Year: 1862

3
ed and sent over for the division and
corps commanders and consulted with
them. They unanimously voted against
the attack. then.went over to see the
other officers of the command on the
other side and found that the same. opin-
ion prevailed among them l then sent
for General Franklin, who was on the
left, and he was of the same opinion.
This caused me to decide that ought
not to make the attack | had contempla-
ted, and besides the President had told
me not to be in haste in making this at
tack; that he would give me all the sup
port he could, but he did not want the
army of the Potomac destroyed | felt
that l could not take the responsibility
of ordering the attack, Notwithstanding
my own belief at the time that the works
of the enemy could be carried


While on his way here, Hooker, on
the morning of the Goth November, wrote
me a note, which received on the 2lst,
in which he suggested that he should
cross his force over the Rappahannock,
at the ford nearest the town, Richard
ford, and move rapidly down to Saxton's
station and take position there.


. He stated that they had three days
provision, and that he could meet any
force of the enemy in front of him. re
piled | was always very glad to take the
advice of my General officers, and
should be 10th to make a move without
consulting them, but l could not approve
Of the move he had suggested, because,
in the first place he would have to march
some SO miles to Saxton Station. 1t
was raining, and he would have to ford
two rivers, which might rise and cut him
off from the main body of the command,
and as had no means of crossing at
Fredericksburg, would be prevented
from sending him supplies and assis-
tance, and although he might reach Sax
ton Station, and not meet any force of
the enemy at that time, yet it would be a
very hazardous movement to throw
column like that beyond the reach its
proper support Hooker thanked me,
and said he only made it as sugges-
ton, and the weather, as it was raining,
rendered it of course impossible to make
the movement he suggested"


Question.-1n answer TO the question:
What reason do you assign for the fail
ure of your attack7


Answer-It was found impossible to
get the men up to the works. The ene-
mys fire was too hot. The whole COM
mand fought most gallantly. The ene-
my themselves say they never saw our
men fight so hard as on that day.


Question-Were the enemys works
very strong?


Answer-Their works we're not strong
works, but they held strong positions. 1t
is possible the points of attack were
wrongly ordered If such is the case, l
can only say I acted to the best of my
ability. 1t is also possible thatwe would
have done better to have crossed at Skin
ner's Neck, but for what | supposed to be
good reasons felt we had better cross
here, that we would have more deci-
sive engagement here, and that if we
succeeded in defeating, we would break
up the whole of the army here, which |
think now is the most desirable thing,
not even second to the taking of Rich
mond For if this army was broken up,
though they might defend Richmond for
a while, they could not make any pro-
tracted defense there --r


Question by Mr.. Gooch.-Do | under
stand you to say that it was your under
standing that General Halleck and Cen
eral Meigs, while at your headquarters in
Warrenton, and before you commenced
the movement of your army, sent orders
to Washington for the pontoons TO be
immediately forwarded to Falmouth?
Answer.-That was my understanding
certainly. -,


Questiop.-In your judgment, could
the pontoons be forwarded in time for
you to cross the Rappahannock when
you expected, if all possible efforts had
been made by those charged with that
duty2


Answer-Yes, if they had received
their orders in time.


| Questionable the non-arrival of these
pontoons at the time you expected pre-
vent your crossing when you expected to
cross, and interfere with the success of
your plan?


Answer-Yes.


Question.-Since you have assumed
the command of army of the Potomac,
have all its movements been made by
you according to your own Judgment, or
have some of them been directed by the
Generalin-Chief, the Secretary of War,
or the President Of the United States? !?


Answer.-They have all been made
lin accordance with my own Judgment.
In some cases l have submitted my views
which have been approved.


Question did you understand
was responsible for the forwarding of the
pontoons to Falmouth?


9 Answer-I understand that General
Halleck was to give the necessary orders
and then the officers who should receive
the orders were only responsible for the
pontoons coming here, l could have
carried out that part Of my plan through
officers of my own, but having just taken
command of an army with which / was
but little acquainted, it was evident that
it was as much as could attend to with
the assistance of all my officers to
change its position from Warrenton to
Fredericksburg; and felt, indeed l ex-
pected, that all the parts of the plan,
which were to be executed in Washing
ington, would be attended to by the OH
GERS at that place under direction of the
different Departments to which those
parts of my plan appertained


Question-Did you or not understand
that you were to be responsible for seeing
that these orders were to be carried out