mountains and smashing MS
flank and rear. .,.,-,,.
Cautious ana deilDetdte' ~
was urged into action by has govern
ment. also by that irresponsible iact0I,
Public ClamOr. Not until the <oth
of october, or more than nHe ~eesS
vance. General Halleck on the eth
day of October sent aperempt9TZ oIaer
for his advance. but McSleilah pe
layed twenty days before ne eot nis
army in motion, and IL took until the
2nd day of November TO complete
the transit of the Potomac How iong a
that rate would he be IA Teachlng
CuIDeper or Fredericksburg with Lee
ready to strike port. flank or reaFf
But the methodical Mcclellan was
no1 ,pis Spi a. ontIined above, for sud
denly on the 18th of November he was
relieved Of his command and General
Ambrose f.. Burnside promoted 10 inc
head Of the Potomac Army
Meantime General Lee had pushed
Longstreet through the gaps ana
pressed him, with the most OF sa ns
remained near Wildwood in the valley.
having advanced one division east OF
the Ridge. There was no small ces sipe
the Two wings Of the army, put Qenefal
Lee had measured the caution o.
Mcclellan, and Jackson position actsd
as menace 70 the ftdeldi iS@t ""@
stuart was in daily touch. with the
Blue hOrsenen. watching ana marrying
them until he discovered burn1ioe ;
intent and then Lee called jackson
from the Valley and advanced Long
street 70 the south bank OF the Kappa
hammock.
Bernside's FIRST effort was 10 reorganize
the Potomac Army. The six corps q
armee were consolidated with three
ana wilcox's Ninth Corps constituted
the Right Grand Division, unoer
Sumner Stonemans Third and Butter
field's Fifth Corps made up me Se mr.
Hooker, while the Left Grand DIVISION
was com posed of Reynold tlrst
and Smiths Six Corps. under fIaik-
lin This change in mis- army formation
delayed Burnside ten days at arren-
ton and gave Lee ample time 70 con-
centrate east of the Ridge
On the 18th of November the Po-
burg. Burnside proposed 10 seize that
town for q base and there winter nls
army. then in the spring transpordt
n TO the James and attack Richmond
from the south bank of that river.
But then General Lee and the Army
Of Northern Virginia became serious
factor in that operation. BURNSIDE ma. hau
been promised ample pontoon EQUIP
Inent to meet him at Stafford on the
arrival OF the advance OF his army s-.
When sumner looked Gov. Gown o,i ii ~.
nth, with MS Right Grand DIVISION,
there we're opposed TO him regiment
OF infantry. one battery OF artillery
and four troops of cavalry.
When General Lee became satisfied
of Hu~nside's objective point. he has
tened McLaws and Ransom DIVISIONS
of infantry and Rooney Lee Drisane
of cavalry to support the small force
in observation at Frederlcksburg-
Sumner had ample force to press
over the river, seize the neIgh,s , oey9 me
balance of the Blue army arflFso-
But Burnside feared TO place the
treacherous Rappahannock between the
grand divisions of his army. ana re-
strained Sumner from assuming the
Initiative. and then the man and the
opportunity parted. for specify the
these strong positions. and again the
master chess player put ms hahd
upon the board and quietly called
A formal demand was made upon the
municipal authorities for the surrender
of Fredericks burg. General Lee author
zed the ne. M ssd b. by t TseG
for military purposes. but ne would
resist any attempt of the Federals 70
occupy it. After some further negotIII
atoms the town was considered neutral
and the enemy did not she'll II as
first threatened
Then General Lee began 20 fortify
the eligible positions along mis- line TO
eral Burnside proposed 10 hold Stafford
Heights as q winter camp lie had not
counted upon that hydra headed mon
ster, Public Clamor, that Irresponslo! bic,
buf potent force north of the Potomac /;
and as Mcclellan had not brought the
fruits its insatiate demands required, II
now howied and ragged at BURNSIDE
Later IL did the same al General George
VI Thomas at Nashville Burnside
ouailed under its remorseless demands.
but Thomas withstood Its orders until
he was ready 20 move
Both the government and PUBIC
CIamor insisted on action. ana tn1t tne
Rebel army be defeated and Rlcn-
rnond captured before Christmas.
The proposition before Burnside was
TO make direct front attack, or to pass
the river higher up by fOrcs. or lower
down By pontoons. He first planned the
latter idea at SkInkers y eek, twelve
miles below Falmouth.
General Lee discovered TINS intent
and placed ID. II. Hill and his ciVlSlOn
in observation with Stonewau in sup
porting distance. in such q position he
could readily go to the assistance OF
d II. HILL or aid Longstreet on the
Confederate left The movement by
the upper fords of the Rappahannock
did not seem to appeal to Burnside,
though to the student of military tao
tics that plan seemed the more easibie,
and later vas employed by HOOKER
after he succeeded TO the command OF
the Potomac Army, az such movement
mus threaten General Lee 9 communi-
cation with Richmond and necessarily
COMPEL him TO sbondan his fortified line
and accept battle upon ground OF the
enemys own choosing. or else fall back
TO a more interior line.
BY the movement OF ID. H Hill and
burnside conceived the INCA