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| Captain William Saxton. |
Cortland Semi-Weekly Standard, Tuesday, May 12, 1903.
WAR REMINISCENCES.
By Captain Saxton of the 157th Regiment, N. Y. Vols.
BURNSIDE SUCCEEDS McCLELLAN.
Lee Regrets the Change—Burnside Arranged a Place of Operations—Hindered by Delay of Pontoon—Franklin Wished to Attack Immediately, but Burnside Delayed in Issuing Orders and FinallyBlundered in Them—Battle of Fredericksburg Begun.
CHAPTER 17.
To the Editor of The Standard:
Sir—With the order relieving Gen. McClellan on the 7th of November, came one to Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside to take command. This he reluctantly complied with, having twice previously declined the proffered offer. Now he was ordered to do so and he could not disobey orders. Gen. Halleck said to him “You have been given the command of the Army of the Potomac. What are you going to do with it?”
When McClellan had crossed the Potomac and moved south along the east side of the Blue Ridge mountains, his direction was toward Gordonsville. Siegel with the Eleventh corps had joined his army by moving south from around Washington and seizing Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run mountains. This move made it necessary for Gen. Lee to move from near Winchester, in order to prevent McClellan getting between him and Richmond. He accordingly moved on a parallel line west of the Blue Ridge, passing through some gaps, and had his army round Culpepper, while McClellan was at Warrenton at the time Burnside assumed command.
“Understood Each Other Well.”
The news of the order relieving McClellan and appointing Burnside reached Gen. Lee’s headquarters within twenty-four hours after it was received by McClellan, and Gen. Lee remarked on receiving the news, “I regret to part with McClellan for we always understood each other so well. I fear they may continue to make these changes till they find some one I do not understand.”
Burnside divided his army into three grand divisions. The Second and Ninth corps formed the right grand division commanded by Major-General W. V. Sumner; the First and the Sixth army corps formed the left grand division commanded by Major-General Joseph Hooker. The Eleventh corps (ours) constituted the reserve, commanded by Major-General Franz Siegel. Burnside made out his plan on the 9th in compliance with Gen. Halleck’s question, and sent it at once to Washington. Halleck came down to see him on the 11th and the plan was discussed.
Burnside's Plan of Operation.
Burnside proposed to make a feint from Warrenton on Gordonsville, but really to march his army rapidly to the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg, cross over, seize the city and heights before Lee would discover his move. By so doing he would have his army as near Washington as would the enemy, and when he arrived at Fredericksburg would be at a point nearer Richmond than he would be if he took Gordonsville.
Also, by using Acquia creek as a base of supplies, it would be only a short distance in the rear of this army. Burnside accordingly requested that a pontoon train sufficient to span the Rappahannock at least twice, with a wagon train loaded with hard bread and small commissary stores be at once started from Washington, via Dumfries, for Fredericksburg. He planned to throw Sumner’s whole grand division across the Rappahannock, and make a rapid movement in the direction of Richmond and fight Lee before Stonewall Jackson, who was still in the Shenandoah Valley, could join him. The troops passing us at New Baltimore on the 16th constituted the beginning of this move, hence the move of our corps, the reserve, to Centerville to protect Washington.
Pontoons Were Late.
Sumner’s right grand division reached Falmouth, a little village on the north side of the Rappahannock, half a mile above Fredericksburg on the 17th; but no pontoons were there, and they did not leave Alexandria until the 19th. They did not arrive until Burnside’s move was fully accomplished, and Gen. Lee, becoming acquainted with it, had hastened Gen. Longstreet’s corps to Fredericksburg seized the hills south, and fortified them, thus completely checking the entire move.
In the interim, while we were lying at Centerville, Burnside was occupied in establishing his new base at Acquia Creek and forming a new plan.
The Confederates’ Position.
Gen, Lee summoned Stonewall Jackson to him, fortified the height back of Fredericksburg and cut new roads in the rear of his army. He divided his army into two corps, placing Stonewall Jackson over the right and Longstreet over the left.
