Year: 1862

Continuation OF lho Testimony bee


fore the Committee ON the Conduct


OF the War.


The following is portion of Gen. HOoker's
testimony


He did not know why they did not take pos
session of Fredericksburg, but the feeling
seemed TO be that they could take po session
OF 1t at any time. think 1t would have been
better to have held the lines where we were by
repairing sufficient force 10 threaten the enemy
and keep them up to their works Rt Culpepper
and Gordonsville; but instead OF that wo with
drew every man, and even burned the bridges,
thus exposing our plans to the enemy the
very moment we did so II General Sumner o
CORDS had coms do an here and left ono up there
threatening TO advance on that line, il would
have led them to believe that We were going to
advance on both lines. IL would have heen
better, but the enemy saw at once what we
we're at, and came right on here, and they were
nearer here than VIC we're, and this country is
such That whenever you give them two or three
weeks TO fortify, one hundred thousand men can
make any place impregnable to any other one
hundred thousand men.


Qnestion-Would there have been any
dlfhculty ss to supplies in your marching down
the other eide OF the river, aa you proposed


AAuoNCA - hhu tuC0o Hdyb rhLlOUb tUet6s i
was preparing to march down through Caroline
county, where the people had just gathered
their cropaI and would have got plenty OF for
age and provisions enough for week or fort
night. At the time Of tho conversation be-
tween Hslleck, Meigs and Burnside, there was
some talk of forwarding supplies up the Rap
pahannock. said that st Bowling Green
could draw my supplies from Port Royal as
easy as could get them when | was at Hart
wood. knew that | could take position with
forty thousand men that the whole rebel army
could not move me from,


Question-Would that movement have been
safe III view Of the fact that the enemy had not
means OF crossing the river here2
Answer--Yes sir because ] could take the
Nights with my command, and. then put them in
| condition OF defense I'll had gone there, moi
man OF the enemy would have come to Fred.
tricksburg, but they would have gone to some
| other river and fortified there, IL we had given
them time, ca effectually aa they have here.
regard the rebel position on the Rappahannock
as strong one-I mean the one they retired
TO from Manosas They had the advantage Oi
two railroads, one to bring supplies from the
west, another from Richmond, to bring troops
from there. ia the strongest position they
had in Virginia. The advantages of this posi-
tion to hold against force wishing to cross th,
river and attack il, are such as have nevel
seen before.


The following is from Gen. HsIleck's testi
mony:


QuestiOn-Was there or not any agreement
or understanding between you and Gen. Burn
side that pontoons and army stores, or eithel
of them, should be furnished him by the author
tiles here without his looking after them him
eelf7


Answer-No.


Question: will say aRy stores necessary fol
him to cross the river and move forward fol
Fredericksburg2


Annwer-Yes; requested Gen, Meigs snG
Gen, Hanps, in charge OF the railroads, to q
with me to consult with Gen. Burnside, and
told him everything was at his disposition; hi
must mako bis own acquisitions and give his
own orders; that would not interfere except
to assist in carrying his views out as much az
could; whenever anything was reported to me
as not being done, that would render all as
ssssnce in my power,