Jackson’s corps, comprising D. H. Hill’s, Early’s, Tallifarro’s and A. P. Hill’s divisions was posted from right to left in the order named, Stuart’s cavalry being on the extreme right next to the Rappahannock just north of the Massoponax creek and about, three miles below Fredericksburg.
Longstreet’s corps, consisting of Hood’s, Pickett’s, McLaw’s, Ransom’s and R. H. Andrews’ divisions joined on the left of Jackson’s corps and extended in the order named along the hills back of Fredericksburg till the left of Andrew’s division rested on the Rappahannock opposite the upper end of Beck’s Island a mile above the town making the Confederate line six miles long.
The Rappahannock at Beck’s Island makes a sweep around to the north by Falmouth and Fredericksburg. It hugs the north side whose banks are precipitous and high, called Stafford Heights. It leaves a plain or bottom on the south, or Fredericksburg side, from one-half to a mile wide. Back of this plain is the range of hills on which the Confederate army was located. Through these hills break several small streams as they flow into the Rappahannock, the Massaponax Creek on the south, then Deep Run, then Hazel Run, which flows in just below the city. From opposite Beck’s Island above a canal runs through this plain uniting with the Rappahannock in the city of Fredericksburg.
Building a Pontoon Bridge.
During the night of December 10th, the day we left Centerville, Burnside had the pontoon conveyed to the river, and one hundred and fifty pieces were placed in position on Stafford Heights to protect them.
Between 4 and 5 o’clock on the morning of the 11th while it was still dark, in a dense fog the engineers commenced to place pontoons for bridges at four points: one nearly two miles below the city, just a little below where Deep Run comes in from the south side; another at the railroad bridge and two more opposite the city and near Falmouth.
The morning was misty and foggy and the engineers had partly constructed the bridges opposite the city before they were discovered. As soon as it was learned what they were doing Barksdale’s Mississippi brigade, which was stationed along the bank and in the city as pickets and sharpshooters, opened a deadly fire and drove the engineers from their work. They were rallied and driven away again and again. Orders were now given and the artillery opened fire on the houses in town which were sheltering sharp shooters. A number of houses were set on fire, but the Mississippians would not budge. More attempts were made by the engineers to lay bridges, but each time they were driven off with loss. Finally, about 1 p. m. volunteers from the Seventh Michigan and the Nineteenth Massachusetts as a forlorn hope, jumped into some pontoon boats, hurriedly pushed across the river and drove the Confederates from their [river] bank and from the houses in town, and the bridges were soon completed, but at the cost of 300 men.
A Fighting Chaplain.
Chaplain Fuller of the Sixteenth Massachusetts had resigned from service and just received his discharge. When he learned that his regiment was about to go into action, he crossed the river in one of these boats with the Nineteenth Massachusetts, seized a gun, joined the skirmishers, helped fight their way through the streets, and fell down dead, rifle in hand, in front of a grocery store on Caroline-st.
Troops began at once to cross, and before dark Sumner’s grand division and part of Hooker’s with three days’ rations, had crossed over. They drove the Confederates out of the city after considerable opposition.
The grand division of Franklin crossed over without much opposition on the lower bridge, or bridges, for he had laid two nearly side by side.
Early on the morning of the 12th, the remainder of the troops commenced crossing, and all that day and the early morning of the 13th was spent by Burnside in making a proper disposition of his forces. The left of Franklin’s grand division rested on the Rappahannock two miles below the city. His center was advanced nearly a mile toward the hills, and his right extended to the outskirts of the city, confronting Jackson’s and part of Longstreet’s corps. Franklin with his two corps commanded. Reynolds and Smith had reconnoitered his position, and after discussing the question unanimously agreed that inasmuch as all chance of surprise had vanished, there was but one thing to do, and that was to take the 40,000 men of the left grand division, and assault Lee’s right flank on the right flank and, left of the Richmond road at Hamilton’s Crossing and carry it at any cost.
Planning to Attack.
Burnside rode the line with Franklin at 5 p. m. on the 12th. This plan was discussed, and when he left all were of the opinion that he approved of it, and Reynolds and Smith were ordered to make the preliminary arrangements. As Burnside was leaving, Franklin asked that he be permitted to order the Third corps to him at once. Burnside declined the permission, but said he should have the order before midnight.
Franklin had the Sixth Corps guarding the bridge head, and his plan was to relieve it with the Third Corps and thus have his whole grand division ready for the attack at daylight next morning. Orders not coming at midnight, he sent an aide to headquarters for them, who returned saying they would be along presently. The orders did not arrive till 7:45 a. m. the 13th, and were then so vague and different from what had been talked the night previous, that Franklin concluded Burnside had changed his plan.
Burns’ division of the Ninth Corps was detached from Sumner’s grand division and sent to the left of Fredericksburg to connect with Franklin’s right. Birney’s and Sickles’ division of the third corps were taken from Hooker’s grand division and sent to the lower bridge to assist Franklin. This gave him at least 50,000 men, and Burnside made a great mistake that he did not order Franklin to mass his grand division and turn Lee’s right.
The Battle of Fredericksburg.
The battle of Fredericksburg opened on the 13tb, soon after Burnside’s orders came to Franklin. Reynolds advanced Mead’s division at 8:30 across a ravine in front of him under a heavy fire from the enemy’s artillery. Considerable loss was sustained in a fruitless attempt to capture one of Stuart’s horse batteries on the left. Mead pushed on toward a wooded hill occupied by A. P. Hill’s division, the rebel artillery plowing great gaps in his line. Gen. Birney, with his division, supported Mead on his right. They fought their way stubbornly up that hill, gained its crest, silenced the rebel batteries wedged themselves between some of Hill’s divisions and captured some prisoners and flags. On the crest, in the thick woods, the connection between Mead and Birney became broken, and Mead passing on, struck part of Tallifero’s division in reserve and was driven back down the hill.
Two regiments of the Third Corps, which had just arrived, were sent to help Birney on his left; but they with Birney were driven back, suffering severe loss. Sickles’ division relieved Birney’s and he and Mead checked a counter attack of the enemy.
The Sixth Corps suffered considerably from the artillery fire on the hills, and Brigadier General George Byard was mortally wounded by a cannon ball at Franklin’s headquarters near the bridge head. There was fighting more or less along the whole line and some prisoners were captured by Brooks at Deep Run.
Burnside's Mistake.
Night ended the battle on this part of the line with no material advantage having been gained except that Franklin had extended his line in front a half mile or so and occupied the ground. It might have been different had Franklin’s plan been adopted. Burnside afterward said: “I made a mistake in my orders to Franklin. I should have directed him to carry the hill at Hamilton’s at all hazards.” W. S.
TO LOCATE IN CORTLAND.
Dr. Walsh Graduated from New York Homoeopathic Medical College.
Dr. James Walsh returned to Cortland Friday night, having been graduated on Thursday from the New York Homoeopathic Medical college. He is to locate in Cortland for the practice of his profession and will very shortly open an office here. The commencement exercises were held in Mendelssohn hall, New York, Thursday afternoon and were followed by a banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria, which was attended by over 450 people. Among those who responded to toasts were Samuel E. Quigg, the Rev. Minot J. Savage, Hal Bell, Dr. H. Worthington Paige, and Dr. E. H. Sinnell. At the alumni exercises that forenoon addresses were made by a number of men prominent in the medical profession, and among them was Dr. E. B. Nash of Cortland, who is a member of the faculty of that college.
Dr. Walsh is well known in Cortland and by all is highly respected and deeply esteemed for his high personal character and his genuine worth. The Homoeopathetic medical profession is not overcrowded in Cortland and it would seem probable that Dr. Walsh would soon build up for himself a fine practice here. His friends are all glad to welcome him back and to know that this will continue to be his home.
Buried in Cortland.
Judge and Mrs. Edward B. Thomas of Brooklyn were in Cortland Saturday morning to bury in the Cortland Rural cemetery the remains of their son who died sixteen years ago, and who had been previously buried in Brooklyn. They returned home on the 10:03 o’clock train that day.
To Consider the Treaty.
Panama, May 9.—It was announced today that an extraordinary session of the Colombian congress had been called for June 20 for the consideration of the Panama canal treaty with the United States.
